The International Cricket Council (ICC) has approved major changes to the formats of its top men’s tournaments, introducing a new structure for both ODIs and the T20 World Cup, as well as approving a new global competition for associated nations ahead of the 2028 Men’s T20 World Cup. The decisions were taken at the annual meetings of the ICC Council in Edinburgh following recommendations from the Committee of Chief Executives. According to the governing body, the changes are aimed at making matches more meaningful from the opening stages, improving competitive standards and providing a better experience for players and fans. The ICC Council, which included three representatives from associate nations, also signed off on the qualification path for the 2028 Men’s T20 World Cup.
New format for the 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 teams (Teams 12, 13 and 14) first compete in a round-robin “Super Series”. The winner joins the remaining 11 teams in the next round. 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 team in both groups, will advance to the Super 7 stage. The Super 7 features a single round-robin involving seven teams. The top four teams will then qualify for the semi-finals, the first playing fourth and the second taking third. The winners will meet in the final. The ICC said the new format is designed to increase the importance of each match from the start of the tournament, while maintaining opportunities for emerging teams to compete on the biggest stage.
T20 World Cup includes 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 include 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 features two groups of five teams. The team that finishes first in each group will qualify directly for the semi-finals. The teams that finish second in each group will face the third placed team from the opposite group in two eliminations. The winners of those matches will complete the semi-finals. 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 final matches of the Super 10 stage.
New qualification path for T20 World Cup 2028
The ICC has also approved the qualification system for the 2028 Men’s T20 World Cup. Scotland will receive direct entry to the European Regional Final in recognition of the exceptional circumstances surrounding their participation in the 2026 tournament. Teams that played in the T20 World Cup 2026 but did not secure automatic qualification will advance directly to the Global Qualifier. The remaining eight Global Qualifier places will be decided by a regional qualifier, with Africa, Asia and Europe receiving two places each, while the Americas and East Asia-Pacific regions will each have one place. From the Global Qualifier, the highest ranked team from each region, along with the next three highest performing teams overall, will qualify for the 2028 T20 World Cup, subject to minimum performance criteria.