ICC announces expansion of men's 50-over and T20 World Cups
The 50-over World Cup format will be two groups of seven
Dubai: The International Cricket Council announced Tuesday the expansion of the men's 50-over World Cup and Twenty20 World Cup finals, while also reintroducing the Champions Trophy.
The World Cup will become a 14-team, 54-match event in 2027 and '31, and the T20 World Cup will be expanded to a 20-team, 55-match tournament every two years from 2024.
The 50-over World Cup format will be two groups of seven, with the top three in each group progressing to a Super Six stage, followed by semifinals and the final.
The announcement reverses the ICC's decision to cut the field from 14 teams to 10 after the 2015 tournament. The cut meant the 2019 World Cup in England and Wales took place without former regulars like Zimbabwe and Ireland and qualification was harder for teams outside the traditional elite. The 2023 World Cup in India will remain a 10-team event.
The T20 competition will consist of four groups of five, with the top two from each group going through to a Super Eights stage, before the semifinals and the final. The T20 World Cup currently features 16 teams.
Meanwhile, an eight-team Champions Trophy will be held in 2025 and '29 with two groups of four, semifinals and the final.
It was last held in 2017 in England and won by Pakistan.