In a move aimed to expand the game of cricket globally, the ICC may increased the T20 World Cup to 20 teams in the near future.
As per a report in ESPNcricinfo, there are plans to increase the number of teams from the 2024 edition of the showpiece event. At present, 16 teams will feature in the upcoming edition of the T20 World Cup, slated to be held in India later this year.
If the expansion goes as per plan, the 2024 edition would feature four groups of five teams in its opening phase.
Significantly, the global governing body for Cricket has believed the T20 format as a vehicle for the game’s expansion globally and there also has been talk of such an expansion.
Meanwhile, the ICC have already confirmed their idea to increase the number of teams in their women’s competitions.
Not only in the shortest format of the game but also plans have been in place to involve an increased number of teams (from 10 to 14) in the ODI World Cup. If this happens, it would certainly boost ICC’s idea for participation in the Olympics.
Significantly, all such ideas and plans have already been discussed in recent Chief Executives’ Committee (CEC) meetings however, no concrete decisions have been taken so far.
The report further said that the subject of the Olympics was raised at a recent CEC meeting by the ECB’s Tom Harrison and the BCCI have also recently expressed their willingness in the direction.
It is understood that return of Cricket to the Olympics would provide a financial and publicity boost to areas of the global game which have traditionally struggled for both.
As a result, there has been calls by not only the ICC but also by the various member nations for the inclusion of the game in the 2032 Olympics, which is likely to be held in Brisbane, beside a possibility of a bid for the 2028 edition, which is scheduled to be held in LA.
However, the decision on the number of teams to participate and the format of the game to be used in the showpiece event still remains undecided even as there has been growing support for using the T10 format.