ICC has received a lot of criticism from the fans because they have kept only 10 teams in ICC World Cup in the 50-over format. The 50-over World Cup is considered to be the most prestigious one in the tournament’s history, and the fans want more than 10 teams in the tournament.
Looking at the recent performances from Zimbabwe and the Netherlands in the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers, more and more fans have been slamming the International Cricket Council. However, here’s a look at the three reasons why ICC is right in its place to keep the number of teams to 10.
1. ICC gives equal chance to every nation to qualify for World Cup
The International Cricket Council gives equal chance to even the smallest nation to make it to the grand event. Fans who follow all the matches across the world would know that there were tournaments in different parts of the world, where the teams competed against each other to make it to the grand stage.
The team that have Test status and perform well in ODI cricket have an advantage over the lower-ranked associate nations, but Afghanistan have proven that if a new team comes up and performs consistently, it can also earn a direct qualification.
2. Matches between lower-ranked teams often result in losses
The biggest reason why ICC has decided to cut down the number of teams is that the matches between two lower-ranked teams does not generate any viewership or ticket sales. However, the board and the broadcasters have to spend money on the same.
During the 2011 World Cup, Eden Gardens of Kolkata, which is home to some of the passionate fans, hosted the group stage match between Zimbabwe and Kenya. Notably, only 15 tickets were sold for that match.
“We sold just 15 daily tickets in the lowest-priced category of Rs 700 on Sunday and not a single one in the Rs 1,000 tier. In my 40 years on the job, I have never seen anything like this.” said a veteran manning the counter tables in a chat with The Telegraph.
3. T20 is the best format to introduce new teams
ICC has introduced more teams in T20 WC. There will be 20 teams in the next T20 WC. In ODIs and Tests, the gap of skill increases a lot. More often than not the matches between top-ranked teams and lower-ranked nations are lopsided games.
