International Cricket Council (ICC) has decided to cancel the World Cup Qualifying Series (WCQS) due to the financial contraints following the loss it bears after England and New Zealand’s boycott to world cup games.
The world cup sponsors and television companies have also threatened to withheld the payment as ICC failed to persuade India to make their players to sign the controversial players contracts.
The cricket minnows have paid the price as they were hoping some competive cricket to develop their cricketing skills. The prospect of losing the money has prompted the ICC to shelve plans for the series, which was supposed to include the 27 affiliate members and 47 associates.
“ICC has sent a letter confirming the cancellation of the series,” said Tarak Mani Dixit, the spokesperson of Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN). Dixit also told NepalCricket that the decision has hard hit Nepal, an associate member of ICC.
“It would certainly affect our cricket, we have already selected 35 probables for the series,” said Dixit. “We have planned to send our team either of three test playing neighbours for practice matches. We have also planned for few practice matches in England, before flying to Los Angeles, where the Group B qualifying was slated to be held.”
“Unfortunately, the series has been cancelled,” Andrew Eade, the ICC’s development manager told the international media. “The ICC Trophy, which involves non-test nations, will still be played, but we will now have to explore alternative avenues for these teams.”
Eade insisted that the nations made the decision to scrap the event, because the grants available were greatly reduced. “We thought there was sufficient funding,” he said, “but in hindsight we should have known the possible implications from the World Cup.”
“This is not a positive development for nations below Test status or cricket in general, but we will continue to look at other initiatives to allow these teams to play more,” said Eade.
ICC has also scrapped its grant to the association members. “ICC has decreased the grant of US$60,000 to US$40,000,” confirmed Dixit.
The decision to withheld the WCQS, formally annouced in 25 days earlier, would not benefit the cricket anyway, but who cares, including ICC, for cricket? Everyone is after money.