Scotland and Netherlands boards don't mince words, tear into ICC for changing World Cup format: ‘Weakening integrity’

Cricket boards of Scotland and the Netherlands hit out at the ICC for changing the format of the 50-over World Cup.

Updated on: Aug 10, 2026, 17:57:25 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

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The International Cricket Council (ICC) continues to face criticism for changing the format of the 50-over World Cup. The cricket boards of Scotland and the Netherlands are the latest to hit out at the apex body over structural changes. Earlier this year, the ICC confirmed the format for the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe, saying that there would be 12 teams in two groups of six, rather than 14 as originally planned.

Cricket boards of Scotland and Netherlands hit out at the ICC (Cricket Scotland - X)

The three lowest-ranked qualifying teams for the tournament will be placed in a preliminary three-team Super Series, from which only the winner will progress. This move basically means that Scotland and the Netherlands will have to go through three qualifying tournaments to reach the main stage in the World Cup.

On Monday, Cricket Scotland and the Royal Dutch Association (KNCB) released a joint statement, saying they are concerned about the impact these changes will have and questioning the process by which they have been introduced.

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"The changes risk weakening the integrity and credibility of international cricket, and only highlight the importance of strong governance, transparent decision-making and effective engagement with members," the statement said.

“Changing those structures at short notice creates significant uncertainty, disrupts planning, and places additional operational and financial pressure on organisations that are already operating with limited resources,” the statement added.

How were the changes made?

The change to the World Cup format was made following an agreement reached at the ICC's annual conference in Edinburgh in June. However, a BBC report claimed that most of the Associate Members were kept in the dark over the change despite being a part of the conference.

"Cricket Scotland, KNCB and other Associate members met twice with the ICC, seeking official written communication on the changes and greater clarity around the processes involved," the statement added.

“We also requested positive action to strengthen future operational decision-making and an invitation to bilateral planning meetings with full members. Since the second meeting more than two weeks ago, there has been no further response from the ICC, which is disappointing and disrespectful given the significance of the issues raised,” the statement added.

Earlier, in a media statement, the ICC had confirmed that the 14-team World Cup will now include four rounds. There would be a Super Series round prior to the Group round to enhance the consequence at the early stage of the tournament

In Round 1, there will be three teams in the Super Series, and the top team will advance to Round 2. In Round 2, there would be two groups of 6. The top three teams from each group, plus the next-highest-placed team across both groups, will qualify for Super 7. The top four teams from Super 7 will make it to the semis.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

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