Legends of Sports

The ICC has announced qualifying tournament for the 2015 World Cup, concerning Associate and Affiliate nations, to determine the four participants that will join the ten Full Members for the event in Australia and New Zealand. The new tournament basically gives some of those teams a second chance at qualifying for the World Cup, to which they had primarily been excluded before the ICC did a volte-face in June. The decision was taken at the ICC's Chief Executives' Committee meeting in London.

The ICC adopted a Development Committee suggestion to conduct a 50-overs league involving eight teams, with the top two qualifying for the 2015 World Cup. The eight participants will include the top two sides from the World Cricket League Division 2 as well. The six teams that fail to qualify from the league will be joined by the third and fourth sides from the WCL Division 2 for another qualifying tournament to decide the final two participants in the 2015 World Cup.

"This will provide thrilling circumstance for the new 50-over league with every one of the Associate and Affiliate teams able to make their way from division eight of the World Cricket League all the way to the ICC Cricket World Cup finals," Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive said. The ICC had reversed its choice to leave out Associates from the 2015 World Cup on June 28, during the ICC's annual conference in Hong Kong.

Starting Blocks

More Sports News