Among the outcomes of the ICC's Annual Conference at Colombo was the news that the East Asia Pacific T20 World Cup Regional Qualifier Final is to be scrapped, a decision which has prompted dismayed reactions from several Associates in the region.
ASSOCIATES CRICKET
Associates decry scrapping of East Asia Pacific T20 Qualifier
Cricbuzz understands that the EAP region's Associate Members had written to the ICC urging that the decision be reconsidered. © Getty
While the previous T20 World Cup Qualification cycle had seen sides progressing directly from regional finals in each of the ICC's five development regions, the 2026 pathway will not include a separate EAP event, with the winners of the region's two Sub-Regional Qualifiers, together with current EAP champions Papua New Guinea, instead joining Asian Associates in a combined Asia-EAP Qualifier, where three qualification berths for the 2026 T20 World Cup will be at stake.
It was confirmed that the European and African regions would again each be allotted two qualification slots for the 2026 World Cup, while one spot would be on offer at the Americas regional final as was the case in the previous cycle of qualifying. The East Asia Pacific region is set to lose their one guaranteed slot, however, with the EAP effectively being merged into the Asia region for the purposes of T20 World Cup Qualifying.
Cricbuzz understands that the EAP region's Associate Members had written to the ICC urging that the decision be reconsidered, citing a lack of communication and consultation with directly affected members, and indicating that the proposal to merge the tournaments had been narrowly voted down in Saturday's Associate Members' Committee meeting. Those concerns were tabled at the subsequent board meeting, but it seems the directors were unwilling to overturn the decision of the CEC.
Associates in the region decried the decision. Michael Harrison, Chair of Cricket PNG, said "It's extremely disheartening to be at a T20 World Cup one minute challenging the might of West Indies, New Zealand, and Afghanistan, then next minute to find out that our direct regional qualification to that event has disappeared. Changes such as this should at least come with some consultation to ensure the views of a smaller region are heard, but this was not the case here. We hope that ICC will at least consider reviewing the decision and consider a more equitable and consistent global qualifier structure as there is in the women's T20 qualification pathway."
The initial move toward direct regional qualifying came together with the expansion of the T20 World Cup from 16 to 20 teams after the 2016 edition. Together with time and cost pressure due in part to the Covid-19 pandemic, proponents of the change cited the greater prominence the new system would afford regional finals, while also bringing the pathways into line with Olympic practice. The consequent