Edinburgh, July 14: The International Cricket Council (ICC) is considering a series of significant changes to its global events, including a reduction in the size of the men’s ODI World Cup, the introduction of World Test Championship (WTC) semi-finals and a revamp of international scheduling, following discussions at its annual conference in Edinburgh.
According to reports, the ICC is exploring a proposal to reduce the 50-over World Cup from 14 teams to 12, while introducing a new ‘Super Seven’ stage.
The revised format could be implemented as early as the 2027 edition, which will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe.
The proposed changes may also see only two teams qualify through the global qualifying tournament instead of the previously planned four.
The governing body is also reviewing the structure of the T20 World Cup, with the existing ‘Super Eight’ stage likely to be expanded into a ‘Super 10’ phase. The changes are expected to increase the number of high-profile fixtures, particularly India-Pakistan clashes, which remain the most commercially valuable matches in international cricket.
The ICC is also examining the future of bilateral cricket. While England, India and Australia have already finalised their Future Tours Programme (FTP) commitments for the 2027-31 cycle, the remaining Full Members are expected to meet in August to finalise the calendar.
Reports suggest the number of bilateral white-ball series could be reduced and replaced by intercontinental quadrangular tournaments featuring teams from different regions.
In Test cricket, the ICC is still assessing the possibility of expanding the World Test Championship to include Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe, although no formal proposal has yet been approved.
However, discussions over introducing WTC semi-finals have gathered momentum, with officials believing an additional knockout stage would keep more teams in contention and generate greater interest throughout the competition.
Despite recent speculation, there are no immediate plans to reduce One-Day Internationals from 50 overs to 40. The ICC continues to discuss ways of maintaining the relevance of the format but has ruled out any imminent changes. It has also confirmed there are no plans to revive the ODI World Cup Super League, which previously served as the qualification pathway for the 50-over World Cup.
Instead, the ICC has encouraged Full Member nations to organise more ‘A’ team matches against Associate nations in both ODI and T20 formats to aid the development of the game.
Meanwhile, plans for a global club T20 competition featuring champion franchise teams from leading domestic leagues are also progressing, with the tournament potentially being launched within the next few years if space can be created in the international calendar.
A meeting of franchise league executives later this year is expected to further advance those discussions. (Agencies)
