Associate cricket’s growing commercial and audience appeal could reshape the route to future men’s T20 World Cups, with the ICC discussing the possibility of bringing back a global qualification tournament for non-Full Member nations. According to a report by Cricbuzz journalist Vijay Tagore, the proposal emerged during meetings in Ahmedabad as administrators examined ways to strengthen the pathway for Associate teams.
The discussions reflect a notable change in approach after several years of relying exclusively on regional qualification systems to determine which emerging nations reach cricket’s biggest T20 stage.
Why the conversation has returned
The renewed interest in a global qualification event is closely linked to the changing profile of Associate cricket.
For years, matches involving Associate nations attracted significantly smaller audiences than fixtures featuring Full Members. Recent viewing trends, however, have pointed to a much narrower gap, highlighting increased interest in emerging cricket markets and creating a stronger case for a dedicated international qualifying competition.
The shift has elevated the value of Associate cricket within the wider global landscape and appears to have encouraged fresh discussions around competition structures that were previously abandoned.
A pathway that once connected Associate nations
Before the ICC adopted regional qualification routes, Associate teams competed through a worldwide qualifying tournament that brought together nations from multiple regions in a single event.
That model remained in place until the 2019 cycle, when a tournament in the UAE determined which Associate sides would advance towards the next men’s T20 World Cup. The ICC subsequently moved away from the format and introduced a system centred on regional and sub-regional qualification events.
The change altered the pathway for emerging nations and removed the single global competition that had previously served as the final hurdle before World Cup qualification.
What the current system looks like
Today, Associate teams progress through qualification structures spread across different regions of the cricket world.
The most recent cycle produced qualifiers from several pathways, including Canada from the Americas, the Netherlands and Italy from Europe, Zimbabwe and Namibia from Africa, and Nepal, Oman and the UAE through Asian qualification routes.
Under that framework, places are allocated regionally rather than through a standalone global tournament.
Practical challenges remain
While the concept has gathered momentum, several questions remain unanswered.
The ICC has not publicly clarified how a revived tournament would operate, where it could be hosted or whether it would be introduced during the current qualification cycle. Scheduling may also prove complicated, with elements of the pathway to the 2028 T20 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand already underway.
As a result, any return of the Global Qualifier is likely to require further planning before a final structure can be confirmed.
Ahmedabad meetings discuss next steps
The discussions took place during ICC meetings held in Ahmedabad across the IPL final weekend.
Attendance varied among member representatives. Bangladesh Cricket Board interim chief Tamim Iqbal and Afghanistan Cricket Board Chairman Mirwais Ashraf were not present, while Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi was expected to participate virtually. England and Wales Cricket Board Chair Richard Thompson, who had initially been expected to join remotely, was understood to have travelled to Ahmedabad.
Should the proposal eventually move forward, it would represent the ICC’s most significant reconsideration of the Associate qualification pathway since the governing body shifted away from the global model after the 2019 cycle.
