Icc’s Speed Denies One-day Cricket Decline

International Cricket Council chief executive Malcolm Speed has denied that the
success of the first World Twenty20 Cup will lead to a decline in international
one-day matches.

There have been calls to drop one-day cricket tournaments such as the
50-overs-a-side Champions Trophy event and the disastrous World Cup held earlier
this year following the successful debut of the shorter format.

However Speed stated: ‘We are committed to the Champions Trophy in 2008 and
2010. We have a problem of fitting Twenty20 into the international calendar.
Everyone is very pleased with the success of the Twenty20 tournament.

‘We thought it would be well received in South Africa, and the reception by
the public, the media and the players has exceeded our expectations. I don’t
agree with much of the criticism about the last two World Cups, although some of
it is valid.

‘But in any event we’re very pleased that we’ve had a very successful event.’

Speed has already confirmed that the next World Cup would be much shorter,
down to five weeks from seven. In addition, the 2008 Champions Trophy would be
completed in just over two weeks.

The next ICC World Twenty20 has been scheduled to be staged in England in
2009.