Bangladesh+Zim to play an Prelim Round in 2014 World T20 Along with 6 Associates

[jashan83]

This has been reported at 3 Places. Bangladesh will have to play a Prelim tournament along with Zim and 6 Qualified Associate Team. The Top 2 teams from this tournament will then the Top 8 Test Nations who will be divided in 2 Groups of 5 each

This means really tough competition from teams like Ireland, Afghanistan, Scotland, Zimbabwe & Netherlands (Note except Zim, these are the probable teams which may qualify). Though Bangladesh will be like the Top 8 teams at Home Grounds, but what happens if by an outside chance Bangladesh does not make it- Will we have empty stadiums

First an Facebook Page Dedicated to Associate Cricket
http://www.facebook.com/AssociateCricket

Then in Telegraph News Paper of UK
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cri...ken-games.html

And another reliable site dedicated to Associate Cricket
http://www.cricketeurope4.net/DATABA...6/002661.shtml

There was much rejoicing in the world of associate and affiliate cricket when the ICC announced that the 2014 World Twenty20 would feature sixteen teams with six qualifiers from the qualifier in the UAE later this year joining the ten full members in Bangladesh. It would be the most inclusive World Cup tournament in cricket since the 2007 one-day World Cup in the West Indies.

But as ever, it isn't quite as simple as that.

The first stage at the World Twenty20 will instead see the six qualifiers join Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in a preliminary round - the format of which is not known at this time - from which two teams will join the remaining full members in the first round proper.

This of course means that the main part of the tournament could well feature only the ten full members, though the six qualifiers, especially Ireland and Afghanistan, should they qualify, will no doubt be confident that they can overcome Zimbabwe and the hosts.

Whilst the preliminary round will be part of the tournament and be televised, it is hard to see this as anything other than an extra stage of qualification. The media will no doubt take it as such, only treating the subsequent stages as being the "real" tournament.

It also remains to be seen what would happen with the following World Twenty20 should one of the Associate/Affiliate qualifiers make it through the preliminary round. Would Zimbabwe or Bangladesh then be "relegated" to qualification rounds for the next tournament? Will the teams that then finish bottom of their five team first round groups then be relegated to the preliminary round next time?

History suggests not - after all, at least one qualifier has finished with a better record than at least one full member at all four tournaments so far and still had to qualify for the subsequent tournament.

Some may be satisfied with the format - it does after all guarantee six associate/affiliate sides at least one match against a full member in a short time period. But it does take away from the magic of what World Cups are supposed to be - a chance for the "smaller nations" to be on an even footing with the big boys.

Instead, they just qualify for a chance to take on the big boys. It feels like another attempt by the full members to protect their status and keep any other nation from daring to try and take their place. One could argue that rather than expanding the World Twenty20 to sixteen teams, they've reduced it to ten.

[One World]

England is afraid of Holland.
Pakistan is afraid of Ireland.
West Indies is afraid of Bangladesh.

India is afraid of ... well India is India, everyone.

What else can you expect?

[Nadim]

Is this for real? Host country have to qualify for a WC?

[Tiger Manc]

If Bangladesh don't qualify the tournament will be a failure. You'll see rows of empty seats in the stands.

[Spiderman]

That's rubbish! it hasn't been verified and if it is true then like I said before, bottom ranked nations need to remove themselves from ICC and form a new organisation i.e. WCC so that we are getting our fair share. The way Cricket is run is so weird compared to other sports and deliberately restricting it to the few mainly because of the money and status. Cricket is already losing popularity because of this so the sport itself will be in a big jeopardy if this is true. Clearly stupid ICC has no intention of spreading the game and will be exposed for what it really is and feeding on India giant money. I always thought ICC was an Indian Cricket Council. We now see in current International matches in places like South Africa, West Indies, Australia etc no grounds being filled for their International matches so the sport will just die.

[BD Tigers]

Lota Kamal is behind this...

[BANFAN]

As the host, BD should be an automatic choice, even if this rule is in force for two bottom ranked full members.....otherwise, this is discrimination....bd should boycott it ...it's a matter of respect.

[shakibrulz]

Absolute load of crap. Both from a financial and cricketing POV, pretty poor stuff.

[AsifTheManRahman]

We will lose to Turkmenistan and fail to qualify. There go our chances of playing a World Cup at home for a while.

[Murad]

True hole Cricinfo shobar agei publish korto.

So its not true.

Telegraph news was publish on 5th january. Today its 22nd. And CI eto dine erokom kisui publish korenai.

So chill guys!!!

[Spiderman]

The daily telegraph reports a load of rubbish, the short article was written by Mr Berry who has biased views towards a team like Bangladesh. I don't know where they get such nonsense from.

[Hamlafan]

this is not right, The host nation should auto qualify, Is Kamal taking revenge?

[kalpurush]

I doubt it would be implemented in next year. May be in 2016?

[NoName]

If we don't qualify.....

[kalpurush]

Look! Who is the writer...

By Scyld Berry

Source:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/twenty20/9783233/T20-shake-up-aims-to-reduce-token-games.html

[brockley]

I thought the next t20 world cup was 14 teams,interesting as icc said t20 will develop the associate nations,another backdown.

[cricheart]

Its somewhat makes sense in terms of financial ground as local side will be playing more matches with the minnows which will ensure local spectators' appearances. ICC seems dont want to arrange matches where big teams will be playing small sides in empty stadiums (happened in latest WT20 last year), instead trying to make money from these low profile matches. If they are really trying to fully exploit this cricket craze in Bangladeshi spectators, they better ensure BD to play main part of the tournament even after these preliminary rounds. I dont know how. Maybe by fixing or playing with weakest among the weakers, where BD winning is most likely and besides we will have some extra practice matches thru these.
IMO ICC playing a very risky game here; either they being over-confident on BD here to pass thru or a very stupid decision to make WT20 a fail tourney in BD.

[betaar]

This can't be reliable news but to be honest, if we have to worry about not qualifying beating the associates then we don't deserve to be in the WC.

[Max100]

all rules are made to save top 6 cricket team. ICC make sure that less game for rising team. they destroyed kenya, now destroying ireland, bangladesh. zimbabwe is almost gone. next target will be afghan. its hard to believe after kenya reached semi final in wc, ICC never helped them providing more matches.

how many game Holland get and still they beat england, almost beat india

bangladesh play more ODI--so they win more against top team--simple and easy

NZ just won a series against SAF

Bangladesh played test after 9 months. if some elite team wud play test after 9 months, i wonder how wud be their situation, but we made 500 plus run and fight 4 days hard core

[godzilla]

This is the most BS i have heard in ages. How can a country host the WC and have to qualify to play. Cricket will go no where if this stupidity continues.

[Ajfar]

This news has 'Bhua' written all over it. We are hosting the tournament.

[mij]

Its a joke, this can't be right.

[Spiderman]

Course its a joke Scyled Berry is a bias man, he was just trolling do you really think Bangladesh will host a tournament and waste all that money if they are not going to participate? obviously not. That reminds me when Bangladesh tour Zimbabwe this year, someone tell the little man vice-president Kamal to raise our test series with them to 3 matches. I'm so frustrated Shakib number 1 ranking got stolen because he hasn't played enough games.

[BengaliPagol]

Read the OP's sig. A clown of all sorts.

[BengaliPagol]

Btw the guy who opened this thread opens negative threads about us.

http://www.banglacricket.com/alochon...ad.php?t=37731
http://www.banglacricket.com/alochon...ad.php?t=36831