There was the sprawling men’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies and United States, played partly on pitches described as “bordering on dangerous” and “shocking.” Even last year’s women’s T20 World Cup had to be relocated to the United Arab Emirates – though we will concede that political unrest in Bangladesh is outside of the ICC’s control.
Critics of the recent World Cup structure in which all 10 sides play one another will enjoy a fast and furious format as eight teams are split into two groups, with the semi-final line-up decided in 12 matches and the whole tournament concluded in under three weeks.
There was the 2023 men’s Cricket World Cup in India, where the fixture list was released just weeks before the tournament began and amended repeatedly almost right up until the bowling of the first ball.
It leaves a patently absurd situation of eight sides starting a tournament without knowing where the showpiece decider will take place – bad news for any cricketing fans planning a trip to take in the toting of a trophy.
The Champions Trophy returns, adding even more strain to cricket’s bloated schedule, with Pakistan and the UAE hosting matches for eight nations.
