The MCC World Cricket Committee, which includes former India captain Sourav Ganguly among others, feels the ICC’s decision to limit the ODI World Cup to 10 teams is a “retrograde step” and detrimental to the sport’s chances of finding a place in the Olympics.
The committee met at Lord’s on July 13 and 14 – the first gathering for new members Ganguly, Ricky Ponting and Ramiz Raja, and the last for outgoing members Rahul Dravid and Steve Bucknor.
The ICC Cricket World Cup should be a twelve-team tournament. The committee believes that the organisation of a ten-team ICC Cricket World Cup for 2019 and 2023 is a retrograde step that damages the potential for growth in cricket’s developing nations. The committee urges the ICC Board to reconsider its position and take a decision that it believes is in the best interests of the global game.
– A statement by MCC World Cricket Committee
The committee also recommended that every effort should be made to make cricket an Olympic sport.
Competing in an Olympic Games would be a huge opportunity for players, a massive boost to developing cricket nations and give much greater exposure for the sport to a new audience. Government funding in many countries is specifically linked to a sport’s Olympic status, and cricket’s inclusion would unlock investment to cricket’s governing bodies in ICC Associate and Affiliate countries.
– A statement by MCC World Cricket Committee
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