The cricket boards of Scotland and the Netherlands have criticised the International Cricket Council for structural changes made to the men’s 50-over World Cup.

Last month the ICC announced the main part of the tournament for 2027 would be 12 teams in two groups of six, rather than 14 as originally planned.

The three lowest-ranked qualifiers will instead be placed in a preliminary three-team Super Series, from which only the winner will progress.

It effectively means the likes of Scotland and the Netherlands face three qualifying tournaments to reach the main group stage of the World Cup.

A joint statement from Cricket Scotland and Royal Dutch Association (KNCB) said they had “significant concerns” about the “impact of these changes” along with the “process through which they have been introduced”.

“The changes risk weakening the integrity and credibility of international cricket, and only highlights the importance of strong governance, transparent decision-making and effective engagement with members,” the statement said.

“Changing those structures at short notice creates significant uncertainty, disrupts planning, and places additional operational and financial pressure on organisations that are already operating with limited resources.”