Novelty of ICC tournaments is wearing off, need to evolve from administrative perspective: Uthappa

Former India batter Robin Uthappa said the novelty around ICC tournaments are tapering off, and the game needs to evolve from an administrative perspective to retain the charm around them.The current cricket calendar has three World Cups crammed in it in the space of 10 months.

Former India batter Robin Uthappa said the ''novelty'' around ICC tournaments are tapering off, and the game needs to evolve from an ''administrative perspective'' to retain the charm around them.

The current cricket calendar has three World Cups crammed in it in the space of 10 months. The Women's World Cup was played across September and November 2025, and now the men's T20 World Cup will be staged between February 7 and March 8, 2026.

The corresponding women's event is scheduled to begin six months later, lending a touch of significance to Uthappa's words.

''I think the game needs to evolve from the administrative perspective. How much value do fans and audiences hold for an ICC tournament every year? The novelty of it is wearing off, to be very honest and with all due respect,'' Uthappa answered a PTI query during a select media interaction during SA20.

Uthappa, who is donning the hat of a commentator during the ongoing SA20, believed that there should be some gap between two ICC events to add more value to them.

''I think the novelty of the ICC Championships must be there. I think it's an integral part, not just for the players but also for the fans, also for the viewers. It has to mean something. There has to be a little bit of a gap. We can't have or shouldn't have an ICC championship every year. That is the hard truth that I think the administrators have to look at and face and look at evolving the game in a way where it's actually moving towards,'' he added.

However, Uthappa held little doubts that the SA20 offered an excellent platform for players to sharpen their skills ahead of next month's T20 World Cup to be played across India and Sri Lanka.

''I know different conditions back in India and Sri Lanka, but this is high-intensity cricket (SA20) a month before the World Cup. If you had asked me this question maybe 5-7 years ago, I probably would have said it's a decent preparation, but not now. For example, Durban is supposed to be the fastest wicket in the world with bounce and pace.

''It's not the same. It sits up now. So, I think it (SA20) sits squarely in the preparation for the World Cup. So I won't be surprised if SA and, and some of the players who played in this league end up doing really well in the World Cup because the conditions are pretty similar at this point in time,'' he detailed.

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