Ireland's World Cup hopes boosted

Ireland's hopes of playing at the next World Cup were boosted today when the ICC's Cricket Committee unanimously agreed to recommend a qualification process for the tournament.

At present Ireland will not play at the 2015 World Cup after the ICC decided last month to exclude associate nations from competing at the 50-over showpiece.

That was met with a chorus of disapproval from most corners of cricket, prompting ICC president Sharad Pawar to request the governing body's executive board to reconsider their plans.

The first steps in that process have apparently begun at today's meeting at Lord's after Ireland all-rounder Trent Johnston, who attended the meeting as an associate representative, wrote on his Twitter page: "Unanimous decision by ICC Cricket Committee to recommend to the Chief Exec Committee there be a qualifier for CWC 2015. A great result!"

Any recommendation from the cricket committee is, however, only the first stage of any process to change the qualification system.

Their recommendation will now be taken to the Chief Executives' Committee before finally being presented to the ICC Executive Board for approval.