Skip to main content
NTv Online

Sports

Sports
  • Cricket
  • Football
  • Other sports
  • Tennis
  • Bangla Version
  • Archive
  • Bangladesh
  • World
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • Business
  • Comment
  • Education
  • Life
  • Health
  • Art & Culture
  • Election
  • বাংলা
  • Bangladesh
  • World
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • Business
  • Comment
  • Education
  • Life
  • Health
  • Art & Culture
  • Election
  • বাংলা
  • Bangla Version
  • Archive
Follow
  • Sports
AFP
27 February, 2015, 14:27
Update: 27 February, 2015, 14:27
More News
Rajshahi romp to BBPL title crushing Khulna
Tigers to tour Pakistan in three phases to play full series
Bangladesh women clinch gold medal
Bangladesh bat first in historic day-night Test against India
ICC bans Shakib from all forms of cricket for 2 years

‘2019 WC size yet to finalize’

AFP
27 February, 2015, 14:27
Update: 27 February, 2015, 14:27

The number of teams taking part in the 2019 World Cup hasn't been finalised, the International Cricket Council told AFP on Friday as it responded to growing criticism that its proposed cut risked damaging the sport's development.

Cricket chiefs have come under fire for their plan to reduce the number of teams involved in England in four years' time to 10 from the 14 taking part in the ongoing tournament in Australia and New Zealand.

But ICC chief executive David Richardson, in a telephone interview with AFP, said Friday: "I've learnt never to say never to anything. I'm sure the format of the next World Cup will be debated after this one has finished."

Ireland beat one of the elite Test match nations for the third successive World Cup when they defeated the West Indies by four wickets in their 2015 opener, while Thursday saw tournament debutants Afghanistan's astonishingly rapid progress continue when they defeated Scotland by just one wicket to record their first World Cup win.

"I'm pleased with the performances of the qualifiers so far, but the bigger tests are still to come," said Richardson.  

"The question is what do you want the World Cup to be? Do you want it to be a jamboree of world cricket or the pinnacle of the one-day game?"

"Heading into this tournament there was criticism that the format (where 14 teams are split into two groups of seven, with the top four in each pool qualifying for the quarter-finals) would leave us with a long group stage at the end of which the eight teams everyone thought would get through had made it into the quarter-finals."

Asked what his feelings were following the initially improved showing by the four associate sides -- Afghanistan, Ireland, Scotland and the UAE -- taking part at the World Cup, Richardson said: "There's a sense of relief. Our biggest concern before the tournament was that these teams would be uncompetitive."

Richardson said the thinking in reducing the number of teams had been motivated by the experience of the 1992 World Cup, when the tournament was last staged in Australia and New Zealand.

According to Richardson, the 1992 event had the "best format" of any of cricket's 11 World Cups, with the then nine competing sides all playing each other with the top four from the round-robin phase going straight into the semi-finals.

"The best format was 1992," said Richardson, South Africa's wicketkeeper at that World Cup. "You had nine teams, then the semi-finals. There was something up for grabs in every match."

However, Steve Waugh, Australia's former World Cup-winning captain, was among those concerned by a reduction in the number of sides competing at the 2019 World Cup, telling Friday's Sydney Morning Herald: "It is definitely important to have the minnow countries to grow the game in different markets.

"The World Cup of soccer has 32 countries. Cricket needs more than eight teams playing."

Most Read
  1. Get all sports-related updates under one umbrella
  2. History-maker SAFF Champions now role models for hundreds of girls
  3. Most Japan firms say Games should be cancelled or postponed
  4. Country's football legend Badal Roy passes away
  5. Corona curbs cricketing clash, creates concern
  6. Thank you captain, tigers win series
Most Read
  1. Get all sports-related updates under one umbrella
  2. History-maker SAFF Champions now role models for hundreds of girls
  3. Most Japan firms say Games should be cancelled or postponed
  4. Country's football legend Badal Roy passes away
  5. Corona curbs cricketing clash, creates concern
  6. Thank you captain, tigers win series

Follow Us

Alhaj Mohammad Mosaddak Ali

Chairman & Managing Director

NTV Online, BSEC Building (Level-8), 102 Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue, Karwan Bazar, Dhaka-1215 Telephone: +880255012281 up to 5, Fax: +880255012286 up to 7

Browse by Category

  • About NTV
  • NTV Programmes
  • Advertisement
  • Web Mail
  • NTV FTV
  • Satellite Downlink
  • Europe Subscription
  • USA Subscription
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Contact

Our Newsletter

To stay on top of the ever-changing world of business, subscribe now to our newsletters.

* We hate spam as much as you do

Alhaj Mohammad Mosaddak Ali

Chairman & Managing Director

NTV Online, BSEC Building (Level-8), 102 Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue, Karwan Bazar, Dhaka-1215 Telephone: +880255012281 up to 5, Fax: +880255012286 up to 7

Reproduction of any content, news or article published on this website is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved