ICC made huge changes to the formats of the ICC ODI World Cup and the ICC T20 World Cup.
Legendary Indian spin bowler R Ashwin has endorsed the ICC's decision to revise the ODI and T20 World Cup formats, claiming that the modifications could increase competition. He did, however, add that the international governing body needs to do more to support developing cricket nations by giving them regular chances to play against elite teams.
On Wednesday, the ICC revealed significant format modifications for the forthcoming international competitions. In an effort to create "greater context and consequence," the Super 8 phase of the 2028 T20 World Cup will be enlarged into a Super 10 stage, while the 2027 ODI World Cup will now have a three-stage structure.
Although Ashwin acknowledged that the modifications were a positive move, he emphasized that expanding the game internationally would necessitate a more robust structure for building teams.
“The ICC’s changes to the fixture format for the 2027 ODI World Cup and 2028 T20 World Cup make sense from a competitiveness standpoint. But if the final goal is to grow the game, there needs to be a stronger pathway for emerging nations.
Teams like the Netherlands, Scotland, Nepal, USA and Ireland need more meaningful matches (FOR EXAMPLE: getting added as the third team into every bilateral series), not just qualification tournaments. Let’s not forget, that collective growth will make this sport a spectacle at the Olympics,” Ashwin posted on X.
The 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa will feature 14 nations, as initially scheduled, following the previous edition's 10 teams. In order to increase the tournament's intensity, the ICC established a Super Series round before the group stage and a Super 7 phase before the semifinals.
The teams ranking 12th through 14th in qualification will participate in the Super Series round, with the winner progressing to the second stage. That round will have six teams divided into two groups.
The top three teams from each group, plus the next highest-ranked team from both groups, will advance to the Super 7 stage. This replaces the previously planned Super 6 format. The top four teams from the Super 7 stage will then advance to the semifinals.
The ICC has decided to use a Super 10 phase after the group stage for the 2028 T20 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, rather than the previous edition's Super 8.
The event will start with five groups of four teams, with the top two from each group advancing to the Super 10 stage. Unlike the previous system, which saw the top two teams from each Super 8 group move directly to the semifinals, only the Super 10 group leaders will be guaranteed a position in the semifinals.
The teams that finish second in each group will face the third-placed teams from the opposing groups in eliminators, adding another competitive layer to the event.