IRELAND MAY have had a lousy return with the decision review system at the recent World Cup, but yesterday in Hong Kong they got the one decision they really wanted overturned when the International Cricket Council (ICC) decided to revert to a 14-team tournament in 2015.

For the record, Ireland failed in all 11 of their decision reviews in the World Cup, but their performances on the field in that competition, backed up by some fine work off it led by Cricket Ireland chief executive Warren Deutrom, has made a huge impact as the ICC executive committee yesterday scrapped the 10-team format that they originally announced in the aftermath of India winning the tournament back in April.

That would have meant the involvement of just the full member countries in Australia and New Zealand, a decision which had repercussions on all levels for the game in this county, from funding through sponsorship and Government investment to the ability to hold on to a promising generation of young players.

The ICC announced that the format will not change from the 2011 event: the full members will qualify automatically, with the four remaining places coming from a qualification tournament in 2013.

Although the initial reaction was one of relief, Deutrom was quick to re-focus his attention on what will be required over the coming years to continue Ireland’s growth in the world game.

“Obviously we are relieved with the decision today. The board should be greatly commended in the first instance for agreeing to look again at the matter, and then for being courageous enough to review their original decision – that isn’t easy,” said Deutrom.

“We can now get on and focus our energies on more proactive pursuits, such as trying to qualify.”

Deutrom played down speculation that international cricketing politics played a part in the about-turn, in particular today’s vote on whether to scrap the rotation system for electing the ICC president.

Pakistan and Bangladesh, the next nations in line to pick a president, were opposed to any change in the system. In order to pass a resolution amending the rule, eight of the 10 full members and 38 of 50 associates would have to vote in favour of the motion.

“I wasn’t involved in any discussions about the appointment of a new president and I certainly wouldn’t draw a line between that and the decision that was made today. One would like to think it was made on its merits alone.

“The principle is quite simply that it’s the best person for the job. And the best person for the job might already reside within Pakistan or Bangladesh. But the idea is that as long as the best person for the job is found, we should support that.”

Deutrom also reiterated his and Cricket Ireland’s stance that the world governing body must continue to lay a path towards the top of the game for the high achievers among the associate nations.

“The one thing that we shouted out more loudly than anything else is ‘meritocracy’ – not ‘we want to be given this as a right’, but ‘we want the opportunity to be better’.

“All we’ve asked for from the very start is simply a road map to where we go next, because what we’ve done, and what we’ve achieved, is everything that has been asked of us.

“We’ve got a business and we are prepared to develop that business, but the only way we can move that business on is to get that additional support, to be able to afford more ODIs and the opportunity to play those ODIs.

“And then a pathway perhaps to Test cricket. That has to be the holy grail for us.”

Looking ahead to the 2019 World Cup in England, the ICC have agreed that 10 teams will be involved: the top eight from the official one-day rankings, with the final two participants coming from a qualification tournament.

After the initial decision was made in April, the ICC increased the next two World Twenty20 finals, in 2012 and 2014, to 16 teams, a move that was seen at the time as little more than a sop to the associate nations.

They have now decided to keep the number of participating teams to 12, the same as the previous stagings of the tournament. The 10 full members will qualify automatically, with the final two places coming from a qualification tournament.

Next year’s World Twenty20 will be staged in Sri Lanka, with the qualification tournament expected to be held in the United Arab Emirates early next year.

The 2014 event will be in Bangladesh.

All change: what happens now

YESTERDAY’S decisions by the ICC executive committee will have a bearing on a number of their marquee tournaments over the next eight years. Here’s a rundown on what it means.

2015 World Cup (50 overs)

The tournament, to be held in Australia and New Zealand, will now comprise 14 teams, the same number that took part in this year’s event. The 10 full member countries (India, England, South Africa Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand, West Indies, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe) will be joined by the four top teams from a qualification tournament to be held in 2013. The four teams to qualify for the 2011 event were Ireland, the Netherlands, Kenya and Canada.

2019 World Cup (50 overs)

England will stage a 10-team event in eight years, with the ICC using their one-day international rankings table for the first time to decide who will take part in the tournament.

The top eight in the rankings at a fixed cut-off time will automatically qualify, with the last two places filled from a qualification tournament.

2013 & 2015 World Twenty20

The stagings of the event in Sri Lanka (2013) and Bangladesh (2015) will see the 10 full members qualify automatically and two qualifiers.