Michael Atherton calls for a more straightforward format for WC Super League

MANCHESTER: Former England captain Michael Atherton feels the ICC ODI Super League is complex and the sport's governing body should have come up with an easier qualification system for the 2023 World Cup in India.

"There is always logic in everything that happens, but what tends to happen is that it's incredibly complex because what you're trying to do is fit two systems together," Atherton said on Sky Sports Cricket.

"You've got the ICC global events — World Cup, World T20, and what was the Champions Trophy — and you're trying to marry that with the usual bilateral series in what's called the Future Tours Programme where every team plays against each other.

"Trying to mix those two together is incredibly difficult, and you end up with this."

The ICC on Monday launched the ODI Super League which will be the qualification competition for the men's World Cup in 2023. The top seven sides from the league will automatically book their berth at the showpiece event.

The competition begins with a series between world champions England and Ireland from July 30.

Featuring 13 teams, the 12 ICC Full Members and the Netherlands, who qualified by winning the ICC World Cricket Super League 2015-17, the Super League will see each side play four home and four away three match series.

"Try explaining this to the man on the street, try explaining the World Test Championship to the man on the street, which we find it hard enough to understand and we work in the damn game, and then try explaining that to the man on the street," Atherton said.

"What you've really got to try and get is something that's less complex and a bit more straightforward in order for people to understand." IANS

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