Pakistan announce plans for annual T20 series with England, India and Australia

01/12/2022

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ramiz Raja has announced plans for an annual T20I 'Super Series' involving Pakistan, England, India and Australia.

Raja is set to propose the idea at the next ICC board meeting in March, suggesting the tournament should share its profits "with all ICC members".

Raja tweeted: "Hello fans. Will propose to the ICC a Four Nations T20i Super Series involving Pak Ind Aus Eng to be played every year, to be hosted on rotation basis by these four.

"A separate revenue model with profits to be shared on percentage basis with all ICC members, think we have a winner."

Raja has since expanded on the idea in an interview with ESPNcricinfo, insisting it is not an attempt to ringfence Pakistan, England, India and Australia as cricket's 'Big Four'.

"My view is that a new structure based on pooling and sharing of income should be formed," he said.

"The idea is to register a company that works under the ICC and has a dedicated Chief Executive Officer regulating the entire financial model, with the income divided among all the members.

"There are numerous rivalries like Ashes, Pakistan-India rivalry so it can't go wrong when four T20 sides come and play each other.

"We need to whet the fans' appetite as they are getting fatigued, and we need to create something outside the FTP [Future Tours Program].

"I am not a big fan of bilateral T20 series as T20I cricket needs a new life amid the challenges around franchise cricket.

"Playing five bilateral T20Is is tedious, but if three or four nations play each other rather than bilateral series, that has a massive potential in terms of generating revenue.

"It's not like we need to create a parallel body like the Big Four, but it's about generating interest and the income can go to the other boards too."

The idea would see India and Pakistan renew their rivalry on a more regular basis, with political tensions between the two nations meaning they currently only play each other in global events.

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