Key facts
- ICC planning a Cricket World Cup format revamp
- India vs Pakistan double header possible under new format
- The Guardian reported the development
The International Cricket Council is planning a fresh shake-up to the Cricket World Cup format that could put an India vs Pakistan double header firmly on the cards, according to a report by The Guardian. The proposed changes would restructure the tournament in a way that makes it possible for the two arch-rivals to meet twice in the same edition of the competition.
India and Pakistan matches are consistently the most-watched cricket events in the world, generating extraordinary television audiences, ticket demand, and commercial revenue. The prospect of two such fixtures in a single World Cup would be a landmark moment for the sport, and the ICC's willingness to structure the tournament in a way that enables this outcome reflects the commercial logic driving much of modern cricket administration.
The revamp appears to be part of a broader rethinking of how the World Cup is organised, following previous changes to the number of teams and the group stage format. The specific structural details of the new format were not fully outlined in the available reporting, but the India-Pakistan double header possibility is the headline element that has captured immediate attention.
For Indian fans, the news is tantalising. India-Pakistan World Cup encounters have produced some of cricket's most memorable moments, and the possibility of two such meetings in a single tournament would dominate the build-up to the next edition. The ICC is expected to formally announce the format changes in due course.