ICC CONSIDERS WORLD CUP FORMAT CHANGES AT EDINBURGH CONFERENCE

The International Cricket Council held its annual conference in Edinburgh, where officials discussed proposals to restructure men's World Cups in both formats. A proposal under consideration would reduce the 50-over World Cup from 14 teams to 12 teams and introduce a 'super seven' stage, potentially in place for the 2027 edition co-hosted by South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe. The T20 World Cup is also under review, with the 'super eight' stage potentially increasing to a 'super 10' phase. These changes could increase matches between India and Pakistan, which the ICC identifies as the most marketable fixture for television, as the two sides currently play only in major tournaments.

The ICC is preparing for broadcaster negotiations over new media deals and seeking to position formats to maximise commercial value. England, India and Australia have secured their key fixtures for the Future Tours Programme covering 2027 to 2031, but other full members remain without confirmed schedules. An August meeting has been pencilled in to finalise the remaining calendar, with a further review planned for September. White-ball bilateral series are likely to decrease after the next FTP cycle, replaced by mini inter-continental quadrangular tournaments featuring two teams from each full member region.

A working group led by New Zealand board member Roger Twose continues to examine proposals for expanding the World Test Championship to 12 teams, including Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe. The ICC has yet to produce formal concrete proposals on this expansion, according to officials familiar with discussions.