Associates delighted as ICC committee recommends WC qualifiers

London, May 12 (PTI) The ICC Cricket Committee's
recommendation to have qualifiers for the 2015 cricket World
Cup has given fresh hope to the associate nations, who were
fuming over the governing body's earlier decision to scale the
event down to just 10 teams.
"It's excellent news that another group of people have
put their support behind the need for a qualifying process,"
Cricket Ireland CEO Warren Deutrom said.
Former Ireland captain Trent Johnston, who was the
Associate representative on the cricket committee, said the
committee did the right thing in recommending qualifiers.
"Unanimous decision by ICC Cricket Committee to recommend
to the Chief Exec Committee there be a qualifier for CWC 2015.
A great result!" he tweeted after the two-day meeting here
on Wednesday.
The associated were earlier furious when the ICC
Executive Board decided to make the World Cup a 10-team
affair. The decision went back to drawing board only after ICC
President Sharad Pawar asked for a reconsideration.
"It is obviously good for cricket and hopefully the ICC
Executive Committee would accept the recommendation," an
official from the Netherlands' cricket board said.
In other decisions taken at the cricket committee
meeting, Cricket Committee recommended that the use of
Decision Review System should be extended to ODIs and
Twenty20.
"While recognising the need to take account of existing
contractual arrangements between Member Boards and their
broadcasters, the committee, after a two day meeting, has
unanimously recommended that DRS should be used in ODI and T20
internationals, besides all Test matches," Clive Lloyd,
Chairman of the committee, told reporters at the Lord's here
last evening.
"The committee has recommended that the pink ball should
be used in the four-day first-class ICC Intercontinental Cup
2011-12 and also that ICC member Boards he asked not only to
use the ball in at least one round of first-class matches but
also be encouraged to trial the ball in day-night matches at
venues which have adequate artificial lights."
It also recommended that the DRS should be used in ODI
and Twenty20 series with each side allowed one unsuccessful
review per innings.
"This recommendation was made following what the
committee agreed was a successful application during the ICC
Cricket World Cup 2011.