ICC World T20 Set To Include 16 Teams From 2014

ICC World T20 Set To Include 16 Teams From 2014

Haroon Lorgat has confirmed that from 2014, 16 teams will be competing in the ICC World Twenty20

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The International Cricket Council (ICC) Executive Board has approved plans to increase the number of participants in the ICC World Twenty20 to 16 from 2014.

Following the first executive board meeting since the Woolf report recommended major changes to its corporate governance, changes will be implemented.

The roles of ICC President and Chairman of the Board will be split, following the 2014 Annual Conference, where the Chairman of the Board will essentially replace the existing VIce-President.

The term of office for the non-voting Presidency will be one year and rotate among the Members while the Chairman of the Board can be appointed for a maximum of two three-year terms and will also be a non-voting position.

Subsequently, the nomination of the Bangladesh Cricket Board and the Pakistan Cricket Board for the vice-presidency between 2012 and 2014 has been deferrred.

The Board confirmed three key recommendations in Twenty20 cricket. Firstly, that 16 teams should participate in the ICC World Twenty20 event from 2014, that the event should continue as a joint men's and women's event and that in an ICC World Twenty20 year, teams are permitted to play a total of 15 Twenty20 Internationals - an increase in three.

"The need to manage volume of cricket was considered when agreeing to allow the additional T20Is to be played in a year," ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said.

Having considered the recommendations of the Woolf report, the ICC will continue with discussions with regard to any further restructuring. They have already split the Presidency/Chair of the Board role and created targeted funding for Members and they will hold further discussions at the next meeting in June.

"Change in any form is challenging and it would be unrealistic to expect immediate decisions," Lorgat said.

"This was the Board's first opportunity to discuss the report and it is encouraging that there is a willingness to engage in difficult and significant governance matters."

The board also confirmed that the 2015 World Cup qualifying event would be held in New Zealand in 2014 and that the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 qualifying tournament would be held in the United Arab Emirates.

© Cricket World 2012