Dubai: Cricket Scotland and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association (KNCB) on Monday criticised the ICC’s decision to change the format of next year’s ODI World Cup, saying the move could undermine the integrity and credibility of international cricket.
The 2027 World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia will feature 14 teams, but sides ranked 12th to 14th will enter a qualifying round, from which only one will advance to join the remaining 12 teams in the main competition.
The two Associate nations said they were “deeply disappointed” that significant structural changes had been introduced less than 18 months before the tournament.
They also questioned the process followed by the ICC, saying Associate Members needed more time to understand the changes and called for greater clarity and transparency in decision-making.
The boards said they had held two meetings with the ICC along with other Associate Members and sought written communication on the changes and greater clarity on the process.
However, they said there had been no further response from the ICC for more than two weeks, calling the delay “disappointing and disrespectful”.
The boards urged the ICC to re-engage with Associate nations and consider their concerns while shaping the long-term future of the global game.
