Isn't it a great idea to remove associate nations(minnows) from big tournaments like World Cup & Asia cup?

Question

I hardly understand why ICC received so much stick when they changed the format of World Cup & reduced the number of teams to 10 from 2019 World Cup.

Even the upcoming Asia cup in Bangladesh to be held b/w Feb 24 - March 7 has received so much stick as it includes only 4 Asian countries -India,Pak,SL & Bangladesh & other countries like Nepal,Afghanistan,UAE,Hong Kong etc are left out.

Here are few of the comments I read in this cricinfo article :
http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/story/671663.html

"Without Afghanistan playing i will not watch this tournament because these four teams play this tournament every time and this is not Asia cup this is BIPS cup and we dont want this kind of tournament they have to include Afghanistan and Nepal in this Tournament and We can play with 6 teams atleast in Asia Cup. First divide them into group of two.eg. Group A: India, Sri lanka and Nepal, Group B. Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan".

"Just 4 teams. Thats too awful. Its asia cup, teams like nepal, afghanistan deserve to be there. If ACC is not able to provide a good platform for emerging team whats its role then! Or is that, the teams like india dare to play against us. Too lame."

IMO inclusion of only 4 teams is justified. The presence of minnows in such big tournaments like a World Cup or a Asia cup certainly decreases the quality of the tournament. It leads to too many one sided matches,& decreases the overall viewership of the tournament. We also saw how successful was the 2012 Asia cup was with just 4 teams with many close & competitive matches.

This can be avoided when only top teams are involved as the contest can be more competitive. This is why the format for 2019 World Cup is much better than what we have in 2015 WC.

Yes its important for cricket to rise in these countries but for that let they play tournaments with other associates & come up in the rankings & earn their place. Playing global events like world cup is too much for them. And we already have 16 teams in T20I World Cup where they can prove their potential.

Your thoughts on this?

Answer 1

No.

The WC and other similar tournaments are a rare opportunity for these teams to play on the big stage and against the test playing nations.

The teams may not achieve much in terms of winning but I think it's good for them to get some exposure and some of the players may even pick up opportunities to play in county cricket or the various leagues around the world which can be beneficial to them.

Answer 2

The World Cup or Asia Cup is a rare opportunity for the associate teams to play at the top level. Remember that even Bangladesh were just a minnow team about 10 years ago. Imagine what would have happened if they'd have spent all their time playing Ireland and Scotland and Kenya. These teams need to be playing against Test playing countries as the experience will only help them.



And it is also very important for them financially. Their cricket boards run on very small budgets and are often not enough to provide the best infrastructure for their players. Playing in major tournaments means that they get higher revenues.



Plus if it's the World Cup, it should be open to all. What's the point of calling it a World Cup if only Test nations play? It gives the feeling that cricket is closed to outsiders, which is never good for the developent of the game. It's not like they pick some random associate nations for the tournaments. They have to play some tough qualifier matches before even getting a chance to be in the World Cup (or other major tournaments)

Answer 3

Nope it's a ridiculous idea Adarsh. Had ICC been doing the same since the first world cup there won't be test playing nations like SL and Bangladesh. Associated nations MUST compete with main team in big tournaments to gain more exposure and experience which would help them to brush up their abilities. If the associated nations only play with each other then how can they climb up to the next level?



Even in FIFA world cup they have 32 tams participating. In cricket there should be at least 12 nations taking part of the world cup. We all need cricket to be globalized rather than having 8-9 teams taking part of the world cup.

Answer 4

I think Afghanistan should have been included. And if 6 teams, Nepal too. They have to get exposure at the international stage with big names to boost their confidence. No dearth of talent. I remember Nepal coach Pubudu Dasanayake saying that the tours of Rajasthan and other states in India helped Nepalese players increase their level of confidence which is why they are now playing in the T20 WC. Playing against Ranji bowlers and hitting them out of the park made them confident that they can also face international quality bowlers.

Associates should certainly get exposure if we are thinking of globalizing the game. Whether the platform should be the Asia Cup, no comments. As a Nepal fan, I'd like to watch them play, though.

Answer 5

The Associate nations should not be excluded but there shouldn't be too many, that there ends up been too many one sided games.



Associate nations need the exposure I beleive to other international teams...as it is, precious few matches get scheduled against Full Member teams...and besides these tournaments are a financial windfall for countries that would only get ICC funding and little else.

Answer 6

Well, if I think from the point of view of a cricket fan from Afghanistan/Nepal etc, I would wish that our team gets a chance to participate with the big names. But your point of view is equally justified, that too much minnows brings average TRPs down. I want some time to compare its pro and cons in detail to reach to a conclusion.

Answer 7

I'm in favour of the associates being included at world cup level. It's good for the development of the game.



I'd like to see a Cup / Plate / Bowl format, similar to the way the IRC 7's are organised be used.

Answer 8

No. I don't think so. associate nations like Ireland beat England in world cup.

Answer 9

No, absolutely not, because through these types of tournaments they acquire invaluable knowledge.

Answer 10

what if your were from one of those countries instead of your fcking suburban 3 story in europe.

Answer 11

India are also minnows outside the subcontinent. Does that mean we should ban them from touring outside the subcontinent?