Scotland and the Netherlands have criticised the restructuring of next year’s 50-over World Cup, saying the changes “risk weakening the integrity and credibility of international cricket”.

At last month’s board meeting in Edinburgh, the International Cricket Council announced the main part of the tournament in southern Africa will contain a dozen teams split into two groups of six.

There will still be 14 participants, but the tournament is slated to start with a preliminary round involving the three lowest-ranked qualifiers, with only one team progressing to the group stage.

A qualifying tournament will be held from February 22 to March 23 next year, with the winner going through to the main tournament and the second, third and fourth placed teams entering the first round.

In a joint statement, Cricket Scotland and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association (KNCB) said they were “deeply disappointed” by the ICC’s decision, announced less than 18 months before the tournament is due to start.

The statement said: “At a time when cricket is seeking to expand its reach, attract new audiences and strengthen its position on the international sporting landscape, reducing meaningful opportunities for emerging nations sends entirely the wrong message.

“We have significant concerns about both the impact of these changes and the process through which they have been introduced.

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

Scotland and the Netherlands are currently 13th and 14th respectively in the men’s ODI rankings.

Monday’s statement follows the World Cricketers’ Association expressing its concerns about the tournament revamp although Cricket Scotland and the KNCB say they are “fully committed to working constructively with the ICC and fellow members to strengthen the global game”.

However, the statement added: “Following the announcement of the changes, Cricket Scotland, the KNCB and other associate members met twice with the ICC, seeking official written communication on the changes and greater clarity around the processes involved.

“We also requested positive action to strengthen future operational decision-making and an invitation to bilateral planning meetings with full members.

“Since the second meeting more than two weeks ago, there has been no further response from the ICC, which is disappointing and disrespectful given the significance of the issues raised.”

Sky Sports News has contacted the ICC for comment.

Team Europe is finalised!

I feel this is a big milestone in this captaincy and the Solheim Cup journey, because we can now focus on preparing the 12 players for the Solheim Cup and the event ahead.

It was a quite hard and emotional part of the journey having to make so many phone calls, letting players know they didn’t make it and they weren’t getting a pick.

Speaking to some past captains, they encouraged me to do my best and try to get through it because once it was done, then the hardest part would be behind me.

Surprising the three rookies – Julia López Ramirez, Nastasia Nadaud and Mimi Rhodes – by letting them know they were among my four picks was very exciting!

Julia, Nastasia and Mimi all joined me for interviews and a live show down at the Sky Sports News studio, the day after the AIG Women’s Open, where the team was finally announced.

I feel very good about the team we have selected and who has qualified. We have a great mixture of experience and personality, plus four rookies who bring a sense of fresh air and aggressive playing styles.

I’m excited to continue to work on the pairing “puzzle” over the coming weeks and figure out the best strategy for us to take on Team USA. I’m also excited that everyone is so supportive and looking forward to what is ahead next month.

There is still a couple more weeks until we all head to the Netherlands, but there is constant work and preparation being done behind the scenes – including from the vice-captains, backroom team, helpers and caddie captains!

Anna Nordqvist’s column was provided by the Ladies European Tour ahead of the Solheim Cup, live from September 11-13 on Sky Sports. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract.

When is the Solheim Cup and who features for Team Europe?

Team Europe will be looking to regain the trophy at Bernardus Golf from September 11-13, the first time the tournament has been held in the Netherlands, with Nordqvist having four rookies in her 12-strong line-up.

Charley Hull and Esther Henseleit qualified through the LET Solheim Cup Points List, while Lottie Woad, Maja Stark, Linn Grant, Céline Boutier, Carlota Ciganda and Nanna Koerstz Madsen earned their spots via the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings.

Leona Maguire, Ramirez, Nadaud and Rhodes were the four captain’s picks for Team Europe, while defending champions Team USA – captained by Angela Stanford – will announce her team later in August.

Sky Sports Golf will have exclusive live coverage from all three days of the biennial contest, with live coverage getting under way at 6am on Friday September 11. Coverage then starts at 6am on September 12 and 10am on September 13.

Team USA need 14 points to retain the trophy after their 15.5-12.5 victory in 2024, while Team Europe would need 14.5 points to claim their first outright Solheim Cup win since 2021.

Who will win the Solheim Cup? Watch Team Europe’s bid to regain the trophy exclusively live on Sky Sports, with all three days live from September 11-13 on Sky Sports Golf. Get Sky Sports or stream golf and more with no contract.

Jarrell Miller could receive a a WBA world heavyweight title fight against Murat Gassiev.

The WBA recently clarified that Miller is not a mandatory challenger for Gassiev, despite initially announcing this status, but the 38-year-old American still hopes to receive a world title fight against the Russian champion.

Miller confirmed to Sky Sports that a WBA title shot could be next after his points win over Cuban Lenier Pero in April and Gassiev has also revealed that he is open to the fight.

“Yes, if there is an offer regarding Jarrell Miller, we are of course interested,” Gassiev told Sky Sports.

“Furthermore, if Moses Itauma decides to pursue the IBF route, Jarrell Miller will become an official contender for my WBA title, making the fight inevitable for me.

“We are also highly interested in a fight with [WBC champion] Agit Kabayel. If a concrete agreement is reached and this fight begins to materialise, I would gladly sign up for a unification bout.

“It all comes down to the specifics – the offer, the terms, the timing, and the venue. We are targeting fights that make sense both financially and for my career progression.”

Moses Itauma is the current WBA No 1 contender, but the unbeaten Brit will fight Filip Hrgovic for the vacant IBF belt on August 19, which should mean that Miller, ranked at No 2 by the WBA, is next in line for Gassiev.

The controversial Brooklyn boxer, nicknamed ‘Big Baby’, defeated Kingsley Ibeh by split decision in a January fight that went viral after Miller’s hairpiece was dislodged in the second round.

Miller could finally receive a shot at a world heavyweight title, more than seven years after his scheduled 2019 fight against Anthony Joshua for the WBA, IBF and WBO titles was cancelled after Miller tested positive for banned substances.

Gassiev was elevated to become the WBA world heavyweight champion after Oleksandr Usyk vacated his WBA, WBC and IBF belts in June.

The 32-year-old defended his WBA title with a sixth-round stoppage win over Peter Kadiru in Moscow last month and is now eager to acquire more world belts.

“It’s not just about Kabayel. To put it simply, I want any unification bout available,” Gassiev told Sky Sports.

“However, if defending my WBA title against a mandatory challenger becomes the immediate priority, that would be an excellent matchup for me and all boxing fans.

“In that scenario, we will gladly fulfil our mandatory obligations.

“That said, our ultimate goal remains a unification fight. The same applies to the winner of Dubois vs Wardley [for the WBO belt] or Itauma vs Hrgovic.

“We are genuinely interested in any available unification fights.”