Scotland and Netherlands criticise ICC over World Cup format changes
The cricket boards of Scotland and the Netherlands have criticised the International Cricket Council for last-minute changes to the 2027 men's 50-over World Cup structure, saying they add extra qualifying hurdles for smaller nations.
Cricket Scotland and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association (KNCB) have jointly criticised the International Cricket Council (ICC) over changes to the structure of the 2027 men's 50-over World Cup.
Last month the ICC announced the tournament's main stage would feature 12 teams split into two groups of six, rather than the 14 teams originally planned. The three lowest-ranked qualifying nations will instead compete in a preliminary three-team Super Series, with only the winner advancing to the main event.
In practice, this means associate nations such as Scotland and the Netherlands will now have to navigate three separate qualifying tournaments before reaching the World Cup's main group stage.
Concerns over process and impact
In a joint statement, the two boards said they had "significant concerns" both about the impact of the changes and about the process through which they were introduced. They warned that the changes risk weakening the integrity and credibility of international cricket, and stressed the importance of strong governance, transparent decision-making and effective engagement with member boards.
The statement added that altering the tournament structure at short notice creates significant uncertainty, disrupts planning, and places additional operational and financial pressure on organisations that already operate with limited resources.
