Richard Gould Reveals Plans to Bring Back ODI Tri-Series
England and Wales Cricket Board president Richard Gould has stated that ODI tri-series events will be held in the next 12 to 18 months, effectively endorsing the multi-team format.
This comes shortly after Shubman Gill, India’s ODI captain, publicly advocated for the revival of triangular and quadrangular tournaments to keep 50-over cricket relevant.
According to Dainik Jagran, the ECB is aggressively encouraging the format’s revival. As of currently, neither the fixtures nor the participating nations have been made public. The claim has not been confirmed by a primary ECB source, and the ECB has not issued an independent statement. Before publishing, an editor’s evaluation is recommended.
What did Shubman Gill say about the future of one-day international cricket?
Gill spoke out ahead of the first One-Day International (ODI) in Birmingham in July 2026, strongly opposing plans to reduce the format from 50 to 40 overs.
“When I think of the World Cup, I immediately think of the 50-over World Cup. For me, the 50-over World Cup is the most prestigious tournament. “I don’t think it should be changed to 40 overs,” Gill stated before the start of the ODI series against England.
Gill grew up watching 50-over cricket and considers multi-team events from that era to be particularly compelling.
Gill recalls seeing tri-series between Sri Lanka, Australia, and India as a child. “India, Australia, and Sri Lanka used to compete in those tournaments,” Gill added.
What suggestions has Gill made to increase the popularity of ODI cricket?
Gill argued that rather than changing the length of individual games, the scheduling paradigm needed to be altered. To benefit both players and viewers, he suggested replacing bilateral ODI series with games involving three or four countries. “If I ever get a chance to play in a triangular series, it will be fun because you are not playing one team continuously.” To make this format more interesting, instead of bilateral series, we can use triangular or quadrangular series. “That will be interesting to play and watch,” he stated.
Gill’s concept has at least one well-known administrative supporter, as indicated by the England and Wales Cricket Board’s recent declaration that tri-series preparations had begun at the ECB. It remains to be seen whether verified fixtures will be disclosed shortly, and if other boards will follow.
