International Cricket Council: rethinking growth strategy of cricket

Learning outcomes This case can be used to highlight aspects of classic strategic management, such as growth strategy & global strategy. After working through the case and assignment questions, the students will be able to analyse industry dynamics in the cricket sports industry and compare its structural elements with those of the football industry, identifying key differences in governance, revenue models and competitive structures; examine the strategy of an anchor entity of the industry International Cricket Council (ICC), using evidence of both qualitative and quantitative nature for the anchor’s growth strategy; assess the recent shift in the strategy of an organization ICC, such as diversification and international growth, as well as the motivations for the shift and it’s fit with the broader external environment; develop actionable recommendations for an organization like ICC in achieving its strategic goals, aligning long-term vision with short-term initiatives; and critically evaluate ICC’s strategic decisions and propose alternative strategies based on market analysis. The italicized words above are consistent with verbs in Bloom’s taxonomy for the “Understand”, “Analyse”, “Evaluate” and “Create” processes, as described by Forehand, M. (2010). Bloom’s taxonomy. Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching, and Technology, 41(4), 47–56. Case overview/synopsis This case outlines the remarkable success of the ICC, as well as the formidable challenges facing its chairperson, Greg Barclay. While Barclay can point to major recent successes – ICC’s Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 in India creating an economic impact of US$1.39bn for the economy of India, and successful T20 format including leagues like IPL – he can also see two formidable challenges ahead. First, 50 million new fans will have to be added through investment in growth markets, starting with the USA and cricket’s entry in the Los Angeles Olympics 2028. Second is the mission to accelerate the growth of women’s cricket, delivering 250 million incremental fans of the women’s game by 2032. The first mission has been plagued by delays in the growth of new markets like the USA due to the not-so-successful hosting of the T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA, which has financial loss. The second mission requires ICC to develop women’s cricket, which again requires long-term initiatives like grassroots development and policies like equal pay for men and women in cricket. In addition, ICC’s main World Cup event involving national teams is threatened by franchise-owned professional leagues, like IPL, which is generating more revenue and viewership. Similar to football, star players are reluctant to sign up for contracts with their respective country boards and may be more interested in playing in financially lucrative leagues. This case study critically examines whether Barclay should prioritize expanding into new markets, introducing new formats and developing innovative products or concentrate on strengthening its presence in existing markets and formats. It also explores Barclay’s strategies for enhancing the global reach and economic impact of cricket, especially in comparison to football, which generates significantly higher revenue and is played in many more countries. In response to the new challenges, Barclay has accelerated geographic expansion, such as in the USA, and the introduction of newer formats like women’s cricket and T10. The objective is to leverage digital platforms to expand ICC’s reach and introduce new formats. However, while digital platforms may attract new fans and sponsors, the development of new geographic markets and women’s cricket will take time to establish. Therefore, Barclay and learners need to consider: What other strategic options might Barclay consider to effectively grow cricket and expand its reach to many countries? Complexity academic level MBA/Masters. Supplementary material Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 11: Strategy.