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Find your local frequency'More cricket is not necessarily the right answer': NZC boss calls for schedule change amid franchise boom
Alex Chapman • October 23rd, 2026 6:00 am
The Blackcaps | Photo: Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
With international cricket facing increasing pressure from an expanding franchise landscape, New Zealand Cricket CEO Geoff Allott wants a rethink of the global calendar.
And he believes establishing clear windows will go a long way to helping achieve it.
“Having more cricket is not necessarily the right answer.” Allott told Sport Nation Mornings.
“Having more valued cricket absolutely is the right answer.”
The current Future Tours Programme (FTP), which outlines the structure of international series and events, runs until next April, with the 2027–31 cycle expected to be confirmed at next month’s International Cricket Council quarterly meeting.
Beyond determining fixtures, the FTP is critical to the financial and commercial planning of cricket-playing nations, shaping broadcast arrangements and revenue forecasts for the years ahead.
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But the proliferation of domestic T20 competitions has intensified the competition for space in an already crowded calendar, with questions persisting over the relevance and commercial viability of in particular one-day international cricket outside World Cups.
One potential solution is the introduction of designated windows for international cricket and franchise competitions.
“I think everyone would like to see that, to be fair.” Allott said.
“And I think the ICC are working really hard to try and achieve that, and it's not easy.”
In July, ICC chief executive Sanjog Gupta called for an end to "randomly scheduled bilateral series", warning that the existing model was becoming increasingly difficult for cricket-playing nations to sustain.
The ICC has also considered an overhaul of the men's global calendar, including continental championships, multilateral series and a World Club Championship for T20 franchises.
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Fixed windows for each format and changes to the length of ODIs have also been discussed.
With bilateral series, ICC tournaments and franchise competitions all competing for space, Allott believes the sport must reconsider how its increasingly congested calendar is structured.
And with cricket experiencing what he describes as a "really rapid expansion phase of professionalism", the stakes extend beyond scheduling.
From a New Zealand perspective, that means remaining competitive on the field to ensure there’s appeal from commercial and broadcast perspective.
“That's what we can control and so we're really keen to see also for player welfare and well-being and those sorts of things as well, it's really important that there is some certainty around the calendar.
“So we've really got to challenge ourselves and say, look, our game is evolving, our game is changing. What is the best way forward?”
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