The International Cricket Council has announced a significant restructuring of its men’s World Cup formats, aiming to enhance competition and engagement for fans and players alike.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced a comprehensive overhaul of its men’s global tournament formats, including significant changes to both the One Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 (T20) World Cups. The decisions were finalized during the ICC Board’s annual meetings held in Edinburgh, Scotland, and aim to create a more competitive and engaging experience for players and fans.
New ODI World Cup Format
Under the updated format, the men’s ODI World Cup will maintain its participation of 14 teams but will implement a new three-stage competition structure. The ICC stated, “The Board approved an evolved competition format for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup that continues to feature 14 participating teams while delivering a more compelling tournament for athletes and fans.”
The tournament will kick off with a new “Super Series” that includes the teams ranked 12th, 13th, and 14th in the qualification standings. These teams will compete in a round-robin format, with only the winner progressing to the next stage of the competition. This revised structure is intended to ensure that every match holds significance from the start of the tournament.
Following the Super Series, the successful team will join the 11 already qualified nations in the second phase, which is divided into two groups of six teams. A total of 30 matches will be played, and the top three teams from each group, along with the next best-placed team overall, will advance to the newly introduced Super 7 stage.
During the Super 7, all seven teams will compete in a single round-robin format, culminating in 21 matches. The top four teams will move on to the semifinals, with the first-placed team facing the fourth and the second-placed team meeting the third. This is a departure from the previous Super Six stage that followed two groups of seven teams.
The ICC emphasized that the new format is designed to elevate the competitive intensity and overall experience for fans while providing opportunities for emerging teams to compete on a global stage.
Changes to T20 World Cup Structure
In addition to the alterations in the ODI World Cup, the ICC has also approved notable changes to the Men’s T20 World Cup. While the tournament will retain its 20-team structure, the opening phase will now consist of five groups of four teams, reducing the total number of group-stage matches from 40 to 30. The top two teams from each group will advance to a new Super 10 stage.
In this second phase, the 10 qualifying teams will be divided into two groups of five, with each group winner securing an automatic berth in the semifinals. The newly introduced eliminator round will heighten the stakes at the end of the Super 10 stage, allowing teams that finish second in each group to face off against those that finish third in the opposite group.
This structure replaces the previous Super Eights stage, which consisted of two groups of four teams. The ICC’s adjustments aim to ensure that matches remain critical throughout the tournament.
Qualification Pathway for 2028 T20 World Cup
Additionally, the ICC Board confirmed the qualification pathway for the 2028 Men’s T20 World Cup. Scotland has been granted direct entry into the Europe Regional Final due to exceptional circumstances surrounding its participation in the 2026 tournament. Other teams that competed in the 2026 T20 World Cup but did not secure automatic qualification for 2028 will advance directly to the Global Qualifier.
The remaining eight slots in the Global Qualifier will be filled through regional qualification tournaments, with Africa, Asia, and Europe each contributing two teams, while the Americas and East Asia-Pacific regions will each send one team. From the Global Qualifier, the highest-placed team from each region, along with the next three best-performing teams overall, will qualify for the 2028 T20 World Cup, contingent upon meeting the ICC’s minimum performance criteria.
Proposed Global Tournament for Associate Nations
In a significant development, the ICC Board has endorsed a proposal for a new 16-team global tournament specifically for associate member nations, which aims to serve as a precursor to the T20 World Cup. This initiative is intended to provide associate nations with more frequent high-quality international competition, thereby raising overall standards and creating a marquee global event for emerging cricket nations.
However, this proposal is pending final approval and will be reviewed by the ICC’s Finance and Commercial Affairs Committee before being brought back to the Board for consideration during its meetings in November.
