The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced plans to stage a Twenty20 world championship in September 2007.

World cricket's governing body also said it wanted to scrap the controversial super-sub rule in one-day internationals.

The two recommendations are subject to approval by the ICC executive board at a meeting in Dubai next month.

There has been an explosion of interest in professional Twenty20 cricket since it was launched in England in 2003.

In its first season, the short-game format attracted an overall attendance of 250,000 to the evening games between county sides. It was also formally included in the Australian interstate competition this season.

"We have already received bids from six to seven countries who are willing to play host to the (Twenty20) event," ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed told reporters after a meeting of chief executives in Dubai.

Speed said the ICC planned to scrap the on-trial super-sub rule next month.

"We have recommended to the board the on-trial super-sub rule may be discontinued from March 21, 2006, since it has proved to be unpopular with the teams and hasn't achieved the objective," he said.

"We introduced this rule on a 12-month trial basis last year to make one-day cricket more exciting. But from the feedback that we have received from captains and former players it was apparent that we should not continue with it."

The original intention of the super-sub rule was to encourage teams to make greater use of all-rounders.

In practice, the ICC said, teams have used specialists as substitutes and this has placed undue importance on winning the toss.

Wednesday's meeting also recommended the 2008 ICC Champions Trophy should comprise eight teams instead of the present 10.

"We started the event with 12 teams but reduced it to a 10-team event following criticism there was too much disparity between the top 10 and the 11th and 12th teams," said Speed.

"Now we would like to have the top teams on the ICC rankings competing in the event," he said.

President Ehsan Mani rejected the idea the Champions Trophy was diluting interest in the World Cup.

"I don't think this is the case," said Mani.

"The previous tournaments have shown that it was popular with the fans. We are very satisfied with the tournament."

Six countries have bid to host the 2008 event - Australia, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and the United Arab Emirates.

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP