The ICC have released a summary of recommendations from their most recent board meeting in Ahmedabad. Here are five key takeaways from the meeting.
Global Qualifiers for Men’s T20 World Cup
The board has signalled its intention to move away from the regional qualifier model which decides qualification for T20 World Cups. Instead, they are set to be replaced by a central 16-team Global Qualifier.
The competition structure and qualification pathway for the Global Qualifier has yet to be finalised, but a plan for the competition will be put forward in the next round of ICC committee meetings.
2027 Women’s Champions Trophy window moved to February
The inaugural edition of the ICC Women’s Champions Trophy was initially scheduled for the June-July window in 2027 but it was agreed at the board meeting that the tournament will now kick off on February 14, and the final will be played on February 28. No reason was given for the change, which will see the tournament will overlap with New Zealand's six-match tour of Australia, currently scheduled to start on February 27.
The ICC also announced a pilot for the new version of the Women's Emerging Nations Trophy, which will be a 10-team event including five full members and five associates. Teams will be selected based on their rankings and prior T20 World Cup qualification.
Cricket Canada suspended
Cricket Canada has been suspended from the ICC with immediate effect, with the board citing 'serious breaches of its membership obligations'. Canada will remain eligible to compete in ICC events, and the board will be able to access ICC funding through its controlled funding mechanism. The ICC will also provide Cricket Canada with a set of reinstatement conditions aimed at addressing the governance and administrative issues identified by the Board.
The suspension of Cricket Canada comes after the ICC froze the national board's funding in May. Allegations of corruption, financial mismanagement, and match-fixing have been levied against the board over the last few months.
Franchise Cricket ‘Concern’ highlighted
A note from the board at the end of its meeting summary was notable. The board 'expressed concern regarding growing expanse of franchise cricket,' and said it would form a committee to 'assess the harmonisation of franchise cricket with the international calendar within the current structure'.
Several franchise competitions have moved windows over the last two years in order to avoid clashing with both other leagues and international cricket. With the addition of the European T20 League to the calendar later this year, the schedule is only set to get more crowded, with the potential for establishing formalised franchise windows to tackle the high demand for players in both franchise and international cricket.
ICC president Jay Shah said, “Our discussions in Ahmedabad have reinforced the ICC’s commitment to governance, administration and the growth of cricket globally. From women’s cricket and emerging nations to the management of franchise competitions, today’s discussions and decisions aim to ensure that cricket remains fair, competitive, and exciting for fans worldwide.”
Pink-ball trial in day-time Tests
The most eye-catching outcome of the meeting was the announcement of a trial for pink balls in daytime Tests. The use of the ball is aimed to minimise interruptions in play for bad light. Before now, pink balls have been exclusively used in day-night Test matches, most of which have taken place in Australia. Prior agreement from both teams will need to obtained before the use of a pink ball in a Test, and it's unlikely that the trial will be ready for the next Test match series in the calendar between England and New Zealand, which starts later this week.
To further reduce lost play time due to bad light, the ICC is also aiming to launch several R&D projects along with the MCC, aimed at improving the lighting technology at cricketing venues.
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