Overview
- The ICC Board ratified the new formats at its annual meeting in Edinburgh on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, confirming a three-stage structure for the 14-team 2027 ODI World Cup that leads into semifinals and a final.
- Under the ODI plan the teams ranked 12th–14th will play a round-robin 'Super Series' with only the winner moving into Round 2, which will split 12 teams into two groups of six before a seven-team 'Super 7' round-robin decides the top four semifinalists.
- The men's T20 World Cup will stay at 20 teams but shift to five groups of four in the opening round, a Super 10 second stage and two cross-group Eliminator matches to determine the last semi-finalists; the Board also set the 2028 qualification pathway with specific regional slots and a special route for Scotland.
- The Board endorsed a proposed 16-team global tournament for Associate nations to give them more regular top-level competition but said final approval depends on a finance and commercial review by the Finance & Commercial Affairs Committee in November.
- Media reports that officials discussed cutting the 2027 ODI field to 12 reflected internal debate rather than a Board decision, and other reform ideas such as adding WTC semifinals or changing the future tours rhythm remain under discussion rather than approved.