ICC considering expanding T20 World Cup to 20 teams

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is considering increasing the number of participating teams to 20 in an effort to develop the game globally. Although the upcoming T20 World Cup will feature 16 teams, the apex cricket body aims to increase the capacity from the 2024 edition. The revised plan could potentially have four groups of five teams. 

The T20 World Cup is set to take place in October-November window, but due to the second wave of COVID, there appears to be a lot of uncertainty around India hosting the tournament. Keeping this in mind, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been listed as a backup venue for the tournament. 

It is also learnt that the ICC might follow the same route for the 50-over World Cup as well. The World Cup was reduced to ten teams from fourteen in 2019, as broadcasters favoured fewer teams to avoid one-sided matches. There has been a lot of talk in the last few weeks about the board bringing the number back to 14. 

The ICC, on the other hand, has already announced plans to increase the number of participating teams in women’s competitions. According to ESPN Cricinfo, the above-mentioned topics were discussed at a recent Chief Executives' Committee (CEC) meeting.