te, whose score was the fourth-highest by New Zealand woman cricketer, said she kept track of such milestones but did not g

LONDON -- A bigger World Cup in 2026 will boost North Americas chances of hosting the tournament, the president of the CONCACAF region told The Associated Press.FIFA President Gianni Infantino earlier this week raised the prospect of adding another 16 teams to make it a 48-team tournament, a move that would reduce the pool of countries with sufficient infrastructure.From a 2026 perspective, pick a number (of finalists) and North American can handle it, Victor Montagliani, president of the North and Central America and Caribbean soccer confederation, said Tuesday in an interview. A CONCACAF bid would be strong regardless of what number we finally set on.The World Cup was last staged in the CONCACAF region by the United States in 1994. The Americans are eager to get another shot at hosting in 2026, potentially linking up with neighbors Canada and Mexico.Is there an opportunity to combine the three countries? Perhaps. We dont know that yet, said Montagliani, a FIFA vice president. There have been zero formal discussions. We are not there yet.After the troubled bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, which sparked years of corruption investigations, FIFA will be hoping for a smoother vote for 2026. Originally earmarked for 2017, the decision by the FIFA membership is now not due until 2020.With Africa, South America, Europe and Asia hosting the World Cups between 2010 and 2022, it had been widely accepted that it should be North Americas turn for the first time since 1994.FIFAs statues currently prevent consecutive World Cups being staged on the same continent, but China could yet seek to follow 2022 host Qatar. Chinese conglomerate Wanda signed up as a top-tier FIFA sponsor in March saying it wanted to be better placed to help decide where future editions of the World Cup are awarded.There has to be some sort of rotation or else you look what is happening with the Olympics, Montagliani said, referring to Tokyo hosting the 2020 Olympics between the 2018 and 2022 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and Beijing.I dont think its a good thing that it keeps on going to one area. Its not a World Cup that belongs in one region. So I think so sort of rotation needs to occur because the World Cup belongs to the world and we need to respect that.Montagliani applauded Infantino for thinking outside the box by floating the idea of a 48-team World Cup.There are traditionalists in the game who I think, if it was up to them, would still have a 16-team World Cup, Montagliani said in an interview in London. The reality is that the World Cup is not just an economic beast, but a product that inspires hope for countries. So if we can improve it, make it bigger without losing its romanticism, why not?Before FIFA settles on a new format, Montagliani is sure there will be an exhaustive process of review and cost benefit analysis. The format and bidding process will begin to be discussed next week when Infantino chairs a FIFA Council meeting in Zurich.In outlining one potential format earlier this week, Infantino said, you could have a tournament in which the 16 best teams advance to a group stage and the other 16 will came out of a `playoff ahead of the group stage, and the World Cup could end up with 48 teams.The more pressing issues for FIFA center on the 2018 World Cup with the spotlight increasingly on Russia over racism and doping in sport, and the involvement in the war in Syria.Montagliani sees no need to strip Russia of the World Cup.Its a very delicate situation because we are a sport, he said. You try to as much as possible stay out of the geopolitics of the world because its a just a dangerous thing (to mix) and so it is a bit of walking a tightrope.The contentious dual votes on the 2018 and 2022 World Cups sparked years of criminal investigations and FIFA inquiries.FIFA said there was not sufficient evidence to warrant removing their countrys hosting rights. But before being banned and ousted from the FIFA presidency, Sepp Blatter said last year that American authorities would not have indicted more than 40 people in its soccer investigation had it not been for the 2010 vote outcome.To Montagliani it was the tipping point, providing an opportunity to clean the game.In some regards maybe the best thing that happened in football was Russia and Qatar, Montagliani said in a speech Wednesday at the Leaders sports business conference in London.---Rob Harris is at www.twitter.com/RobHarris and www.facebook.com/RobHarrisReports Custom Dallas Mavericks Jerseys Cheap . 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New Zealand 309 for 4 (Satterthwaite 137*, Martin 65) beat Pakistan 142 for 4 (34.2 overs) (Abidi 45, Khan 33, Bates 2-21) by 60 runs (D/L)Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAmy Satterthwaites 117-ball 137 powered New Zealand women to 309 for 4 - their sixth highest total in ODIs - before Pakistan womens chase was interrupted by rain in the 35th over to give the home side a victory by 60 runs in Lincoln, by the D/L method.After New Zealand won the toss and chose to bat, captain Suzie Bates (34) and Rachel Priest (27) put on 53 for the first wicket. They were dismissed within 15 runs of each other, before Satterthwaite and Katey Martin put together a 150-run partnership, New Zealands highest for the third wicket. Martins 65 - her third half-century in four matches - was followed by Sophie Devines 29-ball 34 as New Zealand scored 91 runs in their last 10 overs.Four Pakistan bowlers went for over six runs per over, and nine wides were conceded in the innings. Maham Tariq, Sana Mir and Sadia Yousuf took a wicket each.Pakistans chase was pegged with Ayesha Zafars dismissal in the fourth over, before rain stopped play. After play resumed, Nahida Khan (33) and Nain Abidi (45) stitched together a 76-run partnership for the second wicket, before they were both dismissed in successive overs as Pakistan slumped from 85 for 1 to 85 for 3. Bates bowled Nidaa Dar soon after, to pick up her second victim, but rain intervened again in the 35th over bringing the game to a close with Pakistan on 142 for 4 - 61 runs behind the D/L-adjusted target of 203.ddddddddddddSatterthwaite, whose score was the fourth-highest by New Zealand woman cricketer, said she kept track of such milestones but did not get carried away with them. Im certainly aware of them - anyone who knows me, knows I look at the stats a little bit, but its not something I tend to hold on to, Satterthwaite said. You just want to go out and perform your role and if that means you end up with a milestone then its an added bonus.Satterthwaite credited her rich vein of form to a more relaxed approach. I think probably being nice and relaxed is something Ive worked on in domestic cricket. I wanted to be relaxed and focus on my strengths and what I can do. And then if a bowler bowls a bad one, you hit it.The win gave New Zealand a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. The results of the next three matches will count towards points for the Womens Championship, in which New Zealand are currently fourth and Pakistan seventh. The top four teams in the Championship will gain direct entry into next years World Cup in England. ' ' '