ICC to keep 14-team Cricket World Cup after U-turn

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has performed a U-turn on controversial plans to reduce the size of the Cricket World Cup after agreeing to allow four non-Test playing nations to participate in the next edition of the competition.

The ICC originally planned to cut the list of participants to 10 “full member” nations, excluding “associates” such as Ireland, the Netherlands, Canada and Kenya, which all took part in the 14-team Cricket World Cup earlier this year. The governing body’s initial decision was made after criticism of the length of the 2011 tournament, which ran from February 19 to April 2 in Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka, but the ICC agreed to review its proposal after complaints from the lower-ranked nations.

The ICC, which held its annual conference in Hong Kong, confirmed that four associate members will now take part in the tournament after a qualifying process. “The ICC executive board today reversed its previous decisions and approved a 14-team format for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 to be held in Australia and New Zealand and a 12-team format for the ICC World Twenty20 events in 2012 (Sri Lanka) and 2014 (Bangladesh),” read a statement from the ICC. The Twenty20 events were initially slated to include 16 teams, up from 12.

The ICC also announced the 2019 World Cup would be a 10-team event, with the top eight places going to the top-ranked teams and two berths being awarded in a pre-qualifying tournament. Cricket Ireland CEO Warren Deutrom told AFP: “I suppose the immediate reaction is one of relief, and that we can all now divert our energies in the significantly more proactive pursuit of trying to qualify.”

The board also approved a recommendation made by its chief executives' committee on Monday to make the controversial Umpire Decision Review System (DRS) mandatory in all Tests and one-day matches. Hot Spot, the “thermal imaging” technology now available and made mandatory in the DRS, will mostly be used for close catches and edges. On Wednesday, the ICC executive board is expected to discuss plans to scrap the ICC's two-year rotational presidency.

If I have black money, make it national property: Ramdev

NEW DELHI: Yoga guru Baba Ramdev, who fasted earlier this month against mountingcorruption in the country, said here Sunday that if any black money was found with him, it could be declared national property.

"If the government finds any black money with me, they can declare it national property," Ramdevsaid while addressing a press conference in the Capital.

Weeks after he was forced to quit Delhi, Baba Ramdev returned here Sunday to meet Raj Bala, 51, who is at the GB Pant Hospital since suffering spinal injuries in a police crackdown on the yoga guru post midnight June 4.

"Behen Raj Bala is in very critical condition. Only a miracle can save her once the ventilator is removed," he said.

"This government is not only corrupt but also cruel. If I had not asked the people to stay calm, there would have been a pool of dead bodies," he added.

Delhi Police broke up his fast against corruption and black money stashed abroad at the Ramlila ground here, dispersing thousands of men and women using force and tear gas. Many suffered injuries. Raj Bala was one of them.

He was asked to leave Delhi and banned from entering the city for 15 days. Ramdev continued his fast in Haridwar and Dehradun till June 12.