Sydney // The World Cup should be a “shop window” for the game’s emerging nations, International Cricket Council chief executive David Richardson.
The ICC has come under fire for plans to reduce the number of teams taking part at the next World Cup, in England in 2019, from 14 teams to 10 — a move that threatens to freeze out non-Test or Associate member nations from the showpiece event.
Richardson, who recently said the decision on the number of teams at the 2019 World Cup could be revisited, has, though, committed the ICC to the long-term development of Associate cricket.
“To me the debate should be more about what are we doing for Associate member cricket to enable them to qualify for a World Cup, whether it’s an eight-team, 10-team, 12-team, 14 or 16-team. I think that’s where we’ve made the most progress,” Richardson said.
“There was even a suggestion we should have moved to a 10-team event for this tournament. The reason we didn’t is because at that stage we had a glass ceiling.
“You could be Ireland or Afghanistan and you could get to No 11 in the world, you couldn’t get to No 10 and you could never really qualify.
“So now we’ve changed that, we’ve allowed Ireland and Afghanistan the opportunity to play in the ODI (one-day international) FTP (Future Tours Programme). Sure, the challenge is going to be finding them enough fixtures and that’s a real focus we are going to be worrying about over the next couple of years, so it’s not just in name that they are part of that FTP.
“We want the World Cup to not just be a window-dressing but a shop window for cricket at the highest level.
“Maybe only 10 teams initially, but the idea is to grow it.”
Richardson also said the ICC might alter fielding restrictions in one-day internationals after a plethora of sixes at this World Cup suggested the balance between bat and ball had swung in favour of batsmen.
“The cricket committee is going to look at the playing conditions again,” Richardson said. “One of the things we might look at is allowing an extra fielder out of the ring in the last 10 overs. That might be a sensible change.”
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