Sports

‘Afghan nation will suffer because of ICC’s decision’

Board joins condemnation for slashing World Cup teams.

Fawad Hussain April 06, 2011

KARACHI:

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has lashed out at the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) decision to restrict the 2015 and 2019 World Cups to just ten teams, arguing that the whole Afghan nation will suffer because of that decision.

In a recent meeting, the ICC decided to exclude Associate members from the 2015 edition and cut down the number of participants from 14 to ten. The decision received widespread condemnation from the developing cricketing nations including Ireland, Bermuda and Scotland with Afghanistan voicing their concern as well.

“We strongly condemn the decision,” the ACB Chief Executive Officer Nasimullah Danish told The Express Tribune. “The decision should not have been reached because it would affect cricket in all the associate countries.”

Danish felt that his country would be affected the most by the ICC’s decision.

“We’d been facing wars and atrocities for a few decades and cricket, in recent years, became the only source of joy for the people in Afghanistan. The game, to some extent, became the binding factor and the entire Afghan nation will suffer because of this decision.”

He added that the ACB was targeting the World Cup and its people wanted to see their team taking on the bigger nations.

“We started as an associate with the World Cup in mind. The entire country wants to see the team in the World Cup and is shocked and dejected by the ICC’s decision. Our performance in recent times has been exemplary and we just didn’t deserve the fate.”

‘Hold a Mini World Cup’

Danish said that if ICC did not have any other options other than to reduce the teams competing in the World Cup, it should initiate a tournament under the banner of a Mini World Cup.

“The ICC should initiate a mini World Cup of the associate members that have the ODI status. “There should also be more tournaments like the Asia Cup. Though it will not be enough, it will still help the associate members.”

Ready for action against
the ICC

The Ireland Cricket hinted at taking action against the ICC and the ACB chief said his board would join in.

“It is a joint issue of all the Associate Members and we would work together to resolve it. We would hold the meeting soon and would act according to the decisions taken in it.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 7^th, 2011.

COMMENTS (7)

Naqibullah Sherzad | 13 years ago | Reply We are shocked by this news from ICC. We condemned this act of ICC and it show that ICC is failed in managing and extending the cricket game like football. In spite, ICC try to extend the game they reduces the game. sham sham sham sham on ICC and Lorgit. We want to see our national team in world cup and we will sow ourselves that we can play better cricket like other nation. Although, we have ODI status but due to lack of management of ICC no one ready to play as as they are affording that they will lose against us but it is the job of ICC to arrange these kind of matches. Pakistan was playing always against Zimbabwe and Sari Lanka when they were not good teams but Pakistan is afraid of us that we will stand in front of them and they are not ready to play against us. same issue with India, srilanka and Bangladesh. we are the greatest nation in the world of cricket but as we are alone in all field of the life ICC also took part in this by depriving us from world cup cricket.

Gul Autmanzai | 13 years ago | Reply This is something not smart done by ICC , they should have reason for this decision and of the decision is has more weight than what the cricket and it's fans need, then of course we can be agree. but this is not what we expected from ICC. If there's plan to ruin this game and reduce it's fans then this is something else by ICC.. but in opinion both cricket and ICC is stand by people , the people who love cricket. ICC SHOULD TAKE THE DECISION BACK !! Thanks