12 teams is the ideal line-up for the World Cup by Partab Ramchand

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Event:

ICC World Cup 2006/07

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DateLine: 15th March 2007

 

It’s a subject that has been the cause of much controversy. The number of non-Test playing nations figuring in the World Cup has grown over the years and the eagerness of the International Cricket Council to give more and more teams the opportunity to take part on the big stage has divided public opinion. Former West Indian fast bowler Michael Holding was quite vehement in his criticism recently while speaking out on the topic saying that there were far too many teams in the competition who were not good enough to be there. ``I simply do not believe that if you come fourth in the ICC Trophy that you should be entitled to play in the World Cup,’’ said Holding. ``What is gained by a team playing in the World Cup and getting absolutely hammered? In my opinion it is counter-productive. What I believe should happen is that all the non-Test playing nations should continue to play amongst themselves, to have their own competition where only the top-ranked country goes through to the World Cup.’’

 

In fact in the ICC Trophy in 2005 the top five teams – Scotland, Ireland, Canada, Bermuda and Holland – qualified for the 2007 World Cup. They joined the ten Test playing nations plus Kenya who enjoy a special one day status. Whether there should be so many qualifying teams is the point that has raised a lot of controversy.

 

It wasn’t always like this. In the inaugural World Cup the field was six Test playing nations and two associate members in Sri Lanka and East Africa. Four years later the field was much the same with Sri Lanka and Canada joining the six Test playing nations. In 1983 it was seven Test playing nations with Sri Lanka’s elevation and Zimbabwe was the eighth squad. This was exactly the scenario four years later. But there was a change in the field for the 1992 World Cup with South Africa’s readmission. This time there were nine participants and again Zimbabwe was the only non Test playing nation.

 

Things started to change from the 1996 tournament. The field swelled to 12 with the inclusion of three associate members in Kenya, United Arab Emirates and Holland with Zimbabwe now having joined the ranks of the Test playing nations. It was the same scenario three years later with Kenya, Bangladesh and Scotland joining the nine Test playing nations. In 2003 in South Africa the field was further extended to 14. Bangladesh by this time had become the tenth Test playing nation but there were four associate members in Namibia, Kenya, Holland and Canada. This time around in an ostensible bid to globalize the game further the ICC has raised the participating field to 16 with the inclusion of six non Test playing nations.

 

It cannot be denied that the inclusion of so many non Test playing nations dilutes the status of the tournament at least in the initial rounds. Interest is bound to be lukewarm in matches involving the minnows and one sided results can mean little apart from entries in the record books. Those propagating the theory of encouraging the associate members will no doubt point out to the number of times the Davids have laid low the Goliaths. It started with Sri Lanka upsetting India in 1979 and four years later Zimbabwe shocked Australia. In 1992 Zimbabwe again caused more than a ripple of excitement by getting the better of England while four years later Kenya stunned the West Indies. In 1999 it was the turn of Bangladesh to humble the full might of Pakistan while four years later Kenya and Canada notched up further points for the minnows in getting the better of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Kenya in fact made a historic entry into the semi final, the first for a non Test playing nation.

 

But that would be looking at only one side of the picture. The fact remains that the vast majority of games between the big fish and the small fry have ended in woefully one sided results. The four lowest totals in the World Cup have all been notched up by non Test playing nations. The highest total in the World Cup has been hit against a non Test playing nation. The highest individual score in the World Cup has been notched up against a non Test playing nation. In fact six of the top eight scores have been hit against associate members. The best bowling figures in the World Cup have been achieved against a non Test playing nation. Three of the six ten-wicket victories have been notched up against non Test playing nations and so also is the highest victory by margin of runs.

 

Associate members should be encouraged and the ICC as part of its mission statement is committed to globalizing the game. But how far one shattering defeat after another will go in affecting the morale of the minnows is a valid point. One will tend to agree with Holding’s assessment that it could be counter-productive. Ideally a premier competition like the World Cup should have no more than 12 teams – the ten Test playing nations and the winner and runner-up of the ICC Trophy. That way there will be no talk of the tournament being diluted, lop sided matches will be down to a minimum and interest will be maintained from first to last.

(Article: Copyright © 2007 CricketArchive)