Deutrom slams ICC as Ireland omitted from 2015 World Cup
The International Cricket Council (ICC) yesterday confirmed the next World Cups will be restricted to full Test countries and Ireland would have to qualify for the 2019 event.
“The conclusion can only be reached that the decisions made (today) were based purely on the protection of the existing membership entitlements for full members and the commercial imperative that a ten-team event delivers nine guaranteed matches for India and England,” said Cricket Ireland’s Warren Deutrom.
“It’s nothing short of outrageous. All of the principles by which a decision should have been made in the first instance — which is what’s best for the sport and what’s acting in the best interests of all 105 members — have clearly been abandoned (today).
“I’m afraid this is an absolute black day for the sport. It’s a genuinely awful decision that has been reached.”
Deutrom has been in contact with other non-Test countries and received the backing from all 95 to fight it but they haven’t yet formulated a plan to fight the decision.
“There’s already been a memo from the associate members to the non-Test 94 member countries. We’ve got huge support from all over the world from people who are genuinely shocked and appalled.
“To be honest we don’t know. The next stage is unclear. We’ll be consulting with the 95 non-Test countries. There are three of us on the ICC board and three on the ICC executive and we’ll consult with each other over the coming days to see what action we need to take.”
Boyd Rankin, one of the players who featured in that game, was first to post his thoughts on Twitter. “Thanks ICC!! What does Irish cricket got to do?? Shambles!!”
Gary Wilson, also a member of the Irish team added: “What is going on? Excuse the French but that is a s**t decision! Not a world cup now, just a trophy with 10 teams. Heads up their own a***s.”
His Surrey teammate Michael Brown tweeted back: “About time. No merit in Kenya and Canada being there.”
Wilson replied: “All u want is a bite and I’m giving it 2 u. Have qualifying tournament for last 2places then u will still have best 10. k**b.”
Although the move to restrict the world cup was mooted in October Deutrom believed his team had done enough to force a debate.
“It’s a betrayal of the principles of sport and the principles of meritocracy and a level playing field,” he said.
“Surely the principle of sport is that if you are good enough you should have the chance to be involved. You have an associate member who has been out-ranking a full member (Zimbabwe) for most of the last four years, who has got through to the Super Eights of the 2007 world cup, and who has genuinely been recognised as having performed even better at this one.
“Yet on the back of those performances it has been seen fit to reduce the number of participants at the world cup.”
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
