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In spite of the warm welcome that the Twenty20 World Cup has received in South Africa, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has decided not to over expose this format of the game and would continue with the restrictions imposed earlier.

Speaking after the ICC Chief Executive meeting that concluded in Johannesburg on Tuesday, Shafqat Naghmi, Chief Operating Officer of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), told ‘The News’ that the ICC has decided to continue with the restrictions it has imposed on the Twenty20 format of the game.

According to the restrictions, a Test playing team cannot play more than seven Twenty20 matches a year and it can only play two matches per series.

“The ICC members know it very well that if this format of the game continues to get the backing it has got so far there are chances that it might overtake the 50-over format. The ICC does not want that to happen,” Naghmi said.

The PCB official said that the member countries have favoured the ICC proposal of restricting Twenty20 cricket.

The Twenty20 matches being played during the World Cup would not be a part of the seven-match annual quota allowed to each team.

The ICC has also reserved the rights of organizing further twenty20 tournaments. “Unlike one-day cricket where a country is allowed to organise tournaments and hold as many matches as they want, it is the ICC that will have the sole authority to organize T20 tournaments,” said Naghmi.

It has also been decided that the host countries for the next World Cup (all four test playing nations in Asia) would be taken in confidence before finalizing the format of the event.

“There are three formats under consideration these days. The ICC, however, has decided to take the host countries in confidence before finalizing the format,” said Naghmi.

Pakistan and India have supported the format that allows a team to stay in the competition even if it underperforms in any particular match.

“Look Pakistan and India had got one lean day during 2007 World Cup and they were knocked out of the competition. A criterion should be adopted where every playing country gets a second chance to advance to the second round,” Shafqat Naghmi said.

The ICC is also considering another option where all the associate countries would play first and the best ones would be picked up for the main round.

Source:Cricket News