The International Cricket Council (ICC) has made significant changes to the format of the 2027 Cricket World Cup, reducing the number of participating teams from 14 to 12 after a preliminary round.

This decision arose from discussions at a recent board meeting held in Edinburgh, focusing on the structure of the ICC’s premier global tournaments, including the upcoming T20 World Cup in 2028.

Key changes include:

• Three lowest-ranked qualifiers will participate in a first round, with only one team advancing to the group stage.
• The group stage will feature two pools of six teams.
• A new ‘super seven’ stage replaces the previously planned ‘super six’ round-robin format, eliminating quarter-finals and reducing knockout matches.

This adjusted format increases the likelihood of a high-stakes match between India and Pakistan, the most lucrative fixture in cricket, which the ICC aims to promote due to the ongoing reluctance of both boards to engage in bilateral series.

The ICC claims that these modifications will "create greater context, competitiveness, and consequence during the event."

In addition, the 2028 T20 competition will maintain its 20-team structure, but now 10 teams will qualify from the group stage instead of eight. The two best-performing teams in the ‘Super 10’ will earn automatic semi-final spots, with a new eliminator stage introduced to determine their opponents.

Scotland has been informed they must enter the European qualifying tournament, making them the only team from the 2026 edition required to revert to regional qualifiers.

A proposed ‘marquee’ event for associate nations is also on the table, pending final approval in November.