New format, new location: How the 2024 T20 World Cup will look

[daytrader]

With more teams and a new format, the 2024 edition of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup is certain to throw up fresh match-ups and historic moments.

Qualifying as hosts alongside the West Indies, the tournament will be ground-breaking for the USA, hosting their first global event.

The 20-team tournament proper in 2024 will work in two phases before the knockouts, though in a different framework from the First Round/Super 12 format at the 2021 and 2022 edition.

The top two teams in each of the four groups of five will move to a Super Eight phase, where the remaining sides will be split into two groups of four. The top two in each group will then make their way to the semi-finals.

Before all of that though, the 20 teams need to be determined.

How each team qualifies for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024

As hosts, the West Indies and the USA take up the first two spots for 2024. From there, performances at the 2022 edition, and the ICC T20I rankings cut-off on November 14, determined the next 10 teams.

The top eight teams in Australia (top four in each Super 12 group) gained spots for the 2024 tournament, with Afghanistan and Bangladesh, the next best teams on the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings, also securing their spot.

The final eight spots for the 2024 tournament will be decided in regional play.

Regional Qualifiers to decide remaining teams

Moving away from the Global Qualifier framework, the 2024 tournament will see an added emphasis through the regional action that will determine the final spots.

Africa, Asia and Europe will have two qualification spots, with one spot for both the Americas and East-Asia Pacific regions.

Breaking down each region

Africa

Regional qualifying spots: two

While South Africa claimed 2024 qualification by virtue of their top eight finish, Zimbabwe were unable to capitalise on their strong start to the campaign, finishing last in the Super 12 group to be sent back to regional qualification. Joining them is Namibia who failed to advance past the First Round of the tournament, though the pair look short-priced favourites to return in 2024 by claiming the two spots from the Africa Qualifier in 2023.

In saying that, recent history would suggest the task for the sides will be no cakewalk, in a region with a broad threat of regional talent.

Uganda, who upset Namibia in a recent T20I series, could make the biggest claim to topple the big boys, but even the men known as the Cricket Cranes were tested in recent African qualifying for 2022, also losing a one-run thriller to Kenya.

U19 success across the region suggests parity will show on the senior front. A bulk of Nigeria's U19 World Cup contingent of 2020 will likely make up their squad, while Tanzania have form in causing upsets, most notably against Namibia in qualification for the 2022 U19 World Cup.

Americas

Regional qualifying spots: one

Disappointed in their efforts at the A Qualifier for the 2022 tournament, Canada are early favourites in claiming the Americas' spot, which is ultimately theirs to lose given USA's automatic qualification.

The USA were the only team to overcome Canada, albeit in a Super Over, with Bermuda, fellow competitors at the 2019 Global Qualifier, the most likely challenge for the spot.

Asia
Regional qualifying spots: two

The Asia region is arguably the toughest to predict for 2024, with several teams in the running and no certainties for the two spots.

UAE just edge Nepal and Oman on paper, and the likes of Singapore, Hong Kong, Bahrain, Qatar and Malaysia are all capable of upsetting the bigger teams.

UAE had the opportunity to claim automatic qualification through the 2022 event, though failed to progress to the Super 12 stage in the hopes of finishing in the top four of one of the groups.

East Asia-Pacific
Regional qualifying spots: one

One of the stories of the 2021 T20 World Cup, Papua New Guinea have a theoretically easier run in the cycle for 2024, with an automatic spot for the top East Asia-Pacific team.

The winners of the Sub-Regional A Qualifier earlier in the year, Vanuatu would likely pose the biggest threat to the Barramundis, while the Philippines, buoyed by their appearance at the Global Qualifier A for the 2022 tournament, are sure to make their presence felt.

Japan, the winner of Sub-Regional Qualifier B and boasting an Under-19 World Cup appearance in 2020, will also feature at next year’s regional qualifier.

Europe
Regional qualifying spots: two

The butterfly effect of Netherlands’ shock win over South Africa during the 2022 T20 World Cup is a positive one for the European region.

Finishing in the top eight in Australia, Scott Edwards’ side have already booked 2024, and means qualification for the rest of the teams on the continent is easier.

Well, easier in theory at least: emerging teams will likely challenge the well-established sides in what is a booming cricket region. Jersey and an improving Germany are the biggest threats to overthrow the likes of Scotland and Ireland, though cases can be made for the three Sub-Regional group winners: Italy, Austria and Denmark.

The Austrians beat Guernsey and Norway to stun their Sub-Regional group in late July, and both Italy and Denmark boasting fine individual talent.

ICC

 

[Babeikh]

Four groups of five and then a second group stage seems a bit much to me. Will be interesting to see how they work out the groups though....presumably they will want Pak and India to be in the same group

 

[mrtaim3]

Four groups of five should have preceded by round robin where each team plays one match with other 7 teams. It will be too boring in my opinion.

 

[Bilal Ahmad15]

Seriously, why does ICC have to make these stupid formats? Rather than having a super eight after the group stage, just have a quarter-final after the group stage!!!

As quarter-finals is more recognised globally by new cricket fans rather than a soooopper eight. And besides this soooopper eight will mean multiple teams will play each other multiple times, which is actually something you want to avoid simply because its more exciting to see teams that haven't played each other in group stage to play each other in the knockout and later stages of a tournament, unless its India - Pakistan.

Additionally, sooooppper eight sounds is like the stupidest thing ever! It clearly sounds like a lame IPL term.

And hashtag additionally, soooopper eight is not really a good format, because it means very good teams are marginally going to miss out on a semi-final spot by one point or some NRR or Duck worth lewis nonsense, which once again makes Quarter-finals the better and logical format choice.

 

[Bilal Ahmad15]

As for the Qualification Process, After having Thought about it multiple times This is what I came up with:

The Top Eight Teams of the 2022 T20 WC automatically qualify for the 2024 T20 WC. This Means The following teams have automatically qualified:

- Australia (Oceania - East Asia Pacific)
- New Zealand (Oceania - East Asia Pacific)
- South Africa (Africa)
- England (Europe)
- Netherlands (Europe)
- India (Asia Central)
- Pakistan (Asia Central)
- Sri Lanka (Asia Central)

And The Hosts, West Indies and The United States have also qualified as Hosts. This means 10 Teams have already qualified and Ten Spots are left.

Americas - 2.5 + 0.5 2 Teams Automatically qualify while one team qualifies for the T20 WC Play-off. The Americas Will have an additional team that qualifies for the T20 WC Continental Play-Off since the host nations are from the Americas

1. West Indies (Host)
2. United States (Host)
-------------------------
3.5 Canada (Play-Off)
3.5 Bermuda (Play-Off)

Oceania - East Asia Pacific - 3.5
1. New Zealand (Qualified)
2. Australia (Qualified)
3. Papua New Guinea (Qualified)
-------------------------------------
3.5 Hong Kong (Play-Off)

A quick Note: I split Asia into Asia Central and Put countries in East Asia Pacific with Oceania, so countries like Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, Philippines.

Africa - 3.5
1. South Africa (Qualfied)
2. Zimbabwe (Qualified)
3. Namibia (Qualfied)
--------------------------
3.5 Uganda (Play-Off)

Europe - 4
1. England (Qualified)
2. Netherlands (Qualified)
3. Ireland (Qualified)
4. Scotland (Qualified)

Asia Central - 7
1. India (Qualified)
2. Pakistan (Qualified)
3. Sri Lanka (Qualified)
4. Bangladesh (Qualfiied)
5. Afghanistan (Qualified)
6. United Arab Emirates (Qualfiied)
7. Nepal (Qualified)

ICC T20 WC Continental Play-Off - This play-off will have one group of 4 teams qualified for this play-off stage, where each team plays each other twice; One Home match and one away match. The Team ranked first place after each match is finished qualifies for the 2024 T20 WC.

So fir example:

1. Canada
2. Uganda
3. Hong Kong
4. Bermuda

In this case Canada will qualify for the WC.

 

[MenInG]

I liked the Super-12 format to be honest - just the weather was the issue but not much ICC can do about that.

 

[ElRaja]

wierd format, but im guessing the probability of west indies and the USA both failing to qualify for the main stage of the world cup to be held there had something to do with it.

 

[The_KING]

The current format was fine. Why do ICC keep changing format every other year? It gets really confusing.

 

[SpiritOf1903]

Crazy this is six months away.

 

[Chip32]

Don’t see the point in playing in the States. Regardless of how hard they try the sport never has and never will catch on with the local populace.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

It must be an interesting one especially in the USA as the conditions and pitches would be unfamiliar for almost all cricketing nations.

 

[FastBowlingAllrounder]

It must be an interesting one especially in the USA as the conditions and pitches would be unfamiliar for almost all cricketing nations.

That'll be good then because it'll nullify the impact of the pitches as both teams will have to adapt to new conditions. Unless BCCI sets up some pitch import/export business...