Leading Irish cricketer Ed Joyce fears the International Cricket Council's plan to reduce the next World Cup to ten teams will hit Ireland's hopes of joining the Test-playing nations.

Last week, the ICC confirmed a plan to pare down the 50-over World Cup from 14 to ten teams from 2015.

Ireland have already applied for Test status and Joyce fears the new World Cup plan could jeopardise their chances.

Speaking in Dhaka before Ireland's opening match against co-hosts Bangladesh on Friday, Joyce said: "Obviously we have made great strides since the 2007 World Cup where the boys performed so well in the West Indies.

"We beat Pakistan and Bangladesh and tied with Zimbabwe and got through to the Super Eights. We then performed well in the last Twenty20 World Cup.

"So we believe as a cricketing nation we are on the way up and obviously it would be a blow not to be able to be involved in future World Cups."