Editor's note - I have written this article still wondering whether I have been the victim of an elaborate and belated April Fool's Day joke. According to several sources it is under serious consideration. Make up your own minds.

A radical proposal is reportedly being considered by Associate members of the International Cricket Council which would see the abolition of the ICC Trophy and its replacement by a biannual 'World League'.

The format would see Full, Associate and Affiliate members ranked from first to last, although the 'League' would only involve non-Test and ODI status countries.

Associate and Affiliate members would be grouped according to rankings from 1-6, 7-12, 13-18 and so on and the grouping of six members would meet at separate venues once every two years.

The so-called World League would base its groupings solely on rankings, meaning at the Affiliate level, Vanuatu could be grouped with say, Qatar, the Bahamas, Morocco, or any other Affiliate country.

A promotion and relegation system would see the best placed team in each group replace the lowest placed team in the higher group.

Should the plan be implemented, the qualifying format for future ICC Trophy's already agreed to would be abandoned.

It was to be geographically based, with each continent having an Affiliate qualifying competition with the winner advancing to the continental Associates tournament. Each continent would provide a predetermined number of qualifiers to the 12 team ICC Trophy in 2005.

The primary motivation for formulating the League concept is believed to be the lack of variety in competition provided by the regional qualifying paths.

One source said the proposal was also fuelled by fear from cricket officialdom that World Sports Group would not renew its contract with the ICC once the present agreement expires if the game had not proven its global credentials.

I finish this article with the question - have I been 'stung'?

© 2001 CricInfo Ltd