- The International Cricket Council (ICC) has revamped the format for the 2027 Cricket World Cup in southern Africa, reducing the main field from 14 to 12 teams after a preliminary round.
- This preliminary stage will involve three of the lowest-ranked qualifiers, with only one advancing to the group stage , which will feature two pools of six teams and a new 'super seven' round, replacing the previous 'super six', and no quarter-finals.
- The changes aim to increase the likelihood of high-profile matches, such as between India and Pakistan, and are intended to create "greater context, competitiveness and consequence" for the event.
- For the 2028 T20 World Cup, the 20-team format remains, but 10 teams will now qualify from the group stage instead of eight, with the top two from the 'Super 10' automatically securing semi-final berths and an eliminator stage deciding the remaining semi-finalists.
- Scotland are uniquely affected, being the only team from the 2026 edition required to re-enter regional qualifiers for the 2028 T20 tournament, while a new 'marquee' event for associate nations is also under consideration.
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Cricket World Cup format controversially revamped ahead of tournament expansion in 2027
