Ponting wants to keep Cup for top teams

Australian skipper Ricky Ponting says World Cup would be a better event if the smaller nations were excluded.

AHMEDABAD: Australian skipper Ricky Ponting said Sunday that the World Cup would be a better event if the smaller nations were excluded but acknowledged the need to grow the game around the world.

The next World Cup in 2015 will feature just 10 teams, down from the current 14, meaning it will almost certainly be the preserve of the Test sides and the minnows of the world game will be muscled out.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has not yet revealed the qualification process but the plans have infuriated the associate nations, represented at the ongoing World Cup by Canada, Ireland, Kenya and the Netherlands.

"We understand the responsibility to keep the game growing. For that, you need to bring on some of these small nations into the world of cricket. We want to see the game develop and blossom around the world," Ponting said.

"I have always been unsure if the World Cups and the Champions Trophy are the right place to do that. And I am not sure as to how much the teams actually learn when they get hammered in these contests.

"At the end of the day, it would probably be a better tournament if there were fewer teams. The World Cup is the pinnacle of our sport," Ponting added.

The Australian skipper's comments came on the day that New Zealand crushed Kenya in an embarrassingly one-sided mismatch, with Canada also hopelessly out of their depth against joint hosts Sri Lanka.

Kenya were beaten by 10 wickets after being dismissed for just 69 -- their lowest ever World Cup total and the fifth worst in tournament history.

In the day-night match between Sri Lanka and Canada, the home side plundered 332-7 off the Canadian attack.

Devastated Kenya skipper Jimmy Kamande was left struggling for answers after his team's mauling in Chennai.

"The disappointing thing is we get to play a Test team once around every two years or so. The more we play against these guys, the better you become."

At the same time as reducing the World Cup, the ICC is increasing the number of teams that play in the World Twenty20 to 16 from the current 12.

"We have felt in the past few years that Twenty20 is the best format to develop the game worldwide and it provides a better environment for competition," ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said on Friday.

"The 50-over format is more skill-based and suitable for the top teams."

Cricket Kenya chief executive Tom Sears said on Thursday the ICC will not be acting in the interests of the game if the smaller teams were locked out of the next World Cup.

"If we have to improve on the standards, there is no point of denying us the opportunity of competing at the top level," Sears told AFP.

In an interview with the Wisden Cricketer magazine, Sears termed the decision as "scandalous and bloody ridiculous".

"I've no desire to be diplomatic.... Not to let anyone else in is scandalous. It's all about money, power and votes - and that's not good for cricket," he said.

Canadian coach Pubudu Dassanayake also branded the ICC plan a setback for minor nations.

Kenya became the first non-Test playing team to reach the World Cup semi-finals in 2003, and Ireland produced their biggest upset over Pakistan in the 2007 tournament in the West Indies.