According to a survey among cricketers, the T20 World Cup is poised to become the most significant ICC event.

(PTI Photo)

According to a recent player survey by the World Cricketers Association (WCA), formerly FICA, the T20 World Cup is gaining ground as the most significant ICC event, closing the gap with the ODI World Cup. In 2019, 85 percent of players favored the 50-over World Cup as the most important, compared to only 15 percent for the T20 World Cup. However, by 2024, 50 percent of players still viewed the ODI World Cup as the top event, while 35 percent leaned towards its T20 counterpart.

The ongoing T20 World Cup, co-hosted by the USA and West Indies, reaches its climax with the final between India and South Africa in Barbados on Saturday. The survey highlights a notable shift among younger players, with 41 percent under 26 years preferring the T20 World Cup over the 50-over format, which stands at 49 percent.

Overall, the T20 format has seen a surge in popularity. In 2019, 82 percent of players considered Test cricket as the most important format, whereas today, that figure has dropped to 48 percent, with T20 cricket now favored by 30 percent of respondents.

The survey included around 330 professional players from 13 countries, predominantly current internationals, with a notable increase in female respondents in 2024. The popularity of the T20 World Cup has been underscored by significant viewership figures, such as the highly anticipated India-Pakistan match alone garnering 256 million viewing hours in India.

Players from India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan were not represented in the survey due to their non-unionized status with the WCA. The responses were gathered from players in major cricketing nations like Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Bangladesh, and West Indies.