World Cup to Expand?
Friday, September 19 2003
The ICC Cricket Management committee, meeting at Mumbai, have outlined a plan for an increase in the number of teams at the 2007 World Cup from 14 to 16 and a reduction in its length.
The idea will include four first-round groups of four, with the top two in each progressing to a "Super Eight" stage. The thinking involved is that the tournament will flourish as the top sides all play each other in a similar way to the successful nine-team tournament in Australia and New Zealand in 1992, as well as cutting its length from an exhausting 53 days to a much more manageable 40.
The downside is the number of one-sided matches that are likely to occur in the group stages, with more than one group likely to go straight to form in a wholly predictable style - and Australia v UAE may not be for the squeamish...
Possible Groups for World Cup 2007*
Group A
Australia
India
Zimbabwe
UAE
Group B
South Africa
Sri Lanka
Kenya
Scotland
Group C
England
New Zealand
Bangladesh
Canada
Group D
Pakistan
West Indies
Holland
Namibia
A plan for a biennial "Super Series" between the Highest-ranked Nations and Rest of the World XIs was also suggested. The concept, which would involve one five-day game between the number one Test team and an ICC Rest of the World Select XI and three one-day games between the number one ODI team and another Rest of the World Select XI. The provisional date is mid-September, 2005.
The meeting also discussed plans for an Inter-Club Championship, planned for Asia in 2004 and streamlined the procedure for bowlers with "suspect" actions.
*All Groups are only projections calculated using current ICC ODI Rankings (19/09/2003) and 2001 ICC Trophy Results.
Posted by Neil
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