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If you thought qualifying for the next Cricket World Cup was going to be tough - it just got a whole lot tougher.

Bermuda's chances of making it to the 2011 event in the sub-continent were dealt another hammer blow this week with the news that there will be two less places up for grabs.

While all the focus has been on the island's struggles on the field, the most significant development in Bermuda's bid to make it back to the World Cup came in the boardroom.

The ICC chief committee has recommended the tournament be cut from 16 to 14 teams - meaning only four Associate countries will be involved rather than six last time.

The new format, which will see two groups of seven and then a quarter-final knockout, still has to be rubber-stamped by the ICC board, but that is understood to be a formality.

With Kenya guaranteed an automatic spot along with the Zimbabwe and the nine Test playing nations, that means Bermuda will be competing for one of three remaining places.

A repeat of their historic performance in Ireland, where they finished fourth in the ICC Trophy to make it to West Indies 2007, will not be enough this time.

Skipper Irving Romaine remained upbeat yesterday insisting 'nothing's impossible' and backing his team to make it.

But he accepted it was going to be much harder than before with a massive effort now required to turn around Bermuda's flagging performances and galvanise the country for the qualifying event in Dubai next March.

"It's going to be hard and it's going to take a massive effort from the whole country but I believe we can do it. It's not impossible.

"The tournament is going to be much more competitive than it has ever been in the past.

"All the Associate countries have stepped up their game.

"Everyone's going to be coming into this tournament on their A-game and hopefully we'll sort it out and bring our A-game too."

Bermuda's biggest rivals in Dubai will be Ireland, who have to requalify despite making it to the super-eights last time.

Scotland, the Netherlands and to a lesser extent Canada, who all featured in the 2007 World Cup, also remain contenders.

Bermuda's form against their associate rivals has not been good since qualifying in Ireland.

They've won five and lost 22 of their full one-day-internationals and also have losing records against the UAE, Denmark and Namibia.

Under-19s

But Romaine believes the prospect of returning to the World Cup will help bring the squad together.

And with the addition of some much needed manpower from the under-19s, who had their first victory in the Youth World Cup yesterday, defeating Ireland by 20 runs, he believes Bermuda can be contenders again.

"It's going to be tough. All the other countries seem to have county players and stuff like that so we really have to step up our game. On our day we can beat all those teams, but we need to be more consistent and do what we have to do."

ICC spokesman James Fitzgerald confirmed: "The CEC will recommend that the ICC Board approves a 14-team format for the next ICC Cricket World Cup which will take place in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in 2011.

"The suggested new format involves two groups of seven teams with the top four from each group progressing to a knock-out phase that includes quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final.

"The new format, if approved by the ICC Board, would last 38 days, significantly shorter than the previous CWC in 2007."

The decision follows criticism from the international media that the last tournament was too long and contained too many mis-matches.

Pakistan and India, who were knocked out in the first round by so-called minnows, are also believed to have been influential in pushing for a chance in the format, which would make them less susceptible to shock results.

"It was a good opportunity for five associates to play in the World Cup last time. It definitely helped the smaller countries.

"It's a tough call for the ICC if the professional teams are saying it's a waste of time.

"Those nations have nothing to gain by beating us and everything to lose, like Pakistan when they got knocked out.

"Ireland and Bangladesh messed up the whole World Cup for them last time - they cost them a lot of money - and it looks like they are trying to make it harder for that to happen again," added Romaine.[[In-content Ad]]

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