LONDON, Feb 24: Scotland all-rounder Gavin Hamilton has reacted angrily to comments from West Indian legend Michael Holding about the teams included in the World Cup. Holding believes the competition should not contain as many smaller nations.

"I got very annoyed by his comments and I certainly don't agree," said former Yorkshire player Hamilton, who played for Scotland at the 1999 World Cup.

"Lesser countries need an incentive to keep developing - if you take that away how will they ever get better?"

In addition to the eight leading internationals teams, the World Cup comprises Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and Kenya, plus five associate sides who qualified for the event at a tournament in Ireland.

Holding, who played 60 Tests and 102 one-day internationals between 1975-1987, believes only the top associate nation should be allowed to compete in the sport's leading one-day competition.

Hamilton, 32, who impressed in the 1999 World Cup with half-centuries against Pakistan and Bangladesh, before being selected for England's tour of South Africa that winter, believes it is an unfair view.

"All it takes is one good performance from an associate nation and suddenly everyone will sit up and take notice," he insisted.

"These sides now have some first-class cricketers - they're not pub sides.

"I don't think many of the so-called new cricketing nations are quite ready for Test cricket but in one-day cricket it's anybody's game and heroes are made." - Agencies