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It was debated that the event should be expanded to 16-teams but the ICC directors are likely to settle for a 14-team format, which was played thrice before in 2003, 2011, 2015.
The argument against the 10-team event is that the arrangement is aimed at ensuring more India games so that the broadcaster can leverage on that financially, and it is so unfair that even the two full-time members, Ireland and Zimbabwe, failed to compete in the championship in 2019.
The ICC members have been deliberating on the size of the World Cup through virtual conferences for the last few months. A couple of members of the ICC have confirmed to Cricbuzz that consensus is emerging on the 14-team format for the ODI World Cup in the next eight-year cycle, from 2023-31. There was an argument for a 16-team event like in 2007, but the idea does not have the approval of the majority.
ICC will have to finalize the shape of the ICC tournaments as they will have to go to the market to conclude the media rights partners and sponsors. It is learned that the ICC is already behind schedule in finalizing the next cycle, the global pandemic being the main reason. ICC wants to have the eight-year blueprint ready by the end of this, with media rights expected to be sold by 2022.
ICC in a dilemma over six or eight World Cup events
ICC is having a big headache in deciding whether to have six or eight World Cup events in the cycle. Initially, an eight-event cycle was approved in 2019 with dubious involvement from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) at one meeting. The BCCI has made some noises but the latest consensus is that there is a sense of optimism among ICC directors that they will be able to convince the BCCI to drop its opposition to the one World Cup every year plan.
ICC to ponder on switching the venue for T20 World Cup
With the pandemic at its worst in India currently, several former cricketers, including Ian Chappell, have urged the ICC to move the tournament out of the country and stage it in the United Arab Emirates, which has been kept as a backup venue.
The BCCI sources have recently conceded that the options are open to switch the T20 World Cup later this year from India to UAE, but the BCCI decision-makers are adamant that the efforts will be made to retain the staging rights.
“We are still hopeful that with five months left and a significant population being vaccinated, we will be in a position to host the World T20. Yes, one of the options could be curtailing the nine venues to a maximum of four or five,”
a senior BCCI office-bearer quoted to PTI on Friday.
The second wave of Covid-19 in India has certainly weakened BCCI’s case. There have been calls to cancel the ongoing Indian Premier League due to the Covid-19 situation in India. Besides, the UAE is a front-runner for the staging rights in the current situation. With the entire UAE population set to be vaccinated and the UAE government is reportedly contemplating a vaccine tourism policy, the T20 World Cup event could be moved.
