NATIONAL cricket coach Pierre de Bruyn has hailed the International Cricket Council’s decision to expand the Cricket World Cup from 10 to 14 teams as a ‘huge step forward.’
SOURCE: https://www.namibian.com.na/102202/read/De-Bruyn-hails-World-Cup-expansion
The ICC earlier this week made the announcement, as part of its plans for its next seven-year cycle, which included expanding the T20 World Cup to 20 teams and staging it every two years.
“It’s a huge step forward by the ICC and for the smaller countries that are doing so much work. It’s great and it will encourage the smaller nations to be part of a global sport and not feel left out anymore,” De Bruyn said yesterday.
“When Namibia qualified for the T20 World Cup, I know what impact that made – from a sport perspective, from an inspirational perspective and from a development perspective,” he added.
In an interview with cricinfo.com De Bruyn said it was a great incentive for smaller nations.
Ït’s excellent and it will be a reward for an extra couple of Associate countries to get on that stage and announce themselves. If we are only going to focus on 10 or 12 countries for the rest of our lives on the global stage, then we might as well just not grow the game in the pathway of Associate cricket. It will be pointless, because what is the reward?,” he was quoted as saying.
When the ICC reduced the number of teams at the World Cup to 10 in 2011, it said it would reduce the risk of mismatches or ‘dead rubbers’ between the smaller nations, but De Bruyn said it missed the point.
“This is a great opportunity for the smaller nations and I get very frustrated by reports of dead rubbers. I mean, what’s more important – should we not worry more about growing the game globally,” he said.
In the cricinfo report, he said that focussing on dead rubbers was short-sighted.
“I read people say there will be dead rubbers now and blah blah blah, but that’s so short-sighted, because let’s not forget that when Ireland beat England in a World Cup in India [in 2011], what that did for the game and what that did for Irish cricket.
“There have been really good cricket matches with these ‘no-name’ teams in World Cups, but unfortunately the focus is only on dead rubbers which is sad,” he was quoted as saying.
De Bruyn, meanwhile, also backed the ICC’s decision to consider hosting this year’s T20 World Cup in UAE. India is supposed to host the tournament in October but with the Covid crisis, the ICC has now publicly backed the UAE as a possible venue.
“I know the cricket board of India asked for an extension to still host it, but the UAE is officially now Plan B – the ICC seems to be leaning towards that, and I think common sense will prevail. The environment is the safest in UAE at the moment and we won’t mind playing there,”De Bruyn said.
“We are very familiar with the conditions, but it will also be a challenge for their pitches, with the wear and tear of the surface. It will be a big challenge, coming after the Indian Premier League, and there will be 78 matches, so it will take a beating.”
The Namibian national team, meanwhile, is preparing for its Cricket World Cup League 2 series against Scotland and Nepal in Spain at the beginning of July.
“We are now preparing for the World Cricket League 2 tournament in Spain next month, and I’m still looking at other options of possible tour matches to help us prepare,” De Bruyn said.
