Dubai: (RightNow) The International Cricket Council (ICC) has introduced a new format for the 2027 One Day World Cup. The tournament will be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, with a potential extra match between Pakistan and India.

Under the new format, 14 teams will participate, with three lower-ranked teams playing in the initial stage. One team from this stage will advance to the main stage, where 12 teams will be divided into two groups.

According to the ICC, a Super Seven stage will replace the Super Six. There will be no quarter-finals, and an extra round will not be included in the knockout stage.

This change aims to make the tournament more exciting and significant. The importance of each match will increase, raising the possibility of more encounters between India and Pakistan.

It is noteworthy that due to political tensions, bilateral series between India and Pakistan do not occur. They only face each other in ICC tournaments, with the last bilateral series held in 2006.