India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have reached a consensus on the format for the 2011 World Cup which they will host jointly.
The 2011 World Cup will see 14 teams, with knockout round from the quarterfinal stage
BANGALORE: After all the hoopla over the size of the World Cup, the next edition may not be any smaller.
Reliable sources close to those who attended the meeting in New Delhi in the last two days to decide over the format of the 2011 World Cup, say the size of the championship could be almost be same.
Only the duration may be a few days less.
The 2007 event in the West Indies went on for 47 days between March and April this year and there was a worldwide clamour against its lengthy duration.
Malcolm Speed, the CEO of the International Cricket Council, even went on record that the ICC would consider reducing the number of days for the quadrennial championship.
But it has been learnt that the ICC is bound by a contractual agreement with ESPN-Star to have a minimum 51 matches in the WC. ESS has signed over a billion dollar broadcast deal for eight years during which two World Cups will be held and the ICC has agreed to have 51 matches each in both the championships.
During the two-day meeting in which ICC official Campbell Jamiesen was present, members of the host nations — India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh — had discussed different formats which could have allowed them lesser duration if not necessarily a fewer matches.
Among the formats that are believed to be under consideration are seven-team leagues of two groups with knockout round from the quarterfinal stage.
Another is to retain the 2007 format with two matches on some days. As the World Cup will be held in the sub-continent, there are plans to start one match at 9 and another at 11 in the morning.
The formats will be taken up at the ICC’s CEO’s meeting in Kuala Lumpur in February next year and after that the proposals will be sent to the ICC Board which will meet in Dhaka in March 2008.
Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary Niranjan Shah, who was present at the meeting, said it was premature to discuss about the format and duration. “We can always reduce the number of matches. The aim is to have a fast-paced tournament,” Shah said.
When contacted, a spokesman for the ESS refused to comment on the issue.
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