Brian Lara blasts ICC's move to cut World Cup teams down to ten

West Indian great Brian Lara is the first big name to speak out against the International Cricket Council’s decision to reduce the World Cup to 10 teams from 2015.

Ireland are one of 14 teams who will take part in the next finals in Asia, in February and March, but even before it has started the game’s governing body has decided that the line-up for the following world event will be cut by more than a quarter.

As it stands, no matter how well Ireland do this winter — and don’t forget they reached the last eight in their first two world events — their qualification to the 2015 finals will be harder still, if they are to get the chance at all.

Lara, who last played in the 2007 World Cup, speaking on a visit to Bermuda, admits he finds the situation “worrying”.

“I'm not on the administrative side of it, and I'm not too aware of what is going on,” he said. “However I do understand that reducing the World Cup is the situation, and that's going to make life very, very tough for Bermuda and the teams that are playing at just a lower level.

“I thought that the idea was to expand, get cricket out to as many countries as possible, and grow the game. It's a bit worrying to find this situation, but again I don't have all the facts.”

He’s not the only one. But a month after the ICC board ratified the chief executives committee’s recommendations, they have made no attempt to explain their decision save to say it will produce “even more exciting cricket”.

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