Netherlands batter Max O’Dowd lashed out at the International Cricket Council (ICC) after the global body changed the formats for the ODI and T20I World Cups. On Wednesday, the ICC issued a press release confirming the changes to the 2027 tournament, set to be played in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe. As a part of the revamped conditions, the 2027 edition will be played as a 14-team tournament, but there will be a more competitive structure designed to improve the experience for both players and fans.
Under the updated format, all 14 qualified teams will compete in a three-stage tournament culminating in the final. The revised system is intended to make every match more meaningful by increasing the importance of results from the very beginning of the competition.
Round 1 will see Teams 12, 13 and 14 playing each other in a round robin ‘Super Series’ format and the top team will progress to Round 2.
Round 2 will then feature two groups of six teams each. The top 3 teams from each group, plus the next highest placed team across both groups, will qualify for Super 7. The top four teams will then qualify for the semi-finals.
However, O’Dowd isn’t a fan of the associate teams being asked to play the tri-series format in the World Cup, and he raised questions on the sanctity of the format, saying the smaller teams have been hard done by.
“So you’re telling me, associate sides have to play in a 3-year 50-over tournament, to qualify for a qualifier to qualify for another tri-series qualifier to then qualify for a World Cup,” Max O’Dowd wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Ashwin’s take
Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said that the new format makes sense for increasing competition within the tournament; however, he also added that if the aim is to grow the sport, there needs to be stronger ways of supporting associate nations.
“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,” Ashwin wrote on X.
“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,” he added.
The ICC decided to change the formats of the World Cups during its annual meetings in Edinburgh. The Board, comprising three representatives from associate nations approved the recommendations it received from the Chief Executives’ Committee (comprising Chief Executives & representatives from full & associate members) related to the formats of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
The objective was to create more meaningful contests, elevate competitive standards, strengthening the competitive structure of both events, and enhancing the tournament experience for athletes and fans.
