Sana Mir
Former Pakistan women’s cricket captain Sana Mir has been appointed to a prominent six-member panel formed by the World Cricketers’ Association (WCA) to undertake a comprehensive review of cricket’s current scheduling system.
This review aims to address the issues with the sport’s “broken and unsustainable” structure.
The panel, which includes notable figures such as former England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief executive Tom Harrison alongside Sana Mir, has been tasked with a significant challenge: to devise a solution that allows international cricket and domestic leagues to harmoniously coexist within a well-organized calendar.
The WCA, formerly known as the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA), is spearheading this initiative in response to growing concerns about the chaotic nature of the global cricket schedule.
According to a statement released by the WCA, the current scheduling model is fundamentally flawed.
The association highlighted that the global cricket calendar is confusing and chaotic, lacking clarity on how international matches interact with domestic leagues.
This lack of structure has increasingly forced players to make difficult choices between representing their countries and pursuing opportunities in domestic leagues, which has impacted their careers and well-being.
The panel’s role involves collaborating with independent consultants to assess the situation thoroughly. Their findings will be used to formulate recommendations for the WCA board.
These recommendations will be based on consultations with a broad range of stakeholders, including players, administrators, team owners, and broadcasters. The ultimate goal is to create a clear and coherent structure that benefits players, boards, and fans alike.
Heath Mills, chair of the WCA, emphasized the need for significant change. He noted that cricket, with its three core formats—Test, One Day International, and Twenty20—has ample potential to develop a coherent global structure.
However, he lamented the failure of the game’s leadership to establish such a framework, expressing skepticism about the current system’s ability to resolve these issues independently.
Further research conducted by the Professional Cricketers’ Association in May revealed that 81 percent of players are concerned about the physical demands of the domestic fixture list, which leaves insufficient time for rest and recovery.
Additionally, a high-performance review by the ECB in 2022 had recommended reducing the amount of domestic cricket.
However, this proposal was met with resistance from English county teams, highlighting the difficulties in implementing scheduling reforms.
Former England captain Joe Root has also weighed in on the matter, acknowledging the need for a change in the schedule to achieve long-term benefits for English cricket.
The current review, led by this diverse panel, represents a critical step towards addressing these systemic issues and striving for a more balanced and sustainable cricket calendar.
I am a dynamic professional, specializing in Peace and Conflict Studies, Conflict Management and Resolution, and International Relations. My expertise is particularly focused on South Asian Conflicts and the intricacies of the Indian Ocean and Asia Pacific Politics. With my skills as a Content Writer, I serve as a bridge between academia and the public, translating complex global issues into accessible narratives. My passion for fostering understanding and cooperation on the national and international stage drives me to make meaningful contributions to peace and global discourse.
