Cricket wasn’t compelling during 2007 World Cup: Haroon Lorgat

Picture the scene. It’s April 2, more than 33,000 lucky people are packed into Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai with countless more outside the ground and a billion people watching live on television sets in more than 200 territories around the world.

The latest chapter of the ICC World Cup’s already rich history will be written that day as then we will know the identity of the 10th winning team that will take its place alongside Australia (1987, 1999, 2003 and 2007), West Indies (1975 and 1979), India (1983), Pakistan (1992) and Sri Lanka (1996) as world champion.

Who will it be? I would never discount any of those previous winners but perhaps a new name will be engraved on the trophy. Could  Bangladesh spring a surprise at home? Maybe it’s England’s turn to lift the famous cup. What about New Zealand? Or perhaps South Africa will finally lay all its ghosts of tournaments past to rest on the greatest stage of all. Or maybe the winner will come from one of the so-called lesser lights of the world game, who are working just as hard to make sure the rest of the world stands up and takes notice.

Whoever wins the tournament, I am sure that cricket will benefit greatly from this, our flagship event and the game’s biggest prize, which is being staged in the cricket-mad countries of Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka. Nowhere in the world can beat the passion for and power of the game in the sub-continent and I call upon the people of the three host nations to come out in force, support your team, follow the tournament and welcome the gaze of the world to your shores.

This year’s event promises to be one of the most open and unpredictable in history. It seems to me that the top teams are all playing some wonderful cricket at present and there is precious little to decide between them. The Australians could make history by becoming the first team to win four in a row but they are not as dominant today as they were four years ago so the other teams will sense an opportunity to wrestle the cup from their tight grasp.

It’s no secret that the World Cup 2007 faced some significant challenges. The cricket was not always compelling, the size of the crowds was generally disappointing and overall the tournament failed to engage the spectators in the West Indies. This time it’s clear we have learned from those experiences. While we can’t always create nail-biting finishes, we believe the teams will be well prepared to bring their A game to the event and that spectators and viewers will be treated to the very best of nation-versus-nation cricket.

Ticket prices have been set at a level that will be attractive to all sectors of the community and so we are calling on cricket fans in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to come along to many matches during the course of the event, not just the ones involving their favourite teams.

OK, so you might be a proud Indian but why not pick a second team to cheer for during the tournament as well? On days when MS Dhoni’s team is not playing, become an honorary Irishman, Canadian, Kenyan or Dutchman, for example, and learn more about the game beyond its traditional boundaries in the Associate world. The ICC now has 105 Members and there is a real depth to the game worldwide that continues to grow.

I can’t promise that India will win the World Cup 2011 but, with the help of the enthusiastic and passionate sports fans of India, I can promise an unforgettable tournament that will highlight the entire sub-continent and the great sport of cricket in the best possible way. This is your chance to be a part of sporting history.

Don’t forget, this is the third biggest sporting event in the world and the biggest that will take place anywhere during 2011 so this is a great opportunity for India to show off what it can do to the rest of the world. Are you ready for the Cup that Counts?

The writer is the CEO of International Cricket Council