The ICC has approved significant changes to the formats of the Men’s ODI World Cup and Men’s T20 World Cup. The new structure is designed to make every stage of both tournaments more competitive and ensure that each match carries greater importance.
The International Cricket Council announced the updated formats after approval from its board. The changes will affect future editions of both global events and introduce new qualification pathways for participating teams.
New ODI World Cup Format
Under the revised system, the 14-team Men’s ODI World Cup will follow a three-stage format.
The tournament will begin with a Super Series involving the teams ranked 12th, 13th, and 14th. These three teams will compete for one available place in the next stage of the competition.
The winner of the Super Series will advance to the second stage. This phase will feature two groups of six teams each.
The top three teams from both groups will qualify for the next round. In addition, the highest-ranked remaining team will also progress, creating a total of seven teams for the final league stage.
The ICC said these seven teams will compete in a Super 7 round-robin stage. Every team will play against each other once. The top four teams at the end of this stage will secure places in the semi-finals.
Officials believe the new structure will increase competition throughout the tournament. Every match will have a greater impact on qualification, starting from the opening day.
Super 10 Replaces Super 8 in T20 World Cup
The ICC has also approved major changes to the Men’s T20 World Cup.
The existing Super 8 stage will be replaced with a new Super 10 phase.
The tournament will continue to feature 20 teams. These teams will first be divided into five groups of four.
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super 10 stage.
During the Super 10 phase, teams will compete for places in the knockout rounds. The winners of the two Super 10 groups will qualify directly for the semi-finals.
Teams finishing second and third in each group will play eliminator matches. The winners of those matches will claim the remaining two semi-final spots.
The revised format is expected to provide more meaningful contests and create stronger competition during the later stages of the tournament.
New Tournament for Associate Members
The ICC Board has also given in-principle approval for a new 16-team global T20 competition for Associate Member nations.
The event will take place before the Men’s T20 World Cup. It aims to provide Associate teams with greater international exposure and more competitive opportunities.
Final approval for the tournament is expected in November.
Updated Qualification Pathway
The governing body has also approved a new qualification system for the 2028 Men’s T20 World Cup.
Teams that do not qualify directly through the 2026 T20 World Cup will have another opportunity through a Global Qualifier.
Additional qualification places will also be available through regional competitions in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas, and the East Asia-Pacific region.
The new pathway is intended to give more teams a fair chance of reaching the global event while maintaining competitive standards.
In other news read more about No Pakistani Batter Features in latest ICC Test Top 10 Rankings
With these changes, the ICC hopes to improve the overall quality of both World Cups. The revised formats are expected to increase competition, reward consistent performances, and make every match more meaningful for teams and fans alike.
