Brian Lara admits ODI cricket has lost ground to Tests and T20s, but he wants one thing protected. He says the number of bilateral ODIs can be cut, but a 50-over World Cup every four years is a necessity.
His comments, shared by Cricbuzz on October 3, came two days after the ICC launched the 2027 World Cup schedule in Cape Town. Lara attended the launch alongside Shaun Pollock and Aaron Finch.
He was clear about why ODIs are squeezed. Test cricket is still strong in England and Australia, and T20 dominates attention. ODIs sit between the World Test Championship and the T20 World Cup.
Lara’s split between bilateral ODIs and the World Cup is not a new idea. It is how dressing rooms have treated the format for years, even if few players say it publicly.
“There are more attractive forms of the game [than ODIs]. Test cricket is still very vibrant in England and Australia, and T20 has taken over everybody’s mind. So I understand the problem. [ODI cricket] is sandwiched between the WTC and the T20 World Cup, but it’s still a very important version of the game. Maybe they can limit the [number of bilateral ODIs], but having the World Cup every four years is a necessity.”
Brian Lara, via Cricbuzz, October 3, 2026
Agree with @BrianLara? 🧐 pic.twitter.com/iwhPViYdkZ
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) October 3, 2026
Insider Read
Inside a dressing room, a bilateral ODI series is rarely the real target. It is where teams try combinations, rest key bowlers and give fringe players a look. Results matter, but nobody judges a career by them.
The World Cup is the opposite. Players count down to it, plan their fitness around it and measure their ODI careers by it. When Lara says to limit the bilaterals and protect the World Cup, he is not inventing a new structure. He is describing the one players already live by.
What the ICC Is Considering for ODIs
In July 2026, The Guardian reported that the ICC was exploring shorter ODIs. It was also looking at a window where bilateral ODIs would mostly be played in the 18 months before each World Cup, with the rest of the calendar going to Tests and T20Is.
At its Annual Conference in Edinburgh from July 8 to 11, the ICC made no decision to cut ODIs from 50 overs to 40. Reports said any changes would only apply after 2031.
Lara’s view sits close to the 18-month window idea: fewer bilateral ODIs, with the World Cup as the format’s anchor.
The next test of that anchor runs from October 2 to November 21, 2027. The World Cup will be played under a new 14-team format, with 57 matches across 12 venues in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
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