The International Cricket Council (ICC) has approved sweeping changes to the formats of its flagship men’s global tournaments, introducing new competition structures for the 50-over and T20 World Cups while also endorsing a new 16-team global event for Associate nations.
The 14-team ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup will retain the same number of participating teams but adopt a four-stage format. A new opening “Super Series” round featuring the teams ranked 12th, 13th and 14th will determine one qualifier for the main competition. The winner will join the top 11 teams in two groups of six, with the top three teams from each group and the next best-ranked side progressing to a seven-team “Super 7” round-robin stage. The top four teams from the Super 7 will qualify for the semifinals before the final. The revamped structure is designed to ensure greater consequence from the opening match and a stronger competitive narrative throughout the tournament.
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will continue to feature 20 teams but will also undergo a major overhaul. The first round will comprise five groups of four teams instead of four groups of five, with the top two teams from each group advancing to a new Super 10 stage. The 10 teams will then be split into two groups of five. While the group winners will qualify directly for the semifinals, the second and third-placed teams from opposite groups will contest two Eliminators for the remaining semifinal berths.
The Board also approved the qualification pathway for the 2028 T20 World Cup. Scotland will enter directly into the Europe Regional Final, while the remaining teams from the 2026 T20 World Cup that failed to qualify automatically will advance to the Global Qualifier. Eight additional teams will qualify through regional tournaments.
The Board also endorsed a proposed 16-team global tournament for Associate members as a precursor to the T20 World Cup, with final approval subject to a review by the ICC’s Finance and Commercial Affairs Committee in November.
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Published on Jul 15, 2026