Sir Vivian Richards

Legendary batsman Viv Richards says West Indian cricket will benefit from qualifying for the World Cup, and that it would have been a huge blow had they not made it to England in 2019. The West Indies -- whose fortunes have plummeted in recent years -- were in danger of missing out after the International Cricket Council (ICC) reduced the number of teams in next year's 50-over global showpiece from 14 to 10. The top eight teams in the ICC rankings qualified automatically, leaving the ninth-ranked West Indies having to come through a tournament against nine other nations in Zimbabwe for the final two places. The West Indies finally squeaked through when they beat Scotland last week in a controversial rain-affected showdown in Harare.