The International Cricket Council (ICC) is reportedly considering changes to the structure of its global tournaments that could lead to more India-Pakistan fixtures in future mega events.
According to a BBC report, several proposals were discussed during the ICC’s annual conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, where key stakeholders debated the future of international cricket and ways to maximize the value of each format.
The governing body is also reviewing its broadcasting strategy, with discussions focusing on enhancing the commercial appeal of ICC events.
One of the key proposals under consideration is a major overhaul of the ICC World Cups. The report states that the tournament could be reduced from 14 teams to 12, while introducing a new ‘Super Seven’ stage.
If approved, the changes could be implemented as early as the 50-over 2027 Cricket World Cup, set to be held in South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe.
To accommodate the revised format, the ICC is also considering allowing only two teams to qualify through the global qualifying tournament, down from the four originally planned.
For the T20 World Cup, the ‘super eight’ stage could be made a ‘super 10 phase.
The report further states that the ICC is evaluating changes to the T20 World Cup by replacing the current ‘Super Eight’ stage with a ‘Super 10’ phase.
Such a change could increase the chances of India and Pakistan facing each other more than once during an ICC tournament.
It is worth mentioning that India and Pakistan do not play bilateral cricket due to political tensions. Their meetings occur only during ICC tournaments and the Asia Cup, as the rivalry is considered the most significant and commercially lucrative in international cricket.
The Future Tours Programme (FTP) schedules for England, India, and Australia from 2027 to 2031 have been finalized alongside the ICC’s major events. A meeting is scheduled for August to finalize the remaining fixtures for the other full members.
In addition, the number of bilateral white-ball series is expected to decrease in the next FTP cycle. Instead of some bilateral series, mini intercontinental quadrangular tournaments featuring two teams from each full member region are likely to be introduced.
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Regarding the expansion of the World Test Championship (WTC) to 12 teams, the ICC has made no formal progress, but a working group continues to evaluate plans to include Afghanistan, Ireland, and Zimbabwe. Since no concrete proposal has been submitted for approval, the expansion is now considered unlikely to be implemented in the next FTP cycle.
Discussions have also been held on introducing WTC semi-finals to boost interest and keep more teams in contention.
Meanwhile, the ICC has no immediate plans to reduce One-Day Internationals from 50 overs to 40 overs or revive the ODI World Cup Super League. However, it has encouraged Full Members to schedule more matches between their ‘A’ teams and Associate nations to support the game’s growth.
The governing body is also moving closer to launching a global club T20 tournament featuring champion franchise teams from around the world.
The proposed event, similar to football’s Club World Cup, could be introduced within the next few years if space is found in the international calendar.
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