The ICC have announced the allocation of places for the various ICC regions at the next men's T20 World Cup which will take place in 2026 in India and Sri Lanka.

All of the teams that made the Super Eight stage at last month's tournament in the West Indies and USA secured their place, as did co-hosts Sri Lanka (India made the Super Eights) and the top three non-qualified teams on the T20I rankings - Pakistan, New Zealand and Ireland.

Europe and Africa will get two each of the remaining eight places, with Americas getting one. Unlike in 2024 when every region was assured of at least one place, this time three places will be allocated to a combined Asia & EAP regional final.

Some within associate cricket have previously criticised the guaranteed place for an EAP team, feeling it gives the region's leading associate Papua New Guinea a free pass into the tournament. But this ignores a basic principle of good World Cups - making it a festival of the sport - and also the improvement of other teams in the region that has already been evident in recent women's and Under-19 qualifiers.

PNG v West Indies during the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup
Papua New Guinea v West Indies during last month's Men's T20 World Cup (ICC)

It isn't the first time that the ICC has combined regional qualifiers. In 2017 the Europea and Americas regions were merged in qualifying for the 2018 global qualifier for that year's women's World T20, but in that case the USA were the only eligible member in the region. This is not the case here as all nine associate members in the EAP region are eligible to participate.

It also stands in stark contrast to the approach used for the Americas region for the Women's Under-19 World Cup where USA - the only eligible member in the region - were given a free pass in 2023 and have one again for 2025. There is no sign of the Americas region being merged with another one there.

It smacks of unfair treatment and the EAP members certainly have reason to feel aggrieved. It is thought that the region's members collectively object to the decision and have requested an urgent review.