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Home / Sport / Cricket / Cricket World Cup

Martin Crowe takes aim at Cricket World Cup format

NZ Herald
4 Mar, 2015 06:46 PM4 mins to read

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Afghanistan's Usman Ghani walks back towards the pavilion after being dismissed against Australia. Photo / AP

Afghanistan's Usman Ghani walks back towards the pavilion after being dismissed against Australia. Photo / AP

New Zealand great Martin Crowe has offered his solution for the best format for the Cricket World Cup.

Crowe's latest opinion piece for ESPNCricinfo includes his ideal World Cup format - a 40-over tournament with 18 teams, played over ten weeks, that ends with a best of three final series.

The ICC have come under criticism for reducing the 2019 Cricket World Cup in England to 10 teams from this year's 14-team tournament.

Despite the reduction of teams the tournament will be three days longer. It will be the seventh format change in 12 World Cups.

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There is plenty of debate around whether the associate nations -or minnows as they are often referred to - should be taking part at the World Cup. For every Ireland stunning West Indies there are several thrashings.

In the past two days, both Australia and South Africa (against Ireland) have recorded mammoth victories after scoring more than 400 batting first.

"All this talk about ten teams for future World Cups is absolute bonkers," Crowe wrote. "If we all, just for a minute, stopped and thought about what the cricket world really needs we would soon realise that by cutting back we are only going to further feather the bulging nest of the Big Three (India, Australia and England).

"We must think bigger instead of smaller. We must plan a competition that truly expands the game, and keeps it prominent in people's minds for long periods. We must design a World Cup that takes cricket to a new level of exposure and support."

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Best moments of the Cricket World Cup...so far

Crowe, known as a forward-thinker away from the game in the various professional roles he has held, suggested a raft of changes.

"My vision is to take the top 18 teams in the world and throw them into the biggest melting pot of all time - a proper world event every four years," his column read.

"Firstly, a pre-Cup tournament (as is already staged to confirm the participating teams for the main event), consisting of nations like Papua New Guinea, USA, Canada, Namibia, Bermuda and Nepal, with the top two advancing to a World Series League, after a series of round-robin league matches against each other.

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"Any number of nations can be used to co-host the main event, the World Series League, over a ten-week period. For 2019, it would be Great Britain, the Netherlands and other European Associates sharing the hosting rights.

"Eighteen teams split into a World Series League; two separate conferences of nine teams based on alternate ranking, all playing each other (eight matches each) for a total of 72 matches over the first 36 days in league play. Two games to be played every day, with a maximum of four-day breaks for each team. Small stadiums/grounds in smaller cities/towns to be utilised, bigger stadiums for when high-ranking teams are competing against each other."

Crowe also suggested that games should start at either 1pm or 4pm and consist of 40 overs per team. Each innings would be completed in 160 minutes with two players allowed outside the circle for the first 10 overs and five outside for the remainder. The top two sides would meet in a best-of-three decider.

"Mostly, the event will grow the game, allowing the lesser lights more exposure while ensuring a champion is found with no chance of luck playing too great a part. The 2019 World Cup winner will indeed have deserved the crown, more than any other World Cup winner in sport."

In case you missed it:
Australia crush Afghanistan in record win
Pakistanis show signs of revival
India's Hamilton game a sellout
Kohli lashes out at journalist

For more Cricket World Cup coverage from around the NZME. network, visit cricketfever.co.nz

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