10-team WC is a backward step, says tendulkar
5 March 2015 12:26 AM GMT
Calling ICC’s decision to reduce the number of teams in the 2019 World Cup “a backward step”, cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar said such a move is unfair to the Associate nations. While the ICC want to curtail the number of teams participating from 14 to 10, Tendulkar, an ambassador for the World Cup, told an audience at a dinner that the governing body should instead be exploring ways to expand the next tournament to as many as 25 teams.
“I found out the next World Cup would only be ten teams. Which is slightly disappointing because as a cricketer I want the game to be globalised as much as possible and, according to me, this is a backwards step,” Tendulkar was quoted as saying. The batting great felt Test nations should regularly play their ‘A’ sides against Associates to provide a “fair platform” for smaller cricketing countries. “We’ve got to find ways of encouraging the lesser teams. These teams have, in each and every World Cup, always surprise top teams. And they can do it on a consistent basis only if they’re given a fair platform to express their talent. Right now, they get up after four years on the cricket world’s biggest platform and they’re expected to play and compete with the likes of Australia, SA, India, New Zealand etc,” he said.
“I found out the next World Cup would only be ten teams. Which is slightly disappointing because as a cricketer I want the game to be globalised as much as possible and, according to me, this is a backwards step,” Tendulkar was quoted as saying. The batting great felt Test nations should regularly play their ‘A’ sides against Associates to provide a “fair platform” for smaller cricketing countries. “We’ve got to find ways of encouraging the lesser teams. These teams have, in each and every World Cup, always surprise top teams. And they can do it on a consistent basis only if they’re given a fair platform to express their talent. Right now, they get up after four years on the cricket world’s biggest platform and they’re expected to play and compete with the likes of Australia, SA, India, New Zealand etc,” he said.
Next Story
