BRISBANE // Aaqib Javed, the UAE coach, has denounced the International Cricket Council’s decision to reduce the next World Cup to 10 teams, saying it will reward failing sides.
Four fewer nations will able to play at the 2019 event in England, with eight places reserved for the sides at the top of the one-day international rankings.
Ireland, who the UAE face in Brisbane on Wednesday, and Afghanistan notionally have a chance to break into this group, yet there is no obligation for the Test nations to play fixtures against them.
Aaqib believes there should be two divisions of eight at the top of one-day international cricket, with promotion and relegation between them every two years.
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“There should be an actual punishment [for poor performance],” said Aaqib, who won the World Cup with Pakistan in 1992.
“If after two years there was promotion and relegation, how much interest would be created? This is not rocket science.
“Whom are they [the ICC] protecting and why are they protecting them? Forget about audience, it is about competition.
“Once you are a Test nation, you are a Test nation forever, whatever you do. There is no pressure on them.”
In the week before the competition started, David Richardson, the ICC chief executive, told The National the tournament is being reduced to increase the percentage of “competitive” fixtures.
“From a cricket point of view, my view has always been at World Cup people want to see competitive cricket,” Richardson said in Dubai earlier this month.
“Our aim is not necessarily to increase the number of members but to improve the standard of those members that we have.
“At the moment, arguably - with all due respect to Zimbabwe and Bangladesh - we probably have eight teams that I would regard as competitive.”
However, the most competitive fixtures so far have mostly involved non-Test sides, while England, one of the supposed Big Three ICC members, has been comprehensively beaten twice.
“I think the gap is narrowing now and every Associate is pushing the Full members,” Aaqib said.
“I am really surprised by the decision the ICC already made that the next World Cup would be 10 teams.
“Which 10 teams? If you look at the performances from some teams, their graph has been going down, like West Indies, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.
“I am not just talking about in this World Cup. Overall, what have they achieved in the past 10 years? Why can’t there be pressure on them to improve, or go down?”
Aaqib says cricket is unique in not wanting to expand the number of nations able to play in its flagship event.
“It is very unusual if you compare it to other sports,” he said. “Sports need competition and opportunities for every one.
“What is there for us in Associate cricket? Ireland have been doing so well for the past 10 years, but haven’t gained anything.
“When it comes to open series, nobody wants to play them. Nobody wants to play Associate teams.”
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