The world of cricket is set to witness a massive change with new models finalised to be implemented soon. The first change is in the World Test Championship (WTC), which features the top nine Test-playing nations. This will now shift to an expansive structure comprising all 12 Full Member Nations from the next WTC 2027 cycle. Briefly, there were talks of a two-tier WTC but the idea failed to garner support and has hence been scrapped.
With the big three nations – India, Australia and England playing a major part in the overall revenue of the sport, promotion and relegation was a thorn in the idea
The ICC has now proposed the 12-team WTC with Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and Ireland set to be included as soon as the next cycle. While the teams will be expected to play a minimum number of Tests, there is no confirmation on the exact number of games. Host nations will also not get any extra funding which has been a struggle for some members.
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On the other hand, in the white-ball format, the ODI Super League is set to be revived after being discontinued post the 2023 ODI World Cup. Started in 2020 with 13 teams to create more buzz for the format, it had to be done away due to a cramped cricketing calendar.
The new proposal, which is expected to make a return from 2028, however, does not entail how many teams would be part of the revamped league. It is also expected that the number of teams in the 50-over World Cups will not be increased further after already growing it to a 14-team competition for the 2027 edition after being limited to 10 teams in the previous two.
Furthermore, the T20 World Cup will also remain at 20 participating teams for the time being. The long-term goal of these administrators is a gradual expansion, with an initial increase of four teams, ultimately working towards a 32-team format.
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