World Cup spots cut

TUESDAY, JUNE 28: The number of teams to compete at the 2012 World Twenty20 World Cup have been slashed from 14 to 12, making Bermuda’s chances of qualifying more difficult.

Bermuda is due to participate in regional World Twenty20 qualifiers in Florida next month.

But what plans the ICC has in store after the scheduled five regional qualifying tournaments conclude remains anyone’s guess at the moment.

National coach David Moore, said: “At this stage we are just waiting to hear from the ICC to find out how the regional World Twenty20 qualifiers that we are going to will impact on us, and what they are going to do with the event (global World Twenty20 qualifiers) they’ve already planned for Dubai.”

The ICC’s original plan is to have 16 Associate/Affiliate cricketing nations compete in global World Twenty20 qualifiers in Dubai early next year once the regional qualifiers have been established.

The tournament will feature three teams from the Asia region, two each from Africa, Americas and Europe as well as one from the East Asia-Pacific region.

They are to be joined by the six Associates/Affiliates (Canada, Ireland, Kenya, Netherlands, Scotland and Afghanistan) with one –day international (ODI) status who have automatically qualified.

Earlier this week world cricket’s governing body announced that the ten Full Members and two Associates will compete at the 2012 World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka.

Problem

The original plan was to have as many as four Associate/Affiliate countries compete in the biennial tournament.

The ICC arrived at the decision to reduce the number of teams participating in both the 2012 and 2014 World Twenty20 at its ongoing annual conference in Hong Kong.

In attendance is Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB) CEO Neil Speight, who also serves on the ICC’s executive board.

Meanwhile, Bermuda’s hopes of being involved in 2015 ICC World Cup qualifiers were galvanized after the ICC reversed its decision to limit the competition to the ten Full Member countries.

The 2015 edition to be held in Australia and New Zealand will now comprise of four teams (ten Full Member countries and four Associates).

But it remains unclear how many Associates will take part in 2015 World Cup qualifiers or what the qualifying format will be.

“The problem for us is that it is difficult to be proactive because we just can’t plan for much. We have to wait and react to the ICC’s decisions,” Moore said.

“We are just focused on the events we know we have to play, which at this stage is the regional World Twenty20 qualifier in Florida.

“But if we don’t get the chance to go to Dubai for a qualifier and try our chances of getting to the World Twenty20 again it robs Bermuda of an opportunity to play world quality cricket.”

Bermuda plunged further down world cricket’s pecking order after being relegated to the World Cricket League Division Three in Dubai earlier this year.