India using undue clout in ICC

MELBOURNE: A former president of the International Cricket Council has flayed the decision to allot every third World Cup to the sub-continent and accused India of using undue clout to influence the decision of the ICC’s Executive Board.

Former ICC Chief Malcolm Gray said allotting the 2011 World Cup to Asia had broken the ICC’s rotational policy and called for a return to the system according to which regions took turns to host the mega event.

After Australasia hosted the 1992 event, it was decided the that staging rights would be rotated between the five cricketing regions, Gray said. “This (allotting the 2011 World Cup to South Asia) unfortunately has broken that and for the sake of the game I think it would be better if it did go around in order,” the Australian said.

 “In the past, India has used the power of programming to get the votes of the lesser countries. I’m well away from it now, so whether that’s still the case I don’t know, but you have to suspect that.”

Gray was chairman of the World Cup when it was held in Australia and New Zealand in 1992, but he said the Australasian bid, however worthy, would always struggle against India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

 “Particularly when it’s a joint bid from four Asian countries, politically it’s going to be hard to toss,” Gray said. The winning bid missed the original deadline, and when it was extended, Cricket Australia knew the numbers were in the Asian bloc’s favour.