According to recent poll data seen by ESPNcricinfo, the T20 World Cup is expected to surpass the 50-over World Cup as the “most important” ICC tournament for players worldwide.
Surveys are regularly conducted by the recently renamed World Cricketers Association (WCA), formerly known as FICA, and are distributed to several hundred players worldwide. Particularly among younger players, the percentage of people who believe the T20 World Cup to be the most significant ICC tournament has sharply increased during the last five years.
The 50-over World Cup was deemed the most significant ICC event in 2019 by 85% of respondents, while the T20 World Cup was selected by 15%. Merely 50% of respondents selected the 50-over World Cup in 2024, while 35% selected the T20 World Cup and 15% selected the World Test Championship.
The difference is considerably more pronounced for players under 26. 86% of respondents in 2019 selected the 50-over World Cup, while just 14% selected the T20 World Cup. Of those surveyed, 49% selected the World Test Championship, 41% the T20 World Cup, and just 49% the 50-over World Cup in 2024.
Beyond ICC competitions, the trend is seen more broadly in the game. When asked which format they thought was more significant five years ago, 82% of respondents said Test cricket, while 11% said T20. Only 48% of participants this year choose Test cricket, while 30% selected T20.