Cutting back to 10 nations next World Cup.

[brod]

Let the minnow countries play in their own world cup.
Spice it up with like say the Australian Indigenous side or add few more countries, maybe some B grade comps in strong countries?

Don't the minnows already have their own competition? And isn't one of the rewards of performing there a world cup berth?

As for adding B grades from other countries that would ruin the whole point of the tournament. I don't know what the make up of the indigenous side is, but would they be competitive with these minnow nations? We have some first class cricketers in most of the minnow nations so unless the indigenous side also has first class standard blokes they'd be the minnows of the minnow comp.

Exactly...there are 7 divisions of ICC cricket that involves promotion and relegation (the most recent up and coming side has been Afghanistan who were one win from playing in this World Cup)

What is the big deal with 10 teams..there will still be a "minnow", there will be just one rather than five and it would be REWARD for winning the ICC Trophy

[Lightning McQueen]

I guess recent results warrant a cut back, the gap between the two groups is too big.

[RoosterMarty]

I used to like having the minnows in the World Cup but all that has lead to is a bunch of boring, meaningless games at the start of the competition. Maybe there can be one minnow per group or something but they don't seem to be progressing at all.

[Lightning McQueen]

I used to like having the minnows in the World Cup but all that has lead to is a bunch of boring, meaningless games at the start of the competition. Maybe there can be one minnow per group or something but they don't seem to be progressing at all.

Maybe have the top 8 in Div. 1 & the minnows can battle it out with the bottom couple, although even the Banga's and Zimbabwe seem a fair way off the main group.

[smac]

There has to be a 'way in' for the minnows and there has to be a way for them to stay in if good enough as well as allowing other minnows to enter - not sure what that system is but to offer little or no opportunity will not develop the game in those countries.

[Lightning McQueen]

There has to be a 'way in' for the minnows and there has to be a way for them to stay in if good enough as well as allowing other minnows to enter - not sure what that system is but to offer little or no opportunity will not develop the game in those countries.

Yes, but the saddest part of it.

[Lightning McQueen]

I guess recent results warrant a cut back, the gap between the two groups is too big.

Just as I make a statement like this one, it turns around and bites me on the arse that night.

[Jim05]

Yep cut it back to 10 sides, bye bye england
This is why minnows should play in the wc

[MightyEagles]

But India have made a lot of money in the last decade from Australia turning up then any other country.
More countries in the world cup the better, look at last night Ireland def England. A few years ago that wouldn't have happened.

[brod]

The Champions Trophy could go the way of the dodo as part of the ICC's push to reorganise the global cricket calendar. The next edition of the tournament is supposed to be held in 2013, but Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, has said they were looking to have just one primary tournament in each of the three formats of the game

"What we're trying to work towards is a pinnacle event in each format," Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive said at a press conference in Chennai. "So if we're looking to our next cycle, we might think definitely about [losing] the Champions Trophy."

Another potential problem for the tournament is fitting it into the new Future Tours Program. In October, the ICC approved the creation of a league-style Test Championship and redrew the lines of one-day cricket as part of an extensive restructuring of the international game. The first play-off in the newly constituted Test Championship is now scheduled to be held in 2013, the same year as the next Champions Trophy.

[Aerie]

Yeah they need to play 2 matches a day at least.
They could learn alot from soccer world cup, currently 14 teams are in the world cup id lift it to 16.
Play 4 groups of 4 with 2 seeded nations and 2 unseeded(minnows), the top 2 from each group goes through to qtrs.
Only 3 group games each compared to 6 currently so the minnows get a fair go and to make the final you only would have to play 5 games total as opposed to 8 currently. Play two matches per day and the tournament is over in a couple of weeks, its not that hard.

Agree with this. 4 groups of 4 (2 seeds/2 minnows) and with two games per day you'd have this stage over in 12 days.

Then the top of each group forms a top 4 and 2nd in each group the bottom 4 and it's played out like the AFL finals series (i.e. top 4 get double chance).

Tournament would be over within 4 weeks, with the majority of the tournament with meaningful matches, yet you still give the minnows a chance.

[Brucetiki]

Yeah they need to play 2 matches a day at least.
They could learn alot from soccer world cup, currently 14 teams are in the world cup id lift it to 16.
Play 4 groups of 4 with 2 seeded nations and 2 unseeded(minnows), the top 2 from each group goes through to qtrs.
Only 3 group games each compared to 6 currently so the minnows get a fair go and to make the final you only would have to play 5 games total as opposed to 8 currently. Play two matches per day and the tournament is over in a couple of weeks, its not that hard.

Agree with this. 4 groups of 4 (2 seeds/2 minnows) and with two games per day you'd have this stage over in 12 days.

Then the top of each group forms a top 4 and 2nd in each group the bottom 4 and it's played out like the AFL finals series (i.e. top 4 get double chance).

Tournament would be over within 4 weeks, with the majority of the tournament with meaningful matches, yet you still give the minnows a chance.

That's a great format, pity the ICC will probably never consider it.

[mighty_tiger_79]

It will be a huge, huge shame if Ireland - as spirited and as sparkling as they are - cannot turn up for the next World Cup in 2015. They have fought, they have competed, they have thrilled, they have delighted, they have made complete strangers cry with that improbable win against England. And have now signed off with a comfortable win, their second in six games, they had a good chance in a couple of others. But it's all over for them now. And that will be it for us from this game. I enjoyed bringing this game to you. Keep the feedback coming in. Liam Brickhill will have his bulletin up soon for you to read. On behalf of Sid Talya, this is Abhishek Purohit signing off. Cheers!

Stirling is the Man of the Match. Porterfield collects the award on his behalf, he is having cramps, Robin Jackman says.

William Porterfield: "Was a great innings from Paul, showed a lot of character. We were pretty confident, slightly disappointed with the way we bowled. Look, we are pretty happy with the kind of preparation we have done, disappointed with a couple of close games, who knows we could have qualified, we want to not just to turn up once, but to turn up day in day out. We are very happy with where we are. The public at home and in India have been behind us. To finish it off in Eden Gardens with a win is great."

Peter Borren: "We made a pretty good comeback from four down for 100-odd. Was pretty happy with the score, felt we had a chance. Lot of credit to young Paul Stirling. We had a good chance, playing Bangladesh and India was an amazing experience, we have learnt on these wickets, you can go for plenty here, you need partnerships, and wickets in hand. We need to play more often at the highest level."

Kevin O'Brien: "Had a great time in India. Just love the people here, especially the ones in Kolkata. Good to sign off with a win. We have played some good cricket. It's for the people of India and the world to see how Stirling played, he's the future."

Binod: "Ireland- the bravest team of the tournament!!!"

Bala: "One brother deals in 4s and the other deals in 6s. Wonderful game of the associates."

What a chase from the Irish. Stirling with a rollicking ton upfront, Porterfield chipped in with a fluent half-century, Joyce and Wilson hung in, and the coolness of Niall O'Brien was useful in the end. Kevin finished it off with couple of maximums, this Irish team will go places, if the ICC give them the leeway.

47.4
Seelaar to KJ O'Brien, SIX, that will do for the Irish, Kevin gets down the track, reaches out to get to this flatter one, and lifts it over long off, that has disappeared, Kevin watches it go all the way, holds the pose like a golfer, Niall loves it, punches his bat, muted reaction from the big fella Kevin, just puts bat under his arm and walks back, Ireland have made a tall chase look mighty confortable, it's the O'Brien brothers to finish it off

[MAY-Z]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci-icc/cont ... 09549.html

confirmed that the minnows are sacked from the next 2 world cups - disgraceful decison from people who are so out of touch with teh game it isnt funny

at a time when cricket is said to be losing its universal appeal, ireland inparticular are opening up a new competitive market and it now gets slammed in their face

what makes this particulary poor is that most of the irish team are irish born and bread, not full of expats like canada and the dutch, so now if the want to play international cricket they will need to play for england

[mal]

Agree MayZ a disgracefool decision

Sri Lanka were minnows in the 70s
Won the World Cup in 1996, and have been runners up twice since

It makes more sense to include more minnows for future tournaments
Instead of 2 groups and playing forever b4 the finals, should be more more groups and less games

[Lightning McQueen]

Agree MayZ a disgracefool decision

Sri Lanka were minnows in the 70s
Won the World Cup in 1996, and have been runners up twice since

It makes more sense to include more minnows for future tournaments
Instead of 2 groups and playing forever b4 the finals, should be more more groups and less games

So you think they should fly a heap of minnows over to play 2 games and then send them on their way again?
Here's another thing, lets say that they have pools of 3, Ireland beat West Indies, we lose to the Windles and then beat Ireland.
If we finished bottom of our pool we wouldn't go any further, you need as many qualifying games as possible to determine who the better teams are, minnows are always going to jag a win here and there, it's all good for them to shape the finals, but not if they are going to have a major influence on them, unless of course they make the big one.
It's a World Cup, it's once every 4 years, who cares how long it takes to determine the best team, I think the ICC got it right this time, the two best teams going around atm made the GF.

[Media Park]

Read comments by William Porterfield, Irish skipper, this morning, and you'd feel pretty hard done by.

Ireland, ranked tenth, don't get a gig, and Zimbabwe, eleventh, are in.

If I was Ireland and Canada, I would be wanting stiff competition over the next few years, because they looked really good.

[Brucetiki]

Shocking call. Yes the minnows should be scaled back, but I think a 12 team tournament would have been ideal, allowing 2 of the associate nations to participate.

What's worse is that it sounds like the next world cup will be a 1 pool league again (like 1992), which will mean even more pointless pool games anway.

[Lightning McQueen]

Shocking call. Yes the minnows should be scaled back, but I think a 12 team tournament would have been ideal, allowing 2 of the associate nations to participate.

What's worse is that it sounds like the next world cup will be a 1 pool league again (like 1992), which will mean even more pointless pool games anway.

How can you call them pointless games? I'm sure if the Crows didn't play Gold Coast or Brisbane during the season SA would be up in arms. All participating teams deserve the right to play everyone else to determine the right to play in finals.

[FlyingHigh]

This is my idea posted on the Quarter-finals thread

This is why the current format is so ridiculous.
Strong teams play meaningless games against weak opposition, then suddenly the quarter finals are single knock-out games where a small amount of luck or weather can influence the result.

My format would be:
Ten teams in 2 Groups, play each other in a Round-Robin.
Top four teams are automatically through, ranked as per there results, run rates etc.
Fifth team through is the best performing 3rd ranked team.
Play a final five like the footy. This means the lower 2nd ranked team straight away faces a knock-out against the better perfornming third ranked team.
The two Grand Finalists play a best-of three.
Most amount of games a team can play is 12, if they come from the "Elimination" and play the GF goes to best of three.

Bottom two or three teams have to play the top two or three teams from the Associates World Cup in a round-robin, for the right to play in the next World Cup

This may only leave room for one minnow, depending on how you class Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, so could extend it to twelve teams in two groups of six round-robin.