DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has approved significant changes to the formats of the men’s ODI and T20 World Cups, introducing new competition structures aimed at making every match more meaningful and competitive.
Under the revised 14-team ODI World Cup format, the tournament will begin with a “Super Series” featuring the teams ranked 12th, 13th and 14th.
The winner of that stage will advance to the second round, where 12 teams will be divided into two groups of six.
The top three teams from each group, along with the best-ranked remaining team, will qualify for a new “Super 7” stage. After a round-robin among the seven teams, the top four will advance to the semifinals.
The ICC said the revised structure is designed to increase the importance of every match from the opening day of the tournament.
The governing body also approved changes to the 20-team T20 World Cup, replacing the existing Super 8 stage with a Super 10. In the opening round, the 20 teams will be split into five groups, with the top two teams from each group progressing to the Super 10 phase.
The Super 10 stage will feature two groups. The winners of each group will qualify directly for the semifinals, while the teams finishing second and third will contest newly introduced eliminator matches to determine the remaining semifinalists.
In addition, the ICC approved a new 16-team global T20 tournament for Associate Members, aimed at expanding competitive opportunities for emerging cricket nations.