Who’s a Minnow Now?

I can hardly wait for 2019.

It probably won’t happen this way because the ICC is “effectively controlled for all time by the so-called Big Three of India, England and Australia”1. The ICC plans to have only 10 teams at the 2019 World Cup.

It seems to me only fair that the 8 finalists from 2015 should automatically get a guernsey in 2019. That means at the very least that England would need to qualify for one of the last two positions. That’s already a substantial indignity that will bring a smile to many Aussie faces.

But wait! There’s more.

On revealed form, Scotland, Afghanistan and UAE still need some improvement before they are truly competitive. That leaves England, WI and Zimbabwe vying for two spots. The qualifying competition will be held in Bangladesh. Who is brave enough to say for certain that England would qualify?

It would be a delicious irony if one of the countries influential in making the bizarre decision to reduce the number of teams couldn’t get an invitation to its own party.

1. http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/cricket/cricket-world-cup-ireland-can-prove-icc-strategy-is-bonkers-10089166.html.

About Charlie Krebs

The Footy Bogan is a self-confessed unrepentant Collingwood tragic. For more years than he cares to remember he has been writing about footy, mainly Collingwood, but sometimes, when provoked, about related matters. He started his self-titled blog in July 2011 when - but you can read all about that at http://thefootybogan.blogspot.com.au/

Comments

  1. I think it’s funny how the game is controlled by the so-called ‘big three’ when one of those teams, England, doesn’t actually deserve to be known, on playing ability at least, as one of the big three.
    The Poms did invent the game, I’ll grant them that.
    And India has the money.
    So I guess it is Australia, aside from a few hiccups, who bring the talent…

  2. It’s a fraught matter to what extent the non-test playing nations are incorporated into the World Cup.

    How does promotion and encouragement of these countries mesh with putting on an elite event without too many one sided but kickings?

    Yet some of the best games of this World Cup have involved these countries.

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