ICC cuts future Cricket World Cups to 10 teams

[Sock]

BBC Sport - 2015 Cricket World Cup is reduced to 10 teams

The International Cricket Council has confirmed its decision to cut team numbers for the World Cup from 14 to 10 starting with the 2015 tournament.

It means there is no place for Ireland, who beat England in the 2011 World Cup.

Only full ICC members - India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, England, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, West Indies, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe - will compete in four years time.

For the 2019 event, the 10 teams will be decided by qualification.

The possibility of a 12-team tournament was also discussed by the ICC's executive board at a meeting in Mumbai, but it opted to approve its previous decision to exclude all associate and affiliate member nations from the next edition of the competition.

Apart from Ireland, who also beat Pakistan at the 2007 World Cup, the other nations outside the ICC's full members to take part in the 2011 event were Kenya, Canada and the Netherlands.

Associate members had opposed the change and Ireland bowler Boyd Rankin apparently described Ireland's exclusion as a "shambles" on Twitter.

"Thanks ICC!! What does Irish cricket got to do?," appeared on an account purportedly belonging to the 26-year-old.

However, Ireland captain William Porterfield has spoken optimistically of his team's chances of proving themselves as one of the top-10 teams in world cricket.

The ICC also announced that the new one-day international league due to run between April 2011 and April 2014 will incorporate relegation and promotion from 2019.

The event is to run separately to the Cricket World Cup to add more meaning to 50-over matches outside the tournament.

 

[vegster]

It would be a " Shambles " if they were included again ! sorry, Canada,Kenya,Netherlands and Ireland are just not good enough.

Let all the Associate member counties play off against each other untill the best plays off against the 10th ranked ICC team to decide if they are good enough.

Then we can have an A and B pool of 5 each playing a round robin then top 2 from A and B group contest semi finals.. simples.

 

[seagullondon]

i loved the canada kenya match at the world cup. was quality stuff

 

[The Buttery Biscuit Base]

Ireland have been ranked 10th in the world for a few years, for this to happen now is unbelievable.
In 2007 they beat Pakistan, this year they beat England. This is the only chance an associate member gets to prove their worth and now for the ICC to say you don't get a chance for another eight years in unbelievable.
I just feel that its not much of a world cup, crickets two tier system is very unfair.

 

[happypig]

rather than reduce the number of teams, I'd prefer to see a shorter tournament by virtue of playing two games each day.

 

[Pantani]

My answer would have been 4 groups of four with the top 2 going through. Yes that would mean more associates, but there would be at least two proper teams in each group. Based on current rankings this would give:

Group A: Australia, West Indies, Bangladesh, Namibia

Group B: India, New Zealand, Ireland, Afghanistan?

Group C: Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, USA?

Group D: England, South Africa, Netherlands, Kenya

Last game in each group is the two big sides, slip up against the associates you would have to beat the other big side then. All matches would count and therefore have more riding on them. Straight in to 1/4 finals after the group stage. The associates are not the problem as such, it is just that they get beaten repeatedly because they play three or four teams vastly superior to them. I would laso go along with Happypigs suggestion of two games a day, last games in each group being played simultaneously.

 

[vegster]

Ireland have been ranked 10th in the world for a few years, for this to happen now is unbelievable.
In 2007 they beat Pakistan, this year they beat England. This is the only chance an associate member gets to prove their worth and now for the ICC to say you don't get a chance for another eight years in unbelievable.
I just feel that its not much of a world cup, crickets two tier system is very unfair.

Irelands position over the years in ODI's is mostly 11th, probably because of the isolation of Zimbabwean cricket over recent years and their slip down the table. At various time, Sri Lanks, India and Pakistan have been affilate members rather then full blooded Test Nations and they were somewhat derided in the quality of their play . Bangladesh is the most recent addition although they may be whipping boys for many years, standards will improve. Ireland just have to wait their turn

 

[Gangsta]

Irelands position over the years in ODI's is mostly 11th, probably because of the isolation of Zimbabwean cricket over recent years and their slip down the table. At various time, Sri Lanks, India and Pakistan have been affilate members rather then full blooded Test Nations and they were somewhat derided in the quality of their play . Bangladesh is the most recent addition although they may be whipping boys for many years, standards will improve. Ireland just have to wait their turn

This. The decision goes against all sporting morals. As with FIFA, the ICC is now just a cabal of the top test playing nations and the most important thing on their minds is the self-interest of this small group. The decision is totally indifensible as Ireland have been ranked ahead of Zim at ODI level and properly compeated v the big sides in this tournament (lets not even talk about England stealing their best batsman).

 

[vegster]

This. The decision goes against all sporting morals. As with FIFA, the ICC is now just a cabal of the top test playing nations and the most important thing on their minds is the self-interest of this small group. The decision is totally indifensible as Ireland have been ranked ahead of Zim at ODI level and properly compeated v the big sides in this tournament (lets not even talk about England stealing their best batsman).

er, lets just let the facts get in the way, virtually every match would be a one sided non match if there was no attempt at seeding or pre qualifying. On top of that, how much would Ireland learn from a series of 7 ODI's against Australia ? other than how to come second ? pointless.

 

[Lindfield by the Pond]

From a non cricket perspective, it's not much of a "World Cup" with only 10 teams. They should be trying to widen the games appeal and including as many teams as practical. Same as Baseball's "World Series". Looks a bit of a stitch up, run by money & IPL now.

 

[GT49er]

Talk about "alright Jack". It's a bit like the Premiership clubs getting together and deciding no promotion or relegation.
They could have pre-tournament qualifying events, for Christ's sake, couldn't they?

 

[Taybha]

shock horror the ICC f*** up yet again , meanwhile back in the longroom its a jolly good show all round twot twot , anybody who thinks its for the better and will improve the cricket world cup as a sporting event is as deluded as the dimwits who decided to cut the heart out of those now not included nations desire and aspiration to compete for their country in a Worldwide sport that is meant for all not just for a select few, yep we all know that Kenya , Holland , Ireland , and Canada would never win the world cup ,but thats not the point is it ? i mean if this was the point England wouldnt be allowed in the football world cup for exactly the same reasons ....

of those 4 excluded they should at least have a re think and have a qualifier series and add the top 2 to make it a 12 team tournament

 

[vegster]

shock horror the ICC f*** up yet again , meanwhile back in the longroom its a jolly good show all round twot twot , anybody who thinks its for the better and will improve the cricket world cup as a sporting event is as deluded as the dimwits who decided to cut the heart out of those now not included nations desire and aspiration to compete for their country in a Worldwide sport that is meant for all not just for a select few, yep we all know that Kenya , Holland , Ireland , and Canada would never win the world cup ,but thats not the point is it ? i mean if this was the point England wouldnt be allowed in the football world cup for exactly the same reasons ....

of those 4 excluded they should at least have a re think and have a qualifier series and add the top 2 to make it a 12 team tournament

Er, I think you will find that there has been pre-qualifying for the European Cup and the World Cup for decades, does not seem to have cut the heart,desire and aspiration out of the likes of Albania, Wales, Cyprus ,Andorra etc ? they still turn up for qualifiers even though they will never win the World Cup/ European Cup ? just suppose it was open season in a European Cup and all 53 nations turned out and all had to play at some point... Its staged in England and on a tuesday night The Amex staged San Marino v Latvia ? you would be lucky to get 400 people in..most of them would be stewards and Sepp Blatter

 

[fatbadger]

This is a terrible decision for 2015, although at least in 2019 there will be qualification so the Associates will have a chance then. And, to be fair to the ICC, they have a system whereby the test-playing nations are obliged to organise matches against Associates, so they do get some chance to play at a higher level (for example, there will be a triangular tournament in Scotland later this year, featuring Scotland, Ireland and Sri Lanka).

Qualification could easily have been organised for 2015, most obviously by having the test-playing nations which did not qualify for the knock-out stage his time around having to play in a qualification tournament (in 2014) with the top six associates at the end of 2013 - that also gives something for the Associates to compete for in the meantime whether or not they actually make it to the World Cup.

 

[Pavilionaire]

A totally shocking decision. Ireland brought more to this World Cup than Zimbabwe, the Dutch are playing county cricket with the big boys, even Canada gave Pakistan a scare. The Iirsh especially have every right to be gutted.

Its the format that's wrong, not the number of teams.