Cricket’s 2024 T20 World Cup In The Caribbean And U.S. Will Be More Inclusive

After an exciting T20 World Cup in Australia – arguably the best ever across formats despite bad weather and a lack of local interest outside of games featuring South Asian teams – the focus shifts to the landmark event in 2024 hosted by the U.S. and Caribbean.

It looms as an era-defining tournament for cricket with its administrators long coveting the U.S. which is the No.1 target market for growth in the venerable British sport juxtaposing the glitzier offerings of its American counterparts.

But the faster three-hour T20 format is hoped to appeal to a country already boasting a sizeable and growing South Asian expat community, which propels the U.S. into one of cricket’s biggest broadcast markets.

Even though the conservative sport of cricket has often been shackled to traditional boundaries, due to a member-driven board dictated by self-interests, there is belated emphasis in pushing it to new terrain.

To do that, it’s showpiece events needed to expand and offer opportunities for emerging nations such as the U.S. who are a tier below the so-called Full Members – the top 12 nations who receive more funding, fixtures and influence.

There are just a measly 10 teams for next year’s 50-over World Cup, while 16 did play in the recent T20 World Cup but half were subjected to a low-key first round which was essentially a glorified qualifier.

“You can’t call it a World Cup with so few teams,” a board director told me pointing to soccer and basketball’s events boasting 32 teams each.

There was always the fear that the smaller nations – deemed Associates in cricket’s baffling tiered membership system – would not be competitive and a farce would ensure if they were to compete against the power nations.

But the gap has closed amid development from top Associates, who lit up the T20 World Cup with several memorable upsets highlighted by the Netherlands’ shocking upset to knock out South Africa.

These nations clearly deserve more opportunities on the big stage and after strong discussions in recent years on the board, formats for upcoming World Cups will change and be more inclusive. There will be 14 teams for the 50-over World Cup in 2027 and 20 for the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Scrapping the first round window dressing and subsequent Super 12 stage, the next T20 World Cup will be divided into four groups of five teams each and the top two teams from those groups will progress to a Super Eight phase.

As hosts, the U.S. have gained automatic qualification while the Netherlands’ remarkable victory over South Africa ensured they too won a berth as one of the top eight teams from the 2022 edition.

The format, while still fairly convoluted compared to the riveting and easily digestible 32-team competitions of their rival sports, ensures valuable opportunities for the smaller countries who are finally having something to strive for.

It’s part of a push within the board from the smaller nations to “change the system” which was the catalyst for Zimbabwe’s Tavengwa Mukuhlani putting his hand up for the chair election before a late withdrawal paved the way for incumbent Greg Barclay to be elected unopposed.

But, according to sources, there were compromises made with Mukuhlani’s faction, comprising the smaller nations, wanting more influence in an eye towards the looming financial distribution from the International Cricket Council’s carving of its new media rights deal.

Imran Khwaja’s re-election as deputy chair unopposed was also part of this amid seemingly a shift in focus from cricket’s power brokers.

It’s hoped the bigger and more inclusive T20 World Cup in 2024 in the highly coveted locale of the U.S. might just become a harbinger tournament for cricket.