Top organiser admits WC too long

WC CEO Chris Dehring has admitted the World Cup format is too long and that the schedule must be revised in years to come.

“It’s very very difficult. Cricket is a long game itself and therefore tournaments that involve so many teams are going to be naturally long,” Dehring told an Australian radio station today.

“But definitely if we could find a formula that shortens the tournament, I think everybody would be in favour of that.”

“One of the shortfalls of the last World Cup in South Africa was that rain played such an important factor,” Dehring also told The Australian during a busy day in the media.

“We decided this time to make sure you had adequate rain days so there is a rain day for every game. But of course that is going to elongate the tournament.

“It is a difficult balancing act but you would always prefer a shorter event. We would have preferred a shorter event had it been possible, but to do that there would not have been rain days.

“I think they may change it next time.”

This comes in response to heavy criticism levelled at World Cup organisers during the week, led by Australian batsman Matthew Hayden.

“It’s definitely too long – too long for everyone,” Hayden said.

“The way that the tournament is structured out, one game on a day, that obviously could be reduced by having other games on, for example on a day like today to try and squash that Super Eights stage down a little bit.”

Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations head, Tim May, also voiced his disapproval over the length of the tournament in an interview with AAP today.

“Prior to the event I expressed my concerns about the length of the tournament and certainly two-thirds of the way through the tournament now, nothing has happened to change my mind,” he said.

“The players are now going public with their opinions.

“The feeling is that it is just too long. There are too many non-cricket days between matches.

“The players like the 16-team format.

“The problem with the Super Eights is where you only have one game of cricket per day.

“We would like to think that the ICC may review that for future World Cups so that we can have two games played on the same day.”