29 June,2011 08:38 AM IST | | AFP
Irish cricket chief Warren Deutrom Tuesday urged the global governing body to run the sport as a "meritocracy" by giving smaller nations the chance to achieve Test status.
Deutrom welcomed a decision by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to reverse controversial plans to bar so-called "minnow" countries from the next World Cup in 2015 ufffd but said up-and-coming nations like Ireland deserved also to be able to aim for the "holy grail" of top-class cricket.
"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'," Cricket Ireland's chief executive told AFP.
Ireland performed on a par with many of the full member, or Test-playing, nations at this year's World Cup, including a stunning victory against England. They also upset Pakistan during their first World Cup appearance in 2007.
