CRICKET:CRICKET IRELAND chief executive Warren Deutrom has called on the International Cricket Council (ICC) to meet representatives of the 95 non-Test-playing nations over the coming weeks to discuss the formation of future 50-over World Cups.
Deutrom’s demand comes after ICC president Sharad Pawar said yesterday the council would look again at their recent decision to restrict the 2015 staging of the event to the 10 full-member countries, a move which drew widespread condemnation throughout the cricketing world.
Pawar’s statement came in response to a letter sent to him last weekend by representatives from the non-Test nations outlining their opposition to the fact there would be no qualification for the next World Cup, effectively leaving them to survive on Twenty20 cricket as a means of playing on the world stage.
Pawar replied to the letter yesterday.
“I have given this matter further serious thought and will request the board to consider this topic once more,” he said in a statement. “I can understand the views of the Associates and Affiliates and ICC will seek to deal with this issue in the best way possible.”
The matter will be discussed at the ICC’s annual conference, which will take place in Hong Kong at the end of June.
Deutrom gave a guarded welcome to yesterday’s statement and believes the non-Test nations must double their efforts, with a face-to-face meeting top of the agenda.
“We’re cautiously optimistic, yesterday we were nowhere, today we have a chink of light, but we know there’s a long way to go before the ICC is going to change its decision,” said Deutrom.
“Obviously it is the same people having the same debate on the same issue, and clearly there needs to be some catalyst to ensure they reach a different conclusion on their previous determination and that’s going to be the difficult piece.
“We (the 95 Associate and Affiliate members) have asked to assist in that process and requested for our elected representatives to have a meeting with the president, vice-president and senior ICC management, because it’s important that we can sit down and discuss the issues face-to-face and make sure they are fully aware of the non-Test world’s unanimity on this issue and they also see the force of our resolve.”
The proposed 10-team format means any possible qualification tournament would have to include full members such as Bangladesh and Zimbabwe; the latter are currently ranked behind Ireland in one-day cricket.
They will hardly be too keen to put their places under jeopardy, which could open the idea of a 12-team competition, with the last two places going to Associate nations.
Deutrom, though, is not concerned with the numbers at present, just that a qualification road remains open for the other 95 Affiliated members of the ICC.
“The important piece of this is that there is a fair and meritocratic pathway to the cup that counts, to ICC’s showpiece trophy and that is non negotiable,” added Deutrom.
The chief executive has been delighted with the way his fellow non-Test countries have been galvanised in face of the original decision.
“I don’t think there’s ever been a particular issue that has united the non-Test world in such a forceful fashion as this. We do believe acting together we are a minority shareholding, but equally we have a very strong voice and that has been shown in this instance.”
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