The International Cricket Council (ICC) met on Saturday, July 19, in Singapore as part of the ritual of the governing body's annual conference. Several pending issues were discussed before the verdict on them will be given on Sunday, July 20, after the conclusion of the four-day AGM. The main point on AGM was about Olympic qualifying teams. Cricket will make its entry in the Los Angles 2028 Olympics in the T20 format.
It is almost decided that regional rankings will largely decide which teams make it to the showpiece event played from July 12-29 in Pomona, 30 miles east of Los Angeles. Under the proposal, the top-ranked teams in Asia, Oceania, Europe, and Africa will automatically qualify alongside host USA, which would represent the Americas. The last spot will be decided by a qualifier. Allocation of ICC's T20 rankings at a cut-off date will be almost the criterion.
Issues were cropping up related to the cost over logistics amid cricket's congested calendar, but what appears inevitable is that a single qualifier is likely to be ensured. The West Indies, comprised of several Island nations, will have their regional qualifier to determine which country will compete in the qualifier.
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Next year's Women's T20 World Cup 2026 will determine the women's Olympic spots. Whether the USA receives an automatic spot for the global event is unclear.
32 teams to participate in the T20 World Cup 2026
Another issue was also discussed about expanding teams in the T20 World Cup. Last year's showpiece event saw 20 teams competing, which was the highest ever seen in a T20 World Cup. If the proposal is accepted at the AGM, 32 teams may feature in the T20 World Cup 2026. The six-member panel will be led by former New Zealand batter Roger Twose and comprise bosses from the power nations India, Australia, and England.
Italy's qualification for the T20 World Cup 2026 has inspired the ICC to expand teams in the T20 World Cups in the future. The 50-over World Cup will also see an increase in teams after only 10 teams competed in the ODI World Cup 2023. A 14-team competition in 2027 is being discussed. Also, the highly talked-about radical plan to split Test teams into two divisions will be looked into by the working group. Promotion and relegation, along with funds, would be evenly distributed on the agenda.
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Also, embattled USA Cricket is almost set to avoid suspension of its ICC membership and will be given a few months to address the governance issues. The governing body was put on notice at last year's AGM due to long-time governance issues, with all the funding controlled by ICC. If it finds any fault, then suspension will happen to USA Cricket. USA Cricket chair Venu Pisike and CEO Johnathan Atkeison have been at the AGM meetings in Singapore.
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