Oz media slam 'biased' ICC over Ireland exclusion

It's not only Ireland fuming over ICC's decision to leave Associate members out of the World Cup competition in 2015 and 2019.

A media report in Melbourne has accused the ICC of favoritism, saying that the governing body of the game kept a "corrupt" Zimbabwe in the loop but deprived "impressive" Ireland and the Netherlands from competing at big stage.

"Australia has just become host of cricket's Shame Games. The showpiece 2015 World Cup, to be held in Australia and New Zealand, now carries the unmistakable stench of rampant cronyism," read a report in Daily Telegraph.

"By banishing Ireland in favour of the game's most corrupt country, Zimbabwe, the Afro-Asia dominated ICC has once again driven a stake through the heart of the game's credibility," the report added.

The writer has urged the fans in Australia and New Zealand, co-hosts of the 2015 World Cup, to wave Irish flags "frantically at the event's official opening and matches that involve Zimbabwe in particular as a protest at this latest injustice."

The report further said that the failure to allow the top two associate teams, currently Ireland and the Netherlands, to play off against the bottom two regular teams, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, is a disgrace.

In the ICC rankings, Ireland is placed 10th, one place above Zimbabwe.

Ireland had scored shock win over England in the league stage of the World Cup and  had also upset Pakistan in the West Indies in 2007 event.

Ireland captain Will Porterfield had also criticised the ICC for not allowing them to compete in 2015, terming the move as "an absolute disgrace".