Afghanistan Welcome ICC World Cup 2015 Review

Tags: Afghanistan, ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, world cup 2015, ICC

Published on: Apr 22, 2011

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) 'welcomes warmly' the news that the International Cricket Council (ICC) is to review its decision to limit the next two World Cups to just ten teams.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) 'welcomes warmly' the news that the International Cricket Council (ICC) is to review its decision to limit the next two World Cups to just ten teams.

Following the 14-team event earlier this year, the board confirmed that the ten Test-playing nations alone would contest the event in 2015 before a qualifying element would return for 2019.

ACB chief executive Nasimullah Danish called this original decision a 'major tragedy' but is now in a much more optimistic frame of mind.

"This is wonderful news for Afghanistan and for other Associate and Affiliate members of the ICC," he said.

"Cricket is more than just a game for us here in Afghanistan – it is a vital part of rebuilding our country and a contribution for our country being a part of the international community. If we are excluded from participation in international cricket, Afghanistan loses an opportunity to build national unity through the game of cricket.

"As the ICC revisits this issue in June, we hope that the ICC Executive Board members will consider, in the true Spirit of Cricket, the power that cricket has to bring about change in societies like Afghanistan and see themselves as having the power to build a better world – not just a better, more convenient or more lucrative sporting competition."

The ICC is to take a fresh look at the composition of future World Cups at its annual conference in Hong Kong in June.

Afghanistan narrowly missed out on qualification for the 2011 event when they finished in fifth place in the qualifying event in 2009 but did go on to reach the finals of the 2010 ICC World Twenty20.

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