The number of teams taking part in the 2019 World Cup in England has not yet been set in stone, the International Cricket Council told AFP on Friday.
The global governing body has come under fire for its plan to cut the number of teams involved in England in four years' time to 10 from the 14 taking part in the ongoing tournament in Australia and New Zealand.
But ICC chief executive David Richardson, in a telephone interview with AFP, said Friday: "I've learnt never to say never to anything. I'm sure the format of the next World Cup will be debated after this one has finished."
Ireland beat one of the elite Test match nations for the third successive World Cup when they defeated the West Indies by four wickets in their 2015 opener, while Thursday saw tournament debutants Afghanistan's astonishingly rapid progress continue when they defeated Scotland by just one wicket to record their first World Cup win.
"I'm pleased with the performances of the qualifiers so far, but the bigger tests are still to come," said Richardson.
Source: AFP
