Cricket Scotland and the Royal Dutch Cricket Affiliation (KNCB) have issued a strongly worded joint assertion expressing deep disappointment on the ICC’s latest adjustments to the format of the Males’s ODI World Cup.
In line with the assertion, the 2 boards, together with different Affiliate Members, met with the ICC twice and sought official written communication on the adjustments, in addition to better readability across the course of concerned.
Nevertheless, they claimed that there’s been no response from the ICC greater than two weeks because the second assembly, calling it “disappointing” and “disrespectful”.
Deeming the adjustments a setback to Affiliate Members, the assertion mentioned that the brand new format will “danger undermining the progress made in recent times to develop the worldwide sport”.
“At a time when cricket is searching for to develop its attain, entice new audiences and strengthen its place on the worldwide sporting panorama, decreasing significant alternatives for rising nations sends solely the incorrect message,” the assertion mentioned.
The boards additionally mentioned that vital choices, particularly these immediately affecting Affiliate Members, ought to solely be made after consulting with them and offering “enough discover” in order that the implications are finest understood.
“The adjustments danger weakening the integrity and credibility of worldwide cricket, and solely highlights the significance of robust governance, clear decision-making and efficient engagement with Members.
“Members and their gamers make investments years in making ready for World Cups, and confidence in these pathways relies on them not altering part-way by way of a qualification cycle with out session. Altering these constructions at brief discover creates vital uncertainty, disrupts planning, and locations extra operational and monetary stress on organisations which might be already working with restricted assets,” the assertion added.
The brand new format to the ODI World Cup, launched final month, will increase the variety of groups to 14 (from 10), but in addition consists of 4 rounds, with a round-robin “Tremendous Sequence” previous the group stage.
Out of groups 12, 13 and 14, two will progress to Spherical 2, eliminating one group instantly.
Each Netherlands and Scotland have superior to the World Cup qualifier, which is about to be performed in February 2027. The venue for it’s but to be determined.
The format adjustments to the ODI World Cup have led to fast issues, particularly because the subsequent version is about to start in October subsequent 12 months.
“The timing of those adjustments, with lower than eighteen months till the match, has given affected Members restricted alternative to contribute to the method or adapt,” the assertion added.
“We consider better engagement with Affiliate Members would have supported a simpler and collaborative method and assist preserve confidence within the qualification pathway”.
