NEW DELHI, July 17 (Reuters) - The World Cricketers' Association (WCA) said on Friday it is "concerned" that the format of next year's World Cup has been revised without consulting the players who are set to bear the brunt of it.
The men's 50-over showpiece, to be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, will remain a 14-team event, but the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday introduced a "Super Series" round for the three lowest-ranked qualified sides.
One of them will advanceto the main group stage, a change that the ICC said would ensure a "meaningful contest."
"The ICC is entitled to determine the structure of its global events," WCA Chief Executive Tom Moffat said in a statement.
"However, when commitments are made to the game, qualification pathways are established and countries and players invest years pursuing those opportunities, significant changes deserve genuine consultation, transparency and a clear explanation.
"It is difficult to reconcile the game's stated ambition of growing cricket globally with decisions that reduce meaningful opportunities at pinnacle events for some of the countries that stood to benefit most from genuine expansion."
The international players' body said the change in format raised "important questions about transparency."
Netherlands captain Scott Edwards was among several players to voice disappointment at the decision.
"Qualifying for an ODI World Cup is a huge achievement for any country, so when the reality of that opportunity changes after years of planning, it's incredibly disappointing," Edwards said.
"The ICC talks a lot about growing the game globally, but decisions like this make it harder for associate nations to play against the best teams in the world."
Ireland captain Paul Stirling underlined the value such teams bring.
"The smaller and associate countries have consistently proven to add value and interest at global events," he said.
"The football World Cup we've just witnessed is testament to that in other sports and it would be great to see cricket take a similar approach to maximise opportunities for the game."
(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus)
