The rules of International Cricket Council for the 2019 World Cup allows for only 10 teams to participate in it. As a result, many nations have found themselves being excluded from the World Cup. After Afghanistan beat Ireland in the last qualifier game of the World Cup, the latter had to go through the agony of missing out on the prestigious event.

Their captain William Porterfield was absolutely devastating at missing out on the World Cup and took the moment to criticize the ICC. He believes that the financial aspect of the game is where the true motives of the cricketing body lie.

“How is there only two teams going (from the qualifiers) to a competition that's played every 208 weeks and you've got a six-week competition, to just play it so two or three big teams can play nine games on TV so the ICC can cash in with a big cheque, and a lot of teams are leaving here with nothing in their pocket," said an angry Porterfield.

"The big cheque they're getting from the World Cup has to be pushed back down through.

"All I hear is how good this competition has been, how everyone has beaten everyone, it's gone round in a circle.”

Porterfield stated that the countries need the World Cup in order to grow within the game and the ICC is not allowing that with their stringent rules.

"It has to be put back into the game because if countries don't have a World Cup to look forward to or the possibility of getting to the World Cup... if they actually give that carrot, dangle it in front of countries, surely cricket is going to get better in those countries and actually expand.

"I'm not just saying that because we didn't get there but I feel sorry for a lot of countries that are leaving here that don't know what's going to happen next week."

 

Picture credit: Getty Images