ICC goes global: Vanuatu too will vote from next year

The associate and affiliate members of the International Cricket Council have endorsed a new tournament structure for them, involving two gl...

The associate and affiliate members of the International Cricket Council have endorsed a new tournament structure for them, involving two global qualifying events in the year 2005.

Apart from the two qualifying events which would also include the ICC Trophy leading to the next World Cup in the West Indies, the new structure has proposed regional qualifying tournaments in 2004 leading to global events in 2005.

In the ICC’s associates meeting, which was held here last night, discussions focussed on issues affecting the 27 associate members and 47 affiliate members.

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The meeting also decided to pass the tournament structure proposal to the ICC executive board for approval.

The associates meeting, attended by representatives of affiliate nations for the first time, also took the decision to increase representation of affiliate members. The five delegates from Bahama, Oman, Sierra Leone, Spain and Vanuatu took part in the meeting as observers representing the five ICC development regions, but from next year they will be given voting rights at such meetings and observer status at the annual conference, an ICC release said today.

The meeting recommended the introduction of Zambia as an independent associate member of the ICC and Malawi as an affiliate member.

GCC’s compensation claims

The ICC was due to meet on Wednesday with the threat of a World Cup multi-million-dollar compensation claim high on the agenda.

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The governing body’s executive board will discuss the claim from the Global Cricket Corporation (GCC) following this year’s tournament in South Africa. The GCC is claiming around $80 million in lost revenues after two matches failed to go ahead, according to a source within the ICC.

England refused to play their World Cup game against Zimbabwe in Harare over security concerns, and New Zealand boycotted their game in Kenya for the same reasons.

India’s players, meanwhile, refused to sign playing contracts tying them to the official World Cup sponsors, arguing that they already had personal deals with rival companies.