India will host or co-host three ICC men’s global events in the 2024-2031 window, while Pakistan were decided as hosts of the 2025 Champions Trophy, a tournament that’s making a comeback.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India will get to host the 2026 T20 World Cup and 2031 50-over World Cup along with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh respectively and host the 2029 Champions Trophy.
The International Cricket Council on Tuesday confirmed the 14 host countries of the ICC men’s white ball events in this window. Eleven Full Members and three Associate Members have been selected to host two ICC Men’s Cricket World Cups, four ICC Men’s T20 World Cups and two ICC Men’s Champions Trophy events.
The USA and Namibia will host an ICC World Cup event for the first time. Whilst Australia, Bangladesh, England, Ireland, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Zimbabwe have previously staged major events and will do so again over the next decade.
India are already hosting the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup as well in the coming season.
The 2025 Champions Trophy is set to be the first major ICC men’s tournament hosted in Pakistan since 1996.
The hosts were selected via a competitive bidding process overseen by a Board sub-committee chaired by Martin Snedden along with Sourav Ganguly and Ricky Skerritt. The ICC Board accepted the recommendations of the committee who conducted a thorough review of each bid along with ICC management. A similar process to identify the hosts for ICC Women’s and U19s events for the next cycle will be undertaken early next year.
The awarding of the events to preferred hosts is subject to the completion of the host agreements and the ICC will now work closely with Members to finalise arrangements; 17 Members submitted a total of 28 proposals to host the eight ICC Men’s white ball events, the governing body said in a statement.
ICC Chair Greg Barclay said, “We are delighted to have concluded this competitive bidding process for the first time for ICC events. To have 14 Members hosting 8 events is a reflection of the truly global nature of our sport and I’d like to thank every Member that submitted a bid and offer our congratulations to the successful bidders.
“It is fantastic to be returning to so many previous hosts, but what is really exciting about this process is the countries who will stage ICC events for the first time including the USA which is a strategic growth market for us. This gives us the opportunity to deepen our connection with fans in traditional cricket nations and also reach new fans around the world.”
Pakistan, who had last co-hosted the 1996 World Cup along with India and Sri Lanka, have not been able to host many international games in the country since the 2009 terrorist attack on Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore. But domestic cricket, Pakistan Super League and international teams have been to the country in recent months. The Champions Trophy itself is making a comeback to the calendar and was last held in UK in 2017. Pakistan thus will be hosting it as the defending champions of the event.
Ricky Skerritt, Cricket West Indies President and ICC Board member said: “The success of this joint bid by CWI and USA Cricket will be a huge boost for our cricket. It offers a vital strategic opportunity to promote and develop cricket, and related commercial activity, in North America and the Caribbean...”
With PTI and ICC inputs
