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The International Cricket Council (ICC) has approved major changes to the formats of its flagship men’s tournaments, introducing a new structure for both the ODI and T20 World Cups while also endorsing a new global competition for associate nations ahead of the 2028 Men’s T20 World Cup. The decisions were taken at the ICC Board’s annual meetings in Edinburgh following recommendations from the Chief Executives’ Committee. According to the governing body, the changes are aimed at making matches more meaningful from the opening stages, improving competitive standards and delivering a better experience for players and fans. The ICC Board, which included three representatives from associate nations, also signed off on the qualification pathway for the 2028 Men’s T20 World Cup.
New format for 14-team ODI World Cup
The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup will continue to feature 14 teams but will now follow a three-stage format before the knockout rounds. Under the revised structure, the three lowest-ranked qualified teams (Teams 12, 13 and 14) will first compete in a round-robin ‘Super Series’. The winner will join the remaining 11 teams in the next phase. Round 2 will consist of two groups of six teams, with each group playing a round-robin. The top three teams from each group, along with the next highest-placed team across both groups, will progress to the Super 7 stage. The Super 7 will feature a single round-robin involving seven teams. The top four sides will then qualify for the semi-finals, with first playing fourth and second taking on third. The winners will meet in the final. The ICC said the new format is designed to increase the importance of every match from the start of the tournament while maintaining opportunities for emerging teams to compete on the biggest stage.
T20 World Cup to feature Super 10 and eliminators
The 20-team ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will also undergo a significant overhaul. Instead of four groups of five teams, the opening phase will now comprise five groups of four teams. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the next stage, which has been expanded from the Super Eights to a Super 10. The Super 10 will feature two groups of five teams. The team finishing first in each group will qualify directly for the semi-finals. The teams finishing second in each group will face the third-placed team from the opposite group in two eliminators. The winners of those matches will complete the semi-final line-up. The ICC said the revised structure increases the number of teams competing in the second phase from eight to 10, creating greater opportunities for emerging nations while ensuring stronger competition throughout the tournament. The introduction of eliminators is also expected to add significance to the closing matches of the Super 10 stage.
New qualification pathway for 2028 T20 World Cup
The ICC also approved the qualification system for the 2028 Men’s T20 World Cup. Scotland will receive direct entry into the Europe Regional Final in recognition of the exceptional circumstances surrounding its participation in the 2026 tournament. Teams that played in the 2026 T20 World Cup but did not secure automatic qualification will advance directly to the Global Qualifier. The remaining eight Global Qualifier spots will be decided through regional qualification, with Africa, Asia and Europe receiving two places each, while the Americas and East Asia-Pacific regions will each have one berth. 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, subject to minimum performance criteria.
