All 104 ICC member countries to get T20I status

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India] April 26 (ANI): All 104 International Cricket Council (ICC) member countries will be granted T20I status, said ICC CEO David Richardson on Thursday.

Currently, only the 12 full member countries and Scotland, Netherlands, Hong Kong, UAE, Oman and Nepal were eligible to play T20Is.

Addressing a press conference here, the ICC CEO said that T20I status will be applicable to both men and women's cricket.

"All Women's team matches will be awarded T20 International status on July 1, 2018. All the men's team matches will be given T20 International status on January 1, 2019," Richardson said.

The ICC CEO also spoke on the issue of recent ball tempering episode wherein one-year Australia's Steve Smith and David Warner were banned for one-year.

The ICC is of the opinion that the current system of levying fines was not proving to be a deterrent.

"Stricter and heavier transactions for ball tampering and using abusive language, sledging, dissent. We want penalties in place. Fines are not proving to be the answer. The cricket committee will come back with plans. We want cricket committee to review current penalties & come to us with recommendations. We're planning to get the likes of Allan Border, Shaun Pollock on the committee," Richardson said.

Talking about who will play who in World Test Championship & ODI WC qualifying league, Richardson said, "There were some concerns that we will not be able to get to an agreement as to which team would play who. Fortunately, all the fixtures making up to this league were agreed."

The ICC CEO also confirmed that the Champions Trophy will be revised and it was likely to be a World T20.

Richardson also informed that the ICC also discussed T20 leagues and their impact on international calendars.

"There are occasions where they [T20 leagues] are competing with international bilateral series. We need to look at our regulations to see how we can allow that to happen," he said.

When asked when cricket will become a part of the Olympics, Richardson said it will depend on the united desire of all of cricket.

"If we can get all of cricket united in a desire to be a part of Olympics, I think we have a good chance of persuading International Olympic Committee that cricket is a sport that can add value to the Olympics," Richardson said. (ANI)