ICC T20 World Cup set to be extended to 32 teams after Italy’s surprise entry

The International Cricket Council is reportedly considering expanding the ICC T20 World Cup in the future. The governing body is planning to expand the ICC T20 World Cup to 32 teams. This proposal was discussed at the ICC’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Singapore.

According to a report in Forbes, a six-member ‘working group’ headed by former New Zealand cricketer Roger Twose will discuss the proposal among other key decisions.

ICC considers a 32-team ICC T20 World Cup

The group will explore the possibility of widening the reach of T20 cricket after the success of the recently concluded 2024 T20 World Cup, where 20 teams participated and India was crowned as champions.

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The upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026 will continue with 20 teams, but the surprise qualification of countries like Italy has given the ICC confidence that the shorter format of the game is attracting fans in new corners of the world. They felt that increasing the teams to 32 in the T20 World Cup might be the right decision.

While T20 cricket is growing, the ODI World Cup, which had 12 teams in 2023, is not expected to expand anytime soon. The 50-over format is still seen as more competitive and limited in global reach compared to the T20 format.

ICC considers a two-tier format with promotion and relegation

Meanwhile, the ICC is also giving thought to the controversial idea of introducing a two-tier system in Test cricket. This would divide teams into two divisions, with promotion and relegation. This idea was adopted by the football leagues, and now it is in early discussion stages at the ICC.

Under the proposed two-tier system, India, Australia, and England would likely make up the first division, playing more matches among themselves. The second division teams would then compete for a chance to rise up the ranks.

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Some cricket experts like Ravi Shastri have backed the idea, calling it a way to keep Test cricket competitive and relevant; others, such as Michael Holding and Clive Lloyd, have raised concerns about the divide it could create between the Test-playing nations.

Ravi Shastri backs a two-tier system in Tests while Michael Holding and Clive Lloyd oppose

Ravi Shastri said on SEN radio, “I’ve always believed that if you want Test cricket to survive and thrive, this is the way to go. The top teams should play each other more often, creating a contest.”

Meanwhile, Lloyd said in a media interaction, “I think it will be terrible for all those countries who worked so hard to achieve test status. Now they’ll be relegated to playing among themselves in the lower section. How will they reach the top? (Only) by playing against better teams,"

On the other hand, Holding was quoted as saying by The Telegraph: “If there is no promotion and relegation, the top division will just keep on making all the money. The bottom division will get poorer, and teams will disappear. Maybe that is what they want."