History-Makers Afghanistan Give Huge Nudge to ICC World Cup Planners

Afghanistan made history on Thursday when they won their first ever World Cup match. A low-scoring thriller between Afghanistan and Scotland saw the former emerge victorious by one wicket with three balls remaining.

It was the second time in two days that a match between two Associates produced a tight contest. While the cricket was of the highest quality, it was another gentle reminder to the ICC that cutting Associate nations from the next edition of the World Cup is not the brightest idea they’ve ever had.

The ICC will be cutting the next edition of the World Cup down to just 10 teams. The hosts, England, and the top seven other teams, as on 30 September 2017, in the ICC rankings (comprising the 10 full members, Ireland and Afghanistan) will earn automatic qualification, with the remaining two spots being decided by the 2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Bangladesh.

While this theoretically still offers the opportunity for the Associate nations to qualify, playing more matches against bigger teams remains a struggle for Associate teams. If they do not play, they cannot consistently rise in the rankings. The lack of regular matches also means little chance to improve on their game.

More games not only mean more practice for the Associate teams, but by playing big teams it also means they can receive more funding. Through broadcasting deals, or their minuscule cut of it anyway, the domestic structures and the facilities of these countries can be given a face-lift. Afghanistan is the prime example of what can be achieved with a little bit of help and a lot of persistence. In 2008, the team had nothing. Today, they are playing in a World Cup and winning.

The fact of the matter is, the ICC cannot lay claim to the term “World Cup,” not so long as it continues to shrink participation and allows for automatic qualification. The mere fact that not all teams need to qualify makes the next “World Cup” more of an ICC invitational rather than a global event. 

All quotes and information obtained firsthand, unless otherwise stated.