Associate Members Criticize ICC Move
The Associate Members of the International Cricket Council have criticized the decision of shortening the 50 overs World Cup and in turn expanding the T20 World Championship as they feel that this move would be detrimental to the quality
of the game, especially for the lower ranked international teams that vie to make it big at the highest level of the game.
Some of the associate members like http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Scotland-c756, The Netherlands and Ireland have been playing the game at the highest level for many years now and have succeeded in making a big name pulling off some incredible upsets.
However they have condemned the move of shortening the 50 overs World Cup as they feel it is the right platform for their exposure and improving their game, as the format has a rich tradition and impact in cricketing annals.
Leading the condemnation of ICC’s planned move is Tom Sears the Chief Executive of Kenyan Cricket Association, "In football and rugby, if you are good enough, you can compete. Unfortunately, the ICC seems to want to pull up the drawbridge
and not allow the Associate countries in."
Some reports indicate that the associate members handed over a paper to the governing body of the game on how they felt the game could thrive in their countries where cricket has generally struggled to make an impact with the people more
interested in high profile sports like football.
On the other hand the Irish cricketing authorities are confident that they can get to the next level and acquire test level, after a consistent performance in the shorter formats. They have strong track records in the 50-over game - they
famously beat http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 in the 2007 World Cup.
The CEO of the national board indicated that Ireland is one of the leading members of the cricketing fraternity and have a better record than the likes of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747.
"To say there are only 10 countries worthy of ODI status flies in the face of several indicators such as Ireland's position above a Full Member [Zimbabwe] in the ranks and Bangladesh's recent defeats against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ireland-c751”.
Meanwhile the man at the helm of Scottish cricket Roddy Smith feels that the expansion of the World Twenty20 event is a good sign yet the associates should be allowed to compete in the fifty overs format also especially in the World cup.
The concerns of the Associate members grew when it was revealed that some of the leading nations who are a part of the Central Executive Committee of ICC had agreed to promote the associates through expanding the T20 World championship
and cutting short their involvement in the fifty overs World cup. The plan is to be implemented for the 2015 fifty overs event set to be staged in Australian and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754.
The Kenyan association’s spokesman added that "Twenty20 is a great development tool for the lower-ranked Associates, but the bread and butter for the top eight or 10 teams is 50-over ODI matches."
"If there was no qualification tournament it would be a huge issue for Associate cricket. It is vital to have a qualification event,"
It remains to be seen if the recommendations of the CEC are implemented any time soon as a divide between the full and associate members ensues.
Critics feel that the ICC needs to find a middle way that can help in promoting the game as well as maintain the interest of passionate fans in full member countries who at times prefer to stay away from lopsided encounters involving the
associate members who are generally easily beaten by the major powers.
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