The rise of Twenty20 cricket "will gather pace with two extra World Cups to be added to the existing schedule" by the Int'l Cricket Council as it looks to "cash in on the booming popularity of the game's shortest format," according to Nick Hoult of the London TELEGRAPH. The ICC has opened discussions with broadcasters about organizing World Twenty20 tournaments in '18 and '22, "meaning that the event will be played every two years." Such "was the success of the World Twenty20 in India recently that the ICC does not want to wait another four years" for the next tournament, which is due to be held in Australia in '20. Talks "were held in fringe meetings at the ICC recent board meeting in Dubai last month about holding a World Twenty20 every two years," with West Indies a possibility for the '18 tournament and the UAE in '22. An "informal sounding out of broadcasters has begun" about adding the tournaments to the $2B rights deal signed with Star Sports in '14 that runs until '23. Adding two more World Twenty20s "would add to fears of a further squeezing of Test cricket but the shortest format also brings in the finances" to enable loss-making Test series to be held by poorer nations (TELEGRAPH, 5/16).
BCCI CONSIDERS SECOND TIER: TELEVISION POST reported the Board of Control for Cricket in India "is thinking of launching" a second-tier Indian Premier League, a move that can "deeply influence the economy of the sport." Though details of the plan "are not known, it will mean creating another window for the IPL." The T20 format will "further overshadow the business dynamics of the sport." IPL Chair Rajeev Shukla said, "We are thinking of launching a tier-2 IPL." Being a global product, the BCCI is "also planning to make the IPL bigger." Shukla: "We are working on taking it overseas next year" (TELEVISION POST, 5/16).
