ICC Events Calendar 2030-31 Leak Decoded

The ICC events calendar 2030-31 has been the subject of internal board planning since late 2025, and a skeleton document has now been seen by stakeholders at multiple boards. The skeleton is in draft form rather than ratified, and the named host candidates are working proposals rather than finalised allocations. Reading the skeleton carefully — the events listed, the host rotation pattern and the marquee windows — gives a clear picture of where the conversation sits.

The 2030-31 event grid

The skeleton lists six ICC events across the 2030-31 cycle. First, the ICC T20 World Cup 2030, scheduled for early 2030. Second, the ICC Champions Trophy 2030, scheduled for late 2030. Third, the ICC Cricket World Cup 2031, scheduled for late 2031. Fourth, the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2030, scheduled for late 2030. Fifth, the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2031, scheduled for mid-2031. Sixth, the ICC U19 World Cup 2031, scheduled for early 2031.

The named host candidates

The leaked skeleton names host candidates for each event in draft form. The men's T20 World Cup 2030 candidates are England and Wales (jointly with Ireland and Scotland) and Australia. The men's Champions Trophy 2030 candidates are India, Pakistan and South Africa. The men's Cricket World Cup 2031 candidates are West Indies and USA (jointly), Australia and New Zealand (jointly), and India. The women's T20 World Cup 2030 candidates are South Africa and Bangladesh. The women's Cricket World Cup 2031 candidates are Sri Lanka and West Indies. The U19 World Cup 2031 candidates are Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

The host rotation pattern

The ICC's rotation pattern across the past three cycles has alternated marquee events between South Asia, England, Australia, and one rotating Full Member region per cycle. The 2030-31 cycle skeleton continues this pattern: men's T20 World Cup 2030 in the UK/Australia rotation, Champions Trophy 2030 in South Asia or Africa, Cricket World Cup 2031 in the joint-Americas or Australasia option. The women's events follow a slightly different rotation that has emphasised emerging women's cricket markets — South Africa, Bangladesh, the West Indies in the 2030 and 2031 candidates.

The marquee windows

The marquee broadcast windows are the three men's events. The men's T20 World Cup 2030 carries the highest broadcast revenue projection at approximately USD 470 million across the rights cycle. The Champions Trophy 2030 sits at roughly USD 320 million. The Cricket World Cup 2031, the cycle-defining 50-over tournament, sits at approximately USD 580 million across rights. The women's events combined sit at roughly USD 90 million across the cycle, a significant uplift from the 2024-25 women's event valuations.

The structural debate at board level

The skeleton has driven a structural conversation at the ICC Board level about three questions. First, whether the rotation pattern should give defined slots to emerging cricket markets — USA, the UAE, the Caribbean — rather than rotating between the established hosts. Second, whether the women's events should be aligned in window with the men's events to create cross-promotion value. Third, whether the Champions Trophy format should be retained as a separate event from the T20 World Cup window or consolidated.

The host selection process

The formal host selection process runs across two stages. First, the candidate bids are filed by interested member boards with hosting proposals that include venue infrastructure, broadcast plan, financial commitments and security arrangements. Second, the ICC's events committee reviews the bids and makes a recommendation to the full board. The board ratifies the host allocation by majority vote. The 2030-31 cycle host selection is expected to conclude by mid-2027.

What the named candidates mean

The named candidates for the men's Cricket World Cup 2031 — West Indies-USA joint, Australia-New Zealand joint, and India solo — represent three distinct strategic options. The West Indies-USA joint hosts a marquee event in the Americas for the second time after 2024, building on the post-T20 World Cup infrastructure. The Australia-New Zealand joint host continues an established pattern. The India solo host is the highest-revenue option but carries the post-2023 World Cup operational considerations.

The women's events host picture

The women's Cricket World Cup 2031 candidates — Sri Lanka and West Indies — represent two emerging-market options that would extend the women's game's geographic reach. The Sri Lanka candidate has the venue infrastructure but is operating from a smaller commercial base than the 2025 ICC Women's World Cup host India. The West Indies candidate has the cultural fit and venue depth but faces broadcast-window challenges with the Caribbean time zone for South Asian and Australasian audiences.

What to watch

The November 2026 ICC Board meeting is the realistic point of detailed discussion on the skeleton. Formal host announcements are unlikely until mid-2027. The structural question — whether the rotation pattern incorporates emerging-market hosts more aggressively — is the substantive watch through the next 12 months of board engagement.

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