The International Cricket Council (ICC) approved the schedule of ICC events for the years 2024-2031 on Tuesday, with both the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup being expanded, as well as a Men’s Champions Trophy being reintroduced. They have also put out a confirmation that BCCI will retain the hosting rights even if the T20 World Cup is shifted abroad.
The ICC has also encouraged management to concentrate its preparation efforts for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 on the UAE, with the possibility of adding another Middle Eastern location. In 2027 and 2031, the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup will grow to 14 teams and 54 matches, while the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will grow to 20 teams and 55 matches in 2024, 2026, 2028, and 2030.
In 2025 and 2029, an eight-team Champions Trophy will be held. In 2025, 2027, 2029, and 2031, the ICC World Test Championship Finals will be held. The ICC Women’s event calendar has already been finalized, with the extension of both the Cricket World Cup and the T20 World Cup demonstrating the ICC’s long-term commitment to the development of the women’s game.
The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup will be divided into two groups of seven. The top three sides from each group will advance to the Super Six stage, followed by the semi-finals and final. The 2003 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup was played in this format.
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will be divided into four groups of five teams. The top two from each group will be progressing to the Super Eights stage, which will be followed by the knockout phases of semi-finals and a final. Like previous seasons, the Champions Trophy will feature two groups of four, semi-finals, and a final.
The ICC also authorized the method for selecting hosts for all Men’s, Women’s, and U19 events in the upcoming cycle. Following a selection process that begins this month, the hosts for the Men’s events will be announced in September. In November, the Women’s and U19 event hosting process will begin, providing an opportunity to connect with a wider spectrum of Members, including first-time hosts.
In a statement, ICC Acting Chief Executive Geoff Allardice said, “The revised approach to selecting hosts for our events will give us much more flexibility to grow the game and engage new fans. There is a smaller pool of countries with the infrastructure needed to host our senior Men’s events, which narrows the selection process. Additionally, many of our members expressed interest in hosting Women’s and U19 events, which gives us a great opportunity to stage events in established and emerging cricket nations.”
