Player survey reveals, T20 World Cup may become the most important ICC events

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.

Those numbers have now shifted, with 50% of players ranking the ODI extravaganza as the most significant and 35% favoring its T20 counterpart in 2024.

The last match of the T20 World Cup, which is currently being hosted by the USA and the West Indies, will take place in Barbados on Saturday between South Africa and India.

According to the rebranded body's study, players under 26 had a marked increase in preference for the T20 World Cup, with 41 percent saying they would rather play in it than the 50-over World Cup in 2024.

All things considered, the T20 format's popularity has increased significantly. Only 48% of players currently cited Test cricket as the most significant format, down from 82% in 2019.