More minnow, but less fluff

First, let's give credit where it is due. The idea was simple and had been in circulation for a while. But so accustomed we are to expecting the cricket administrators not to do the right thing that the ready acceptance of the obvious by the ICC comes as a pleasant surprise. The proposed format for the next World Cup is a step in the right direction even if it happens to be half a step.

The biggest criticism against the previous World Cup has been that it was too big, too long and with too many meaningless matches. Conventional wisdom demanded cutting down the number of teams from 14 to 12, or even 10 at the cost of slowing down globalisation. Some might thus react with horror at the prospect of two more minnows being added at the next edition. But what about a solution that achieves both: invested the tournament with more meaning while not sacrificing the smaller teams.

The problem with the 2003 World Cup was not the number of teams, but the format which provided for a humungous first-round. Of the 42 matches played in first round, 30 featured at least one the four minnows - Kenya, Namibia, Holland, Canada - or two almost minnows - Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. With politics and bad weather helping Zimabawe and Kenya make it into the next round, even the Super Six was devoid of intensity and significance.

With 16 teams in 2007, the number of weak teams will rise, but with four groups playing each other in a round-robin format, each weak country will get to play only three matches instead of six in 2003. And since there will be a Super Eight instead of Super Six, it would be safe to assume that there will be a lot more at stake in the second round.

However, the Super Eight round could become even more purposeful if the ICC were to consider an idea advanced by Barry Richards in Wisden Asia Cricket last April. Like the current ICC proposal, Richards had also advocated the 16-teams-in-groups-of-four formula, but instead of two groups in Super Eight, he had recommended a round robin among all qualifying teams with the top four going through to the semis. The preliminary round would serve as a warm-up while providing the weaker teams a chance to play with the big boys on a world stage and even sneak in the odd upset. The Super Eight, with 28 matches featuring the top eight teams, would serve up the real feast. And yes, to ensure that no semi-final berths are pre-booked, teams would carry no points from the first round, thus starting the business end of the tournament on a clean slate.

Worth a thought? Or would that be expecting too much of a good thing?

Sambit Bal is editor of Wisden Asia Cricket and Wisden CricInfo in India.