ICC Meeting - Outcomes

So the ICC have met in the West Indies (obviously)...and have decided this.

They want to make cricket the most followed sport in the world.

Ok fair enough, good ambition. How are they going about it I hear you say? Well...

- They're going to continue with the plans for a 10 team world cup, because reducing the number of teams who can get to the biggest stage will obviously increase popularity.

- For the first time in a long time ODI's are entertaining...can't be having anymore of that. They've changed all the fielding and bowling regulations.

The mind honestly boggles......

Who wants stories like the rise of the Afghanistan national team when we can grow the game by just having the same 10 teams play each other over and over and over and over and over and over and over.....

I have 3 major observations:

(I)
good that they dumped the PP in ODIs
the Eng-NZ series was the last straw that broke the camel's back.

(II)

disappointed India still not on board with DRS
i expect them at the very least to put their major concern on the table i.e do away with it being a " umpire validating tool" referring to the different outcomes on LBW, depending on what the umpire call was

I think after Srini finishes his ICC term ( in Sep) Indian outlook will be different

(III)
Keeping minnows out of world cup,,,makes sense

to develop minnows you  need to give them more exposure...atleast 10 ODIs and 3 to 5 test matches ( even if it's unofficial tests vs A sides) per year....

instead of ignoring them 4 years and then throwing them into a world cup against like of Gayle and De Villers.....like a boxing mismatch where neither refree can declare K.O nor throwing in a white towel is an option.
Waste of viewership time such game

India continue to embarrass themselves.

Good that the ICC are striving to make ODIs better - I do hope a measure of consistency is established with the rules, though.

Rather than India as such, I am disappointed the ICC has not addressed the issues with DRS properly. The benefit of doubt to umpire and the differential use of technology has changed my outlook towards DRS somewhat, I still see it as having a place in the system, but only with these 2 issues addressed.
The decision to keep the WC as a 10 side tournament, I don't think is the right call. But then, giving 2 slots to the non-test sides in the WC that happens ones in 4 years is not the only important thing to make the game more popular, they have to look at practical options to make the game reach out further. In my view the 1996 format was the best, 12 teams, 2 groups and then the knockouts.......

But they've got something right to give them some credit!. The OD game had degenerated into a borring hitting contest of late with the bowlers being officially declared 2nd classs citizens. The batting powerplay is gone, and there will be 5 fielders in the last 10 overs. More importantly, they'll be looking at both the bat size as well as possibilities of having more of a functional seam on the cricket ball.

The 2019 world cup will go on for a month before anybody is even knocked out.

My word