The International Cricket Council (ICC) has approved major changes to the format of its flagship men’s tournament, introducing new structures for the ODI and T20 World Cups, while also approving a new global competition for partner countries ahead of the 2028 Men’s T20 World Cup. The decisions were taken at the annual meeting of the ICC Board of Directors in Edinburgh on the advice of the Chief Executive Committee. According to the governing body, the changes are designed to make matches more meaningful from kick-off, improve the level of competition and provide a better experience for players and fans. The ICC Board of Directors, consisting of three representatives from associate countries, also signed off on the qualification pathway for the 2028 Men’s T20 World Cup.
14-team ODI World Cup new format
The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup will continue to feature 14 teams, but will now use a three-stage format before the knockout rounds. Under the revised structure, the three lowest-ranked qualifying teams (Teams 12, 13 and 14) will first compete in the round-robin “Super Series”. The winner will join the remaining 11 teams in the next stage of the competition. The second round will be divided into two groups of six teams, with each group playing a round robin. The top three teams in each group, as well as the second-placed team in both groups, will advance to the Super 7 stage. The Super Seven will be a single round-robin tournament with seven teams participating. The top four teams will qualify for the semi-finals, with the first place qualifying for fourth place and the second place qualifying for third place. The winners will meet in the finals. The International Cricket Council said the new format is intended to increase the importance of each match once the tournament begins while retaining opportunities for emerging teams to compete on the biggest stage.
T20 World Cup will have Super 10 and knockout rounds
The 20-team ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will also undergo major reforms. The opening stage is no longer four groups of five teams, but five groups of four teams. The top two teams in each group will qualify for the next phase, which has been expanded from the Super Eight to the Super Ten. The Super Ten will be divided into two groups of five teams each. The first place team in each group will advance directly to the semi-finals. The second-placed team in each group will play the third-placed team of the other group in two knockout games. The winners of these games will form the semi-finals squad. The International Cricket Federation said the revised structure will increase the number of participating teams in the second stage from eight to 10, creating more opportunities for emerging countries while ensuring more intense competition throughout the event. The introduction of knockout rounds is also expected to add significance to the closing games of the Super Ten tournament.
New qualifying route for 2028 T20 World Cup
The ICC has also approved the qualification system for the 2028 Men’s T20 World Cup. Given the unique circumstances surrounding Scotland’s participation in the 2026 tournament, Scotland will advance directly to the European regional finals. Teams participating in the 2026 T20 World Cup but not automatically qualified will advance directly to the global qualifiers. The remaining 8 global qualifying spots will be determined through regional qualifying rounds, with Africa, Asia and Europe each getting 2 spots, and the Americas and East Asia and Pacific regions each getting 1 spot. From the global qualifiers, the highest-ranked team from each division and the three best overall performing teams will qualify for the 2028 T20 World Cup, subject to meeting minimum performance standards.
