The other group will have Australia, Pakistan, West Indies, New Zealand and the winner of the ICC Cup.

Each team will play five round robin games, unlike in the Wills World Cup earlier this year when each team played the others in the group twice. Again, in a departure from the 1996 model which had four quarterfinalists per group, the England World Cup of 1999 will have three teams progressing to the next round.

Round two will see the top three teams in Group A playing the top three teams in Group B. These nine games will decide the final league positions, and the top four teams as per league standing will qualify for the semis.

What this format means, in cricketing terms, is keener competition in the preliminary stages. Remember that only three teams can qualify from a group. Which means that in the group involving former champion India, three-time finalists England, holders Sri Lanka and the brilliant if unfortunate South Africa - one side will definitely lose out.

There will be 42 games in all, with the final slated for mid-June 1999..

Meanwhile, the battle for the ICC Trophy will commence in Kuala Lumpur on March 23, 1997. And for the first time, fixtures involving the associate nations of the ICC will be televised.

As part of the bid for improving cricket in the associate nations, the ICC has also set up a committee headed by Ali Bacher of South Africa to develop cricket in these nations.