With the upcoming ICC World Cup 2019 going to be a 10-team event to be played in England and Wales from 30 May, Nepalese spin sensation Sandeep Lamichhane is frustrated with the fact that the emerging cricket playing nations may miss out on future editions of the showpiece event if the current format continues.
Lamichhane, who is currently spreading his spin magic for Delhi Capitals (DC) in the ongoing IPL 2019, has called for the World Cup to be expanded to up to 16 teams, as limiting the prestigious 50-over tournament to 10 teams only hurts the emerging cricket playing nations and its players as well.
Earlier, the total number of 16 teams competed in the showpiece event, which was reduced to 14 in 2011 and now it has been slashed to just 10 teams for 2019 and 2023 World Cup editions, featuring the top eight One Day International teams and another two teams coming through qualifying for the event.
The 18-year-old leg-spinner is a well-known cricket personality across the globe thanks to franchise T20 cricket from Nepal, which gained one-day international status last year, but there is still a long way to make it to a World Cup, as the next event would also be 10-teams tournament as well.
Lamichhane told AFP on Thursday, 18th April, “Sorry to say but a 10-team World Cup will hurt a lot of players like me who will not be a part of it. I think there should be 14-16 teams in the World Cup.”
He continued, “World Cup comes after every four years and teams can achieve their biggest dreams there. We are an emerging nation and this is something we would love to play for our country. Even in 2023, there are (again) only 10 teams so it will be a while before we can even think of playing in the 50-over event.”
Meanwhile, Lamichhane said he would follow the World Cup 2019 on television and he would like to see some big upsets by the smaller teams in the tournament, which will be an inspiration for the emerging teams.
He added, “I am going to watch the World Cup on TV and love to see any team that is under-rated perform well against the big nations. It will be an inspiration for us who are just beginning their journey right now.”
While Nepal is aiming to follow footsteps of Ireland and Afghanistan to gain Test status having elevated to the elite club of nations eligible to play the five-day game in 2007, the leg-spinner awaiting the proudest moment to wear whites for his country.
Lamichhane signed off by saying, “Two years back we were nothing. But now we are an ODI and T20 international nation. Hopefully, there will be a time when we become the next Test nation. Even if I play a Test match for my country after 10 years, it will be the proudest moment.”
(With AFP Inputs)
