At the end of the recent World Cup, the ICC announced the next tournament in New Zealand and Australia would feature just ten teams, made up entirely of the world governing body’s full member nations. The associate teams such as Ireland and Holland were told they would not be able to take part in the World Cup until 2019 at the earliest when a qualification system would be put in place.
The decision was heavily criticised and the ICC has reacted by announcing it will look again at the structure of the next competition with the option of expanding the tournament to 12 teams, which would include two associates, a strong possibility.
“It is encouraging that the president has reopened this issue but there is still a way to go,” said Warren Deurtom, chief executive of Cricket Ireland.
“This is a positive step but we're cautious about it because it is the same 10 people having the same debate about the same issues. We (the 95 associate and affiliate members) have asked to assist in that process and requested for our elected representatives to meet the ICC president and/or the vice-president to put our case, so that they can see the strength of our resolve on this matter.
"There is a long way to go and it is down to how much momentum can be kept up, either through the media or through the public, who have been strong and unanimous in their views."
The decision will be discussed at the ICC’s annual general meeting in Hong Kong at the end of June but the associate nations were given hope when Sharad Pawar, the president of the ICC, said, “I have given this matter further serious thought and will request the board to consider this topic once more. I can understand the views of the Associates and Affiliates and ICC will seek to deal with this issue in the best way possible.”
Ireland spearheaded a campaign for the ICC to overturn the decision after producing the shock result of the last World Cup when they beat England in Bangalore by recording the highest ever run chase in the tournament’s history.
Cricket Ireland has grown significantly over the past four years since the team made its first big impression by beating Pakistan at the 2007 World Cup.
There have been significant moves in recent months to cut the 50 over World Cup from its recent level of 14 teams. That move was expected by the associate nations but what caused anger and resentment was the decision not to include a qualification process for the 2015 competition, which would have at least given them a glimmer of a chance of reaching the tournament proper.
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