The International Cricket Council (ICC) will have plenty of agenda points in place for discussion when the chief executive committee meeting takes place later in April 2021.
The committee will discuss the expansion on the number of teams participating in the Cricket World Cup and it could revert to the 14-team format used in 2015 edition of the tournament, as reported in The Telegraph. The latest this development could get implemented upon is from the 2027 edition of the tournament.
The important thing will be how the global qualifiers will be structured and will there be changes for qualification spots from League 2 and Challenge League events to the global qualifiers.
The other point is to increase the total number of teams in the ICC T20 World Cup from the current 16 to 20 from the next edition after the conclusion of 2022 edition of the tournament in Australia. The current format let’s the Associate qualifiers play in the first round to again qualify for the Super 12 stage to play agains the top 10 ranked teams. The increase in the number of teams might change the group league format.
The ODI Super League structure will also get changed to ensure all the 13 countries in the league play each other during the course of the competition. However, there remain a big if on the resumption of bi-lateral series between India and Pakistan. But if the proposed changes get implemented, it would mean 36 ODI matches against the full member-status countries for the Associate country, who will be the 13th entrant (in case a full member country doesn’t end up at the 13th spot in the current Super League points table at the conclusion) in the Super League.
Another major discussion point currently in early development stages is to formulate a second division in the WTC (World Test Championship), which would see regular test matches being played between Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, Ireland and the top Associate member countries (probably the ones with temporary ODI status competing in CWC League 2 + Netherlands). As reported by ESPN Cricinfo, the next committee meetings will bring forth the topic for discussion.
One thought on “ICC formulating Test matches for Top Associates in 2023-2031 cycle”
Let’s hope that we see more teams at World Cups to make them actual World Cups. As for the ODI League, like the Test Championship, it’s a half-baked idea that needs sorting… but the big hitters won’t let it!