Associate cricket nations may be fuming at the prospect of a 10-team World Cup in 2019, but ICC president Narayanswami Srinivasan said they have no reason to feel left out as the format gives them a good chance of qualifying for the showpiece event.
The ICC's decision to reduce the number of teams from 14 to 10 in the next World Cup in England in 2019 has been lambasted by the associate nations.
The world body has also drawn criticism from some of the most prominent voices in international cricket, including Indian icon Sachin Tendulkar, who has gone to the extent of saying that the idea is detrimental to the goal of making cricket a global game.
Srinivasan, however, said there is not much to be concerned about.
"If you look at the next World Cup, the top eight will qualify while for the ninth and 10th team, there will be competition between six associates. So the associates will have a reasonably good chance at playing the World Cup. The success of the associates is actually because of the ICC's development program," Srinivasan, watching the World Cup final between Australia and New Zealand at the MCG on Sunday, told STAR Sports.
As per the new qualifying system while hosts England and the top seven teams will be assured of a place in the World Cup, the Associates will have to fight it out against the sides outside the top-eight of ICC rankings in the qualifiers.
This could well mean that not a single associate nation would make the showpiece event.
The decision, as expected, hasn't gone down well with well-performing associates like Ireland, who enthralled fans with some terrific performances in this World Cup, missing the quarter-final berth by a whisker.
Ireland captain William Porterfield hardly minced words in expressing his displeasure towards the move.
"Everyone wants to know what their (ICC) vision for the game is, because if they cut the teams in world competitions, why not just have ten teams playing cricket and every other country in the world doesn't bother?" he asked.
