ICC working out on increasing number of teams in T20 World Cup

The International Cricket Council is thinking about increasing the number of teams from 16 to 20 in the T20 World Cup form the 2023-31 cycles, as per the media reports.

The ICC, which sees that T20 format as the best way to extend the influence of the sport, is pondering the option as a way for cricket to try and match the popularity of sports like football and basketball, according to the 'Telegraph.co.uk'.

The newspaper claimed that this consideration is "a part of broader discussions for the shape of international cricket calendar from 2023-2031".

The first T20I World Cup in this cycle is slated for 2024.

Earlier, the ICC had put forth a proposal to organise a flagship event every year as a plan to enter the global media rights markets and the bigger T20 World Cup will also increase the viewership.

A bigger tournament will also augment the chance of the participation of the USA, a market where ICC has recently made several attempts to spread the sport.

Other teams that could engage are Canada, Germany, Nepal and Nigeria.

The International cricket body is looking at two options for the shortest format if the tournament expands to 20 teams.

One of the options is the current two-tier format used in the T20 World Cup with lower-ranked teams playing the qualifiers to reach the main draw which includes the top countries.

The second possibility could be four groups of five teams each with the top sides from each group progressing to the knockout stage.

The ICC is carrying out several discussions about the future of the sport, which includes shortening of five-day Test matches to four days.

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