Posted by The 2019 World Cup was contested by just ten teams, fewer than the 14 that completed four years ago. In 2027 and 2031, the men’s world cup has 14 teams, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Tuesday. ICC, cricket’s international governing body, revealed its global events schedule for 2024-2031 when it disclosed the revisions.
A “mini” World Cup, the Champions Trophy, that was last held in 2017, Pakistan’s win in England will be held in 2025 and 2029 as a competition for eight of the top one-day international teams. This year’s World Cup featured only ten teams, compared to 14 four years ago.
ICC Men’s world cup expand from 14 to 54 teams in 2027 and 2031, while the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will expand from 20 to 55 teams in 2024, 2026, 2028, and 2030,” the ICC board announced. For the next cycle, the board has decided to keep the structure of the World Test Championship, with nine nations participating in six series each. The inaugural WTC final in Southampton, England, will feature India and New Zealand later this month.
In 2003, when South Africa hosted the tournament and Australia won it, the enlarged men’s World Cup followed the same format. After the top three teams from each group advance to the Super Six stage, finals and semifinals will follow. Four groups of five teams will compete in the men’s T20 World Cup, with the top two teams in each group advancing to a Super Eights stage, followed by semi-finals and a final.
Traditionally, the Champions Trophy consists of two groups of four followed by semi-finals and finals. Ten teams were to be allowed to participate in the 2011 Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, a controversial decision, according to some who claim it is hindering the global expansion of the sport.
Broadcasters also seemed to favour a simplified format at the time, so officials made the case for the change. Nonetheless, it appears that the ICC hierarchy values global expansion since the T20 World Cup will be held every two years starting in 2024, with a 20-team field.
ICC’s reduction of the 50-over World Cup to ten teams led to the formation of the 13-team ODI Super League.
During the 2023 World Cup in India, the top eight teams will qualify automatically. Through the ICC’s decision to limit the event to ten teams, two of its 12 member nations were excluded, as were other top associate or junior nations such as the Netherlands, who have played in previous editions. Geoff Allardice, interim chief executive of the International Cricket Council, said announcing the ICC event schedule through to 2031 is a great moment for cricket.
A recent increase in Coronavirus infections in cricket’s economic powerhouse nation could force the World Cup to move to the United Arab Emirates.