Changes to World Cup formats make sense but associate teams need more, says Ashwin
Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has praised the ICC's decision to expand World Cup formats but argues that associate nations need more bilateral opportunities to grow the sport. He suggests integrating emerging teams into regular series to ensure global competitiveness.
Why it matters
This highlights the ongoing debate regarding the globalization of cricket and the structural barriers preventing smaller nations from competing at the highest levels.
Indian Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Thursday (July 16, 2026) said the structural changes made to the ODI and T20 World Cup formats to include more teams make sense but for the game to become truly global, the ICC needs to add the lower rung sides into every bilateral series.
Following the revamp announced by the ICC on Wednesday (July 15, 2026), the 2027 ODI World Cup will be a three-stage competition and the 2028 T20 World Cup's Super 8 phase will be expanded to accommodate 10 teams to achieve "greater context and consequence".
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