ICC revamps ODI, T20 World Cup formats; new qualification pathway approved

Edinburgh: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has approved sweeping changes to the formats of the Men's Cricket World Cup and Men's T20 World Cup, while also finalising a new qualification pathway for the 2028 Men's T20 World Cup, following its annual Board meetings in Edinburgh.

The ICC said the changes are aimed at creating more meaningful matches, raising competitive standards and improving the overall tournament experience for players and fans. The Board also endorsed the concept of a new global tournament for Associate Members, subject to financial and commercial approval later this year.

Major changes to the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup

The 14-team ODI World Cup will retain the same number of participating teams but adopt a **new three-stage format** instead of the existing structure.

Key changes:

> The tournament will continue to feature 14 teams.> A new three-stage competition will replace the current format.> Round 1 will involve the bottom three-ranked teams, with the winner advancing.> Round 2 will feature two groups of six teams. The top three teams from each group, along with the next best-placed side overall, will qualify for the next stage.

A new Super 7 round-robin stage will replace the existing Super Six. The seven qualified teams will play each other once.

The top four teams from the Super 7 will advance to the semi-finals.

The ICC said the revised format gives every match greater significance from the opening day and strengthens the competitive narrative throughout the tournament.

Changes to the ICC Men's T20 World Cup

The ICC has also restructured the Men's T20 World Cup to provide greater opportunities for emerging nations while increasing the importance of matches in the second stage.

Key changes:

> The opening round will now have five groups of four teams instead of four groups of five.> The number of group-stage matches will reduce from 40 to 30.> The top two teams from each group will continue to qualify for the second stage.> The second stage will expand from the Super Eight to a Super 10, comprising two groups of five teams.> Matches in the second stage will increase from 12 to 20.> The group winners in the Super 10 will qualify directly for the semi-finals.> A new Eliminator round will be introduced, where the second-placed team in one group will face the third-placed team from the other group for the remaining two semi-final berths.> The ICC believes the new format will increase representation for emerging teams while ensuring more high-stakes matches.

New qualification pathway for T20 World Cup 2028

The Board also approved the qualification structure for the 2028 Men's T20 World Cup.

Key points:

> Scotland will receive direct entry into the Europe Regional Final in recognition of exceptional circumstances surrounding its participation in the 2026 tournament.

> Teams that played in the 2026 T20 World Cup but did not qualify automatically for 2028 will progress directly to the Global Qualifier.

> Eight additional places in the Global Qualifier will be decided through regional qualification:

Africa: 2 teamsAsia: 2 teamsEurope: 2 teamsAmericas: 1 teamEast Asia-Pacific: 1 teamThe highest-placed team from each region at the Global Qualifier, along with the next three best teams overall, will qualify for the 2028 World Cup, subject to minimum performance criteria.

The ICC Board also endorsed plans for a new marquee global competition for Associate Member nations. The proposal, recommended by the ICC Development Committee and Chief Executives' Committee, will be considered for final approval after a review by the Finance and Commercial Affairs Committee at the Board's November meeting.

ICC, Cricket, World Cup, T20, ODI