What fans care about, though, are their team's fixtures. It is here that Manohar could push for and sign off on some fairly progressive changes. A rehaul and refreshing of the old Future Tours Programme, converting it into something both sustainable and equitable has already been under way for the last 12 months, with an aim to rescue bilateral cricket from torpor. A post-2015 World Cup meeting with television executives reminded board officials that the most profitable events for broadcasters tended to be ICC events and domestic T20 leagues. Bilteral cricket between the "core" nations (England, Australia, India, South Africa) was still a profitable business for television, but did not make as much profit as before. Tours by India did make the home boards some money, but not in as outrageous quantities as earlier (case in point: India's tour of Sri Lanka in 2015, when the SLC had to ask Ten Sports to bid twice before arriving at an agreeable figure).
seems very likely now ICC will introduce something to bilateral series.
ver the last year, ICC committee meetings have discussed the various possibilities that could give bilateral cricket enough context for broadcasters to invest in it. It is from where the idea of day-night Test cricket came into being, how the idea of a Test championship has returned to public debate (in a league-like format covering a larger period rather than a two-month scramble) and that of a points system across formats has been thrown into the open. Maybe mini-seasons with format-specific windows. Everything to create an appetite for nation-versus-nation contests that would translate into profits.
Can't believe it has taken ICC and it's members so long to realise more context and reason to play matches means more money for the boards, more viewers all in all more better for the sport.
Can't wait if ICC does actually implement a better FTP.
Should make the Ashes even more better.