The International Cricket Council (ICC) Board has announced the formation of a Governance Review Committee as part of its efforts to review and strengthen the organisation’s governance framework.
The committee will be led by ICC Board member Devajit Saikia, with Dr Musaji and Dr Rose Rivage appointed as members. The panel has been tasked with examining the existing governance system and recommending possible improvements.
The ICC has also formed a Franchise League Committee to review matters related to franchise cricket leagues around the world. The committee will be chaired by Tamim Iqbal, with Dr Rudy van Warne, Devajit Saikia, Richard Gould, and Todd Greenberg as members.
The Board approved the inclusion of Mauritius as the ICC’s 111th member. The ICC also approved a loan of US$12.82 million for the West Indies Cricket Board. Additionally, conditions for the revival of Cricket Canada were approved, although its suspension will remain in place.
The meeting urged Sri Lanka Cricket to conduct its board elections as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the newly elected president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board was recognised by the ICC as a full member director. The ICC also issued a formal notice to France Cricket for violating membership regulations.
ICC introduces new three-stage format for 14-team ODI World Cup
According to the ICC, a new three-stage format has been introduced for the 14-team Men’s ODI World Cup. Under this system, a “Super Series” will be played at the start of the tournament among the teams ranked 12th, 13th, and 14th. The winner of this series will advance to the second stage.
The second stage will feature two groups of six teams each. The top three teams from each group, along with the three highest-ranked teams overall, will qualify for the “Super 7” stage.
In the Super 7 stage, all seven teams will play against each other, and the top four teams will qualify for the semi-finals. The purpose of this new format is to ensure that every match carries greater significance and excitement from the very beginning of the tournament.
Meanwhile, approval has also been given to replace the Super 8 stage with a Super 10 stage in the 20-team T20 World Cup.
Under the new format, the preliminary stage will consist of five groups, with four teams in each group. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super 10 stage, where 10 teams will compete.
In the Super 10 stage, the teams finishing first in their respective groups will directly qualify for the semi-finals. For the first time, eliminator matches will be introduced, with the second- and third-placed teams competing against each other. The winners of these elimination matches will progress to the semi-finals.
Read more: ICC reveals latest ODI rankings with Daryl Mitchell still on top
