The International Cricket Council (ICC) is set to hold its quarterly meeting in Bali from November 13 to 15, with the future direction and global growth of cricket expected to dominate the agenda.
A major focus of the meeting will be a strategic review prepared by McKinsey & Company, which was commissioned by the ICC earlier this year to examine how the sport can expand its global reach and strengthen its economic model. The report is expected to be formally presented to the ICC during the Bali meeting.
The strategy review contains a wide range of recommendations, although it remains unclear how many of them the ICC will adopt in full. The Jay Shah-led governing body is nevertheless expected to support a significant portion of the proposals, particularly those focused on expanding revenue sources and strengthening the global cricket economy.
ICC Looks to Reduce Reliance on Broadcast Revenue
One of the major issues identified in the strategic review is the ICC's dependence on broadcast income.
The global cricket broadcasting market has a limited number of major players, with the concentration particularly evident in India, where there is effectively one dominant broadcaster. The McKinsey report is therefore understood to have explored alternative revenue opportunities that could give the ICC a broader and more sustainable financial base.
Potential areas include increased corporate sponsorship, data monetisation and the development of mobile gaming initiatives.
These projects could provide new commercial opportunities beyond traditional media rights. However, some of the proposed initiatives are expected to require significant investment and could take years to reach their full potential.
Cricket Data Could Become a New Revenue Stream
Data monetisation is one of the more ambitious ideas being considered as part of the ICC's long-term strategy.
The concept goes beyond conventional cricket statistics such as scores, player averages or match records. Instead, it involves exploring the enormous volume of data generated through the participation and engagement of players and fans around the world.
If successfully developed, this information could become an additional commercial asset for the ICC.
The strategy is understood to be a long-term project rather than an immediate source of revenue. FIFA has previously been cited as an example of a major international sporting organisation that has successfully developed commercial opportunities from its data resources.
The ICC is therefore expected to examine how similar approaches could be adapted for cricket.
Mobile Gaming Among Potential Growth Areas
Mobile gaming is another area highlighted in the strategic discussions.
Cricket already has a large global fan base, while the rapid growth of mobile gaming provides the sport with an opportunity to reach younger audiences and create new forms of fan engagement.
An ICC-backed gaming initiative could potentially combine cricket content with interactive digital experiences while opening another commercial channel for the governing body.
However, the details of any proposed mobile gaming project have not yet been finalised, and the Bali meeting will be important in determining how such ideas could move forward.
ICC Sets Ambitious Global Cricket Economy Target
The strategic review also reflects the ICC's broader ambition to significantly increase the size of the global cricket economy.
The ICC wants women's cricket to become the most popular women's sport in the world while also targeting a substantial expansion of cricket's overall annual economic value.
The global cricket economy is currently estimated at around $3.5 billion to $3.8 billion per year. The ICC's long-term objective is to increase that figure to approximately $10 billion annually over the next decade.
Achieving that target would require cricket to expand beyond its traditional markets and attract new audiences, commercial partners and investment.
China, Indonesia, Brazil and the US Seen as Growth Markets
Expanding cricket's presence in populous countries is expected to be an important part of the ICC's global strategy.
Countries such as China, Indonesia, Brazil and the United States are among the markets that could offer significant opportunities because of their large populations and potential consumer bases.
Developing cricket in these regions would require sustained investment in infrastructure, grassroots programmes, competitions and marketing.
The ICC's strategy therefore appears to focus not only on strengthening established cricket markets but also on creating a wider global footprint for the sport.
India is expected to remain the biggest contributor to the worldwide cricket economy. At the same time, the ICC is looking to increase the contribution from other regions to create a broader international commercial base.
More Multilateral Cricket on the Horizon
The ICC's broader strategy is also understood to be reflected in discussions surrounding the Future Tours Programme (FTP).
Recent discussions at an FTP workshop in Dubai reportedly focused on encouraging more multilateral cricket, alongside an increase in Twenty20 internationals.
This could potentially result in fewer bilateral ODI fixtures in the future, although the format continues to attract strong interest when competitive teams meet.
Importantly, the scheduling of bilateral cricket ultimately remains largely in the hands of individual national boards. Unlike ICC events, bilateral series are arranged between the relevant boards, meaning the ICC cannot simply impose changes across the international calendar.
The future structure of international cricket will therefore depend on how individual boards respond to the broader strategic direction.
Bali Meeting Could Shape ICC's Next Phase
The ICC's November meeting in Bali could become an important moment for the organisation as it considers the recommendations contained in the McKinsey strategy report.
The proposals cover several areas, from commercial growth and data monetisation to mobile gaming, women's cricket and expansion into new international markets.
The ICC's broader ambition is to build a much larger global cricket economy while reducing its reliance on traditional broadcast revenue.
Whether all of the recommendations will be accepted remains uncertain. However, the Bali meeting is expected to provide a clearer indication of how the world's cricket governing body intends to develop the sport over the next decade.
With women's cricket, digital engagement, new markets and alternative revenue streams all forming part of the discussion, the decisions made in Bali could influence the commercial and competitive structure of international cricket for years to come.