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Mini-World Cup in offing

The International Cricket Council is planning to organise a mini-World Cup featuring the nine Test-playing nations in 1998, ahead of the 1999 World Cup in England, according to ICC president Jagmohan Dalmiya.

The idea is reportedly to raise funds for the many projects the ICC intends to implement, the chief being the sport's globalisation.

A high-powered sub-committee has discussed the possibility of staging a knockout limited overs tournament. The recommendations will be placed before the executive board which meets here in December, Dalmiya said.

The committee comprised Dr Ali Bacher (South Africa), Denis Rogers (Australia), Sir John Anderson (New Zealand), Ehsan Mani (Pakistan), and ICC chief executive David Richards, the convenor.

The tournament structure is being finalised, but it is quite likely that all nine nations will be ranked and the tournament-opener will pit teams ranked no 8 and 9. Thereafter, with eight teams in the fray, the knockout competition will begin in earnest. Lots will determine who meets whom.

Dalmiya declined to go into more details, but indicated the tournament will be hosted by a single country and that it ought to be completed within a fortnight.

To ensure that the globalisation ball rolls in the right direction, the ICC intends appointing a development officer for each continent. Then, the ICC itself plans to have a development manager, a director of umpiring and a director of grounds and pitches.

"The ICC should serve as the total authority on cricket, not merely function as a formal body," Dalmiya remarked. Another idea mooted by Dalmiya is organising a "cricket week" worldwide, every year. However, as all the associate members will also be involved, the ICC may have to foot at least part of the bill for that jamboree.