BOMBAY, 20 September 2003 — The International Cricket Council (ICC) yesterday decided to increase the number of competing teams from 14 to 16 at the next World Cup in the West Indies in 2007. “There’ll be 16 teams at the next World Cup,” ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said after a two-day management committee meeting here of the sport’s governing body.
He said the number had been increased to give more opportunities to non-Test-playing nations. The two teams that will join are yet to be decided. The ICC said it didn’t believe participation by two more teams would rob the elite tournament of its competitive edge. The 14-team World Cup in South Africa this year with four non-Test-playing sides was criticized for producing one-sided contests.
“This will not dilute the competitive edge as is being feared. In the last World Cup, teams like Kenya, Canada and Namibia put up good displays,” said ICC President Ehsan Mani. Non-Test-playing nation Kenya sprang a big surprise by qualifying for the semifinals. The ICC also said the next World Cup would not last more than 40 days. The last event lasted 43.
Meanwhile, the top Test and one-day international cricket teams will take on the Rest of the World in a new Super Series being planned by the sport’s governing body to boost its finances, sources said yesterday. The series, which includes one five-day game and three limited-overs internationals, will be held every two years starting in September 2005 in South Africa.
The Rest of the World teams, to be selected by the International Cricket Council (ICC), will be pitted against the ICC’s top-ranked team in each version of the game. “The four matches may get official status, we are working out the details and modalities,” an ICC source said on the sidelines of the meetings here.
Australia are currently both the champion Test and one-day side, but the inaugural Super Series will feature the top-ranked teams in early 2005. This is the second fund-raising event developed by the ICC to augment its finances to develop cricket in all parts of the world. The Champions Trophy one-day tournament, featuring the 10 Test-playing nations and two associate members, is held every two years.
The first three tournaments were held in Bangladesh (1998), Kenya (2000) and Sri Lanka (2002). The next will be played in England in September 2004. Previous matches featuring Rest of the World teams had not been granted official status.
Ganguly and His Stars Fail
Ahead of Kiwi Test Series
India captain Saurav Ganguly was forced on to the defensive yesterday as a parade of star Test batsmen lost the lead in a major domestic match ahead of a busy international cricket schedule. Ganguly made a four-ball duck as his star-studded Rest of India side conceded a 95-run lead to national champions Bombay, led by batting great Sachin Tendulkar, in the Irani Cup match in Madras.
Bombay were 11 for no loss in their second innings at stumps on the second day of the five-day game for an overall lead of 106. The Rest, containing five Test batsmen, were shot out for 202 in their first innings in reply to their opponents’ 297.
Opener Virender Sehwag began the procession when he inside-edged seamer Aavishkar Salvi’s delivery on to his stumps after contributing 16. Test batsmen Venkatsai Laxman scored a 53-ball five and Sanjay Bangar 29, while one-day specialist Yuvraj Singh made 27 as Bombay seized the initiative despite having just one Test seamer in Ajit Agarkar.
Rahul Dravid top-scored with 41 before being brilliantly caught by a diving Tendulkar at short mid-wicket off Ramesh Powar. Off-spinner Powar finished with 4-61 off 23 overs.
