Following a one-sided final between India and Australia, the 2023 World Cup is slowly disappearing from memory. The Australians won a record sixth title with a victory over the immensely powerful and previously unbeaten hosts.
Criticism was abundant regarding the format of the 2023 World Cup following its conclusion. Leading up to the event, various stakeholders, such as qualifying nations and fans, expressed concerns about the planning and execution.
The upcoming World Cup in 2027 has already revealed some format modifications, according to the ICC. This time, South Africa and Zimbabwe will jointly host the event. While it aims to surpass previous editions, there is potential for further enhancements to maximize its impact and appeal.
Here are three changes that should be considered for the format of the ODI World Cup.
1. World Cup needs more teams and a better round-robin format
The World Cup in 2023 had ten teams. This meant that countries like as Zimbabwe, Ireland, Scotland, the West Indies, and Namibia, which had previously competed in events such as the T20 World Cup, did not qualify for the 50-over tournament.
Cricket just cannot afford that. The game is global, and the most prestigious tournament in the world requires enough teams to appeal to fans worldwide. It must also provide additional opportunities for players to make their impact on the largest platform.
The 2027 edition will have 14 teams, which is an improvement but not as many as it should be. The ODI World Cup might follow in the footsteps of the football World Cup, which boosted participation from 32 in 2022 to 48 in 2026. While those values are obviously unrelated, 14 appears to be excessively low.
The upcoming edition in 2027 will bring a necessary change to the existing round-robin format, which lacks entertainment value. A Super Six stage will be introduced after the initial group phase, marking a positive step forward.
In a competition like the World Cup, insignificant matches should not dominate the league stage, diminishing spectator interest. Jeopardy draws a lot of attention and pulls out the best in teams.
2. IPL-Style Playoff Format a Game-Changer for the World Cup
The Indian Premier League (IPL) playoff concept, in which the top two clubs after the league stage earn two chances at the championship, has gained considerable acclaim. The playoff structure is probably more fair when viewed as a mechanism to reward the most consistent teams in the tournament.
Could that also be adopted in the World Cup? South Africa placed second in the round-robin round, but a tight loss against Australia forced them to withdraw. The Proteas would have welcomed another bite of the cherry, and it’s debatable if they earned one as well.
Had India been defeated by New Zealand in the semifinals after being undefeated in the league stage, the Men in Blue would have been furious. Despite losing four games more than India, the Kiwis barely entered the playoffs on net run rate and would have faced India in the final.
3. Should the World Cup final be a one-off contest?
Lately, it has been widely mentioned that the World Cup rewards the team that performs the best on the night of the final, rather than the team that is consistently the best throughout the tournament. Is this fair?
A compelling case exists that the World Cup, being the most esteemed event in international cricket, ought to accurately represent the best players. The “best” team in the world should hold the trophy, and rather than being determined by a single game that is highly influenced by circumstances and luck, the process of selecting that team should be thorough.
The only way to level out chance is to take a large enough sample size, within reason. The NBA playoffs are best-of-seven series, and although that may be too many for a game like cricket, there is some value in suggesting a best-of-three rubber at the very least.
Should the World Cup final be held only once? It being one adds a major surprise aspect that is undeniably entertaining, but having a best-of-three final would improve total income and viewership while also rewarding the superior team.