Sunil Gavaskar Backs ICC's Decision To Reduce World Cup To 10-Team Tournament

Former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar has backed the International Cricket Council’s decision to reduce the 2019 World Cup to a 10-team affair. The legendary batsman insisted that the teams should made it to the main event only on their merit.

The 10-team affair has come under spotlight after Scotland stunned England in an One-Day International earlier this month. Scotland could not make it to the World Cups but managed to upset number one-ranked ODI side England in a high-scoring thriller. Ever since then, the cricketing fraternity has been busy debating whether the 10-team competition is right. The Associate nation had severely criticised the decision.

“We are very disappointed that it is to be a 10-team World Cup. We seem to be the only sport that has a World Cup that is contracting rather than expanding,” Ireland star Ed Joyce had said.

Legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar had also expressed his displeasure over the new format, saying:

“According to me, this is a backwards step. It is not just about the top six or seven sides. If we are to globalise this game, we have to get more and more people excited. And the fan following only follows the result.”

However, Gavaskar is of the opinion that the teams should qualify for the tournament only on their merit.

“Meanwhile Scotland’s surprise win over England has again raised the cry about the number of teams for next year’s World Cup,” he wrote. “These people have forgotten that there was a tournament among Associate members and the two of the bottom ranked Test playing countries to qualify for next year’s World Cup. Afghanistan and West Indies qualified by getting to the finals.

“The point here is simple that if Ireland and Scotland, from where most of the noise comes about the number of teams for next year’s World Cup, were not good enough to qualify in an associate members event then how can they even think in terms of playing with the big boys in the World Cup? It’s like subcontinent teams asking to be included in the football World Cup.

Gavaskar in his scathing observation wrote that one victory is not good enough for teams to think that they are ready for the World Cup.

“Get real guys, one win does not make you good enough to play in the cricket World Cup. If these teams are included then like we have seen in previous editions the quality of the game comes down and dilutes an event as big as the World Cup,” he wrote.

From this year’s qualifiers, Afghanistan and West Indies made it to the main event. Afghanistan defeated the West Indies in the final.