World T20 main draw likely to be expanded to include 12 teams

The main draw of 2016 World T20 featured two groups of five teams each. © Cricaction

When the International Cricket Council (ICC) started its annual conference in Edinburgh on Monday (June 27), there was a genuine swirl of excitement that something momentous was brewing. A groundswell over the past two years hit a crescendo at the conference, which is viewed as perhaps the most important meeting in modern cricket history. Fronting the media before the conference started on Monday, you could sense the optimism of Dave Richardson, ICC chief executive. Indeed, he used the word "optimistic" to describe his sentiment over whether major change would be ratified at the conference and kick-start a more inclusive and equitable era in international cricket.

Two days into the conference, that positivity and confidence has seemingly slightly eroded. According to a report on ESPNCricinfo, two teams are likely to be added to the main draw of the reinstated World Twenty20 in 2018 which would create a Super 12 style tournament. It is believed a set number has not been validated but if that figure does remain at 12, it would be viewed as hardly revelatory. There were those within Associates circles hoping for up to 16 teams to be involved at future Twenty20 tournaments.

A major talking point this week will focus on the restructuring of the contentious 'Big Three', which was introduced in 2014 and concentrated power and money in the hands of India, Australia and England. "(There is) a mood to address what happened two years ago (the conference that ratified the Big Three)," Richardson said on Monday. "We are a body that addresses 105 members."

Inclusion has been a central theme behind this push to restructure cricket's governance and structure with there being some genuine hopes that eventually the ICC will have a 105-member federation with votes. While that appears a way off, three Associates representatives on the ICC are set to have full voting privileges, according to ESPNCricinfo.

According to Cricbuzz sources, discussions on the conference's opening day appealed to "direct democracy" and a proposal for all 57 Affiliates to be given the opportunity to attend and vote at future conferences. This would be a notable contrast to the "representative democracy" practiced currently. Under the proposal, the ICC would maintain its current arrangement of paying for the travel costs of five Affiliate representatives, while the remaining 52 Affiliates would have to bear their own expenses.

There were also discussions over a need to revisit the "stringent" criteria associated with Affiliate membership, according to sources. The current criteria is viewed as hindering potential new members and discouraging them, with Ukraine cited as a prime example, as it has a thriving cricket league but can't become an ICC member because it do not fulfil certain membership criteria.

As per Cricbuzz sources, there was also talk of implementing ICC sub-regional development offices, such as having one in Eastern Europe to bridge the vast gulf from Russia, an ICC member, to its ICC European headquarters in London.

As the conference rolls into the halfway stage, discussions are set to intensify with a number of major talking points set to be thrashed out. It will be intriguing to see what unfolds.