The Executive Board of the International Cricket Council (ICC) will reconsider the controversial format for the 10-team 2015 World Cup, the ICC said on Tuesday.
ICC president Sharad Pawar said he would ask the panel to reconsider the format after requests from the ICC`s non-test playing members who would have been hit by the adopted format, cricket`s governing body said in a statement. The controversial 10 team format for the ICC World Cup was announced one day before the start of 2011 World Cup and the decision was not welcomed.
The associate members of ICC had come out in open opposing the decision. Ireland cricket captain William Porterfield termed the decision as a disgrace and along with Ireland Cricket board lambasted the game’s governing body for reducing the World Cup to just 10 teams. Jimmy Kamande, the Kenyan team captain had also expressed his disappointment during the recently concluded Word Cup.
A media release issued by the ICC states that the ICC Executive Board will be requested to reconsider the composition of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 during the ICC Annual Conference in Hong Kong at the end of June 2011."
At the recent ICC Executive Board meeting in Mumbai on April 4, the Board decided to allow only the 10 Full Members to participate in the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2015.
However, after receiving representations from the Associate and Affiliate Members of the ICC, the ICC President Pawar has decided to request the Executive Board to revisit the issue.
"I have given this matter further serious thought and will request the Board to consider this topic once more. I can understand the views of the Associates and Affiliates and ICC will seek to deal with this issue in the best way possible," Pawar was quoted as saying in the media release.
The Board had also confirmed its previous decision made in October 2010 that the next two World Cups (in 2015 and 2019) would comprise 10 teams.
According to the release these decisions were part of a strategic restructure of ICC events and the context and content for international cricket.
Though it is unlikely that ICC would reconsider a change in the format it is believed that a move to play top 10 ranked teams will be discussed upon. In that case Ireland will have a chance to play the 2015 World Cup as they are currently ranked number 10 in ODIs.
As part of the restructure, a Test play-off for the top four teams was introduced and the ICC World Twenty20 was expanded to 16 teams.
The executive board had also agreed in Mumbai that the 10 teams for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 in England would be determined on the basis of qualification.
-Zeecric
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