The International Cricket Council (ICC) has decided to restructure the formats of the men’s ODI World Cup and men’s T20 World Cup. The 50-over event will feature 14 teams but only in theory, while the jeopardy in the 20-over event has been diminished with the introduction of Super 8 and Eliminator matches.
One wonders what the purpose of these changes is. The ICC claims the restructuring will ‘deliver a more compelling tournament for athletes and fans’. But is that truly the case? If one dissects these decisions, one can come to two conclusions. The first is that the ICC doesn’t want the associate nations to thrive, and the other is that they want more India vs Pakistan matches.
Associate teams mistreated
Let’s dissect both of these conclusions. For the ODI World Cup 2027, the ICC has claimed that it’s a 14-team competition. But it’s not. Before the group stage starts, a ‘Super Series’ will be played between the associate teams or the three weakest teams. Only one of them will qualify.
Unlike the 2023 edition, where each team faced off in a round-robin model, here two groups of 6 will be formed. So, the weaker team won’t face all of the stronger teams. Why are these three teams made to play another qualifier after qualifying for the tournament?
ICC’s ploy for more IND vs PAK matches
Then a ‘Super 7’ has been introduced. These teams will play in a round-robin model. This means Pakistan will play India in the first group stage, since they have been in the same group at all ICC events since 2012, and then again in the next stage. One wonders why ‘Super 7’ and why not ‘Super 6’?
That’s because Pakistan has sometimes failed to make it to the next level. This way they’ll have another crack. No need for ‘qudrat ka nizam’ when the system is made for you to qualify to the next stage. If both India and Pakistan qualify for the knockout matches, they’ll face off again. So, they’ll play a minimum of two matches at the ODI World Cup 2027 and a maximum of three.
Now, let’s come to the T20 World Cup 2028. The Eliminator stage has been added. For the unaware, Pakistan was knocked out of the ‘Super 8’ in the 2026 edition. If we had applied the new format, Pakistan would’ve played the Eliminator against India. That’s an extra IND vs PAK match.
Let’s say India and Pakistan don’t face off in the Eliminator in 2028, but then a team that finished third in their ‘Super 10’ group can still make their way into the semifinal or final or win the tournament. That opens the opportunity for a knockout match between the two arch-rivals.
Magnitude of the match
Some believe that their clash in the T20 World Cup 2026 was valued at $250 million (INR 2,200 crore approximately). In fact, it’s considered that the game is worth about 40% of the overall media rights package at ICC events. At the end of the day, the ICC realises that India vs Pakistan matches are the best way to earn money and market the tournament. So, why not tweak everything to ensure they play more games.
Cricket
Unpopular Opinion: New ICC World Cup formats nothing but a ploy for more IND vs PAK matches
