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April 20, 2011

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ICC set to review 2015 WCup format

THE controversial decision to restrict the 2015 World Cup to only the 10 full members will be reconsidered by International Cricket Council's executive board in June, the governing body said yesterday.

In an April 4 meeting in Mumbai, the board had decided to exclude all non-full members from the next World Cup and the move triggered a protest from second tier sides such as Ireland and the Netherlands.

"After receiving representations from the associate and affiliate members of the ICC, the ICC President Mr Sharad Pawar has decided to request the ICC executive board to revisit the issue in Hong Kong in June," the statement read.

"I have given this matter further serious thought and will request the board to consider this topic once more," Pawar was quoted as saying in the statement.

Fourteen teams competed in this year's World Cup co-hosted by eventual champions India, runner-up Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Ireland felt it had justified its presence in the tournament, where it upset England by producing the tournament's highest ever successful run-chase.

Cricket Ireland cautiously welcomed yesterday's announcement.

"It's a welcome development but it's still the first step in a lengthy process because after all, it's the same individuals having the same debate on the same issue. So clearly there needs to be some catalyst for a change of heart," its chief executive Warren Deutrom said.

The length and format of the showpiece event, which lasted 43 days this year and featured several one-sided matches when test playing nations took on the second-tier sides, was criticized by many fans and pundits. By restricting the 2015 event to only the 10 full members, the ICC appeared to have addressed both issues. The governing body felt the non-test playing nations would be better off competing in the Twenty20 World Cup.




 

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