The ICC Executive will meet in June 2011 to discuss the cricketing world's reaction to their decision following the recent world cup.
At the recent ICC Executive Board meeting in Mumbai on 4 April 2011, the Board decided to allow only the 10 Full Members to participate in the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2015. The Board had also confirmed its previous decision made in October 2010 that the next two World Cups (in 2015 and 2019) would comprise 10 teams.
These decisions were part of a strategic restructure of ICC events and the context and content for international cricket. As part of the restructure, a Test play-off for the top four teams was introduced and the ICC World Twenty20 was expanded to 16 teams.
The Board had also agreed in Mumbai that the 10 teams for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 in England would be determined on the basis of qualification.
However, after receiving representations from the Associate and Affiliate Members of the ICC, the ICC President Mr Sharad Pawar has decided to request the ICC Executive Board to revisit the issue in Hong Kong in June.
Mr Pawar said: "I have given this matter further serious thought and will request the Board to consider this topic once more. I can understand the views of the Associates and Affiliates and ICC will seek to deal with this issue in the best way possible."
The decision to cut the number of teams was widely condemned by the cricketing world as many believed it would not allow second tier teams to dream of making to the centre stage of cricket. After all, if there's no chance of making to the top, why play the game professionally?