We know there are exciting opportunities to protect and promote all three formats but we must exercise patience as we consider all aspects in introducing context and content in international cricket,” ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said in an ICC statement. - AFP Photo

“Although we have made good progress, this exercise requires more work. We know there are exciting opportunities to protect and promote all three formats but we must exercise patience as we consider all aspects in introducing context and content in international cricket,” ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said in an ICC statement.

“There is clearly an appetite from all quarters to examine the make-up of the ICC Cricket World Cup and the ICC World Twenty20 and seek the best balance between excellence and development. In terms of the number of participating teams, it is possible that the World Cup could be reduced and the World Twenty20 expanded,” he said.

The ICC also announced that the next World Twenty20 will be held in Sri Lanka in 2012 while the 2014 edition of the event will be hosted by Bangladesh.

The ICC also awarded the 2013 Women's World Cup and the Champions Trophy the same year to India and England respectively, apart from naming Australia and New Zealand as the joint hosts for the 50-over World Cup in 2015.

Among other decisions, the game's governing body also exonerated Australian umpire Daryl Harper for the faults he committed while officiating a South Africa-England Test at the Wanderers in January this year. “The preliminary findings of Advocate Brent Lockie and ICC Cricket Committee chairman Clive Lloyd acknowledge that the technology failure at the time adversely impacted on the information received by the third umpire Daryl Harper while making his decision.

“The ICC and the England and Wales Cricket Board agreed that the third umpire in the match, Daryl Harper, was entirely blameless due to this technical failure,” the statement said.—Agencies