Why do cricket World Cups bypass Australia?
Columnist
By Kersi Meher-Homji, 2 Apr 2010 Kersi Meher-Homji is a Roar Expert
- Tagged:
- Australian Cricket, Cricket, Test cricket, Twenty20
Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh (left), and Vice Captain Shane Warne (right) display the World Cup Cricket trophy. Australia's 1 Day Cricket World Cup winning team drove in a motorcade down Sydney's main street to celebrate in a ticket tape parade with over 100,000 well wishers attending. AAP Photo/ Pablo Ramire
Over the last fifteen years, Australia has the best record in cricket in Test and in one-day internationals (ODIs). In Tests, there have been a few glitches: narrow Ashes losses in England in 2005 and 2009, an odd defeat or three to South Africa and India. In ODIs, Australia is currently ranked number one, 1069 points ahead of second ranked India.
The season 2009-10 has seen them perform very well, in Tests, Fifty50s, and Twenty20s.
In Fifty50 cricket, Australia has won the last three World Cups – in 2007 in Bridgetown, in 2003 in Johannesburg, and in 1999 at Lords. Also, they won in 1987 in Kolkata.
That makes it four World Cup wins out of nine staged since 1975.
Add to this their entering the finals twice, in the inaugural year 1975 and in 1996, and their record looks staggering. Only the West Indies have won twice: in the first two World Cups in 1975 and 1979.
India in 1983, Pakistan in 1992 and Sri Lanka in 1996 have won once each, England not even once.
A formidable record indeed for Australia. Yet they have staged only one World Cup, in 1992, with co-hosts New Zealand.
England has staged four (in 1975, 1979, 1983 and 1999), the Indian subcontinent two (in 1987 and 1996), South Africa once in 2003, and the West Indies once in 2007.
Now the subcontinent is all set to organize their third World Cup in 2011.
So why is Australasia the poor cousin, despite their excellent record, bigger grounds, superb facilities, sunny (mostly) climate and administrative skills?
It’s the same story in World Twenty20. The inaugural one was held in South Africa in 2007-08, when India beat Pakistan in a thrilling final. The second one staged in England last year was won by Pakistan, who defeated Sri Lanka in the final.
And who is staging it this year? Not the Indian subcontinent, despite their winning record, nor Australasia despite their expertise in holding international events.
Surprisingly, the World Twenty20 will be staged in the West Indies from April 30 to May 16, in spite of their inadequate organisation skills in staging the 2007 Fifty50 World Cup.
So my question is this: why is Australia being constantly bypassed in staging cricket World Cups?
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vinay verma said | April 2nd 2010 @ 8:16am | Report comment
Kersi,the business (I use this word deliberately) of cricket is dependent on the broadcasting revenue. The World Cups remain the main (perhaps only) revenue stream for the ICC. The 2011 TV rights were sold by the ICC to ESPN for around $2 billion US. This has to tide the ICC over for the next four years..John Howard will not be denied any luxuries during his tenure.
How does ESPN recoup its’ outlay? Only if the tournament is played in India…the fastest growing consumer goods market.Prime time ads for the 2011 World cup are selling at a premium…this would not have been possible if the matches were played in Australia or the UK. Matches in Australia would have to start at Midnight to be primetime in India. Unfortunately we have not yet worked out how to turn night into day.
I would be surprised if the broadcast rights for the 2015 World Cup in Australia and NZ would attract anything like the money paid for 2011.
Having said all that India’s stadiums have all been refurbished and India will deliver a World Class event.There need be no fears on security or infrastructure and as you know there is no spectator more passionate than an Indian.There are some pre conceived notions that India weilds too much power in the Cricketing World…I think this power has given Cricket a new lease of life and with the right administration cricket can actually prosper in the 21st Century.If anything the current money in cricket may well prop up Test Cricket for the next 50 years..Test Cricket,too, needs to evolve and Day/Night Tests are logical given the time poor society we live in.
Timmuh said | April 2nd 2010 @ 8:17am | Report comment
One reason is that the 1992 World Cup was largely considered a shambles. The scheduling, travel, etc were slammed by other nations baords, promptiong one (I believe it was India, but can’t remember for sure) to claim that Australia should not host another World Cup for at least 20 years – it will be 23. Even the Australian players didn’t like the scheduling, claiming the season was too long with a tri-series and then a World Cup. (God knows how the players of that time, just 18 years ago, would survive today. And, those complaints came only after being bundled out early, so may have been a reaction to results ratyher than schedules.) The semi-final debacle was no fault of administrators here, but seen outside Australia as a symbol of everything that went wrong.
Of course, since then we’ve seen far worse WCs in Africa (where the Zimbabwe security and political situation played a large part, Kenya’s situation at the time a lesser one) and the West Indies, symbolised by the final being finished in the dark, after everyone thought it had already been finished.
chris mackinon said | April 2nd 2010 @ 5:34pm | Report comment
the 92 world cup was a shambles,dont think so u forget, australia pioneed the day night cricket, the 92 world cup was the first to use coloured clothing, australian cricket stadiums where the best in the world then and are still now, australia gets bypassed because the subcontient is seen as the power of cricket so what ever they want they get , west indies are getting world cup events because the icc are trying to break into the american market and also gives the west indian cricket board to fix there rubbish stadiums. from what i have seen in the 20/20 games in the ipl and champions league the pitches have been terrible.
The Skud said | April 2nd 2010 @ 11:26am | Report comment
Unfortunately there is so much cricket played now that organising these events is getting harder and harder to fit things in. Still, it is like buying lottery tickets, if you don’t want to win, don’t enter! Sooner or later teams will get tired of playing in India and consider Oz again, I just hope the planners put in some real effort, not just squeeze the games in between Bandywallop playing Black Stump 3rds or something.
vinay verma said | April 2nd 2010 @ 12:57pm | Report comment
The Skud, your last sentence is the one that holds the key. Planning and arriving at a balance. From all accounts,James sutherland cares about the eminence of Tests and is striving to make a Test Championship a reality..it has been on his agenda for a while. However the reality is that revenue is increasingly generated from India and being the pragmatists that Australians are there is a healthy working relationship between Australia and India(and SAF). England is somewhat on the outer and the reasons are too complicated to discourse here.
As for teams getting tired of playing in India this is not likely to happen as the economy is growing and the money is not about to evaporate. Even in India people like Tendulkar, Dravid and Dhoni are calling for a balance and playing more Test Cricket. Unfortunately the genie is out of the bottle and only market forces will decide where cricket goes..having said that people listen when someone like Tendulkar or Ponting talks. So in many ways these players also hold the future direction in their hands. Interesting times,these.
Whiteline said | April 2nd 2010 @ 3:28pm | Report comment
Vinay,
Glad you are back – I thought you must have hung up the spikes. Interesting points you’ve raised.
vinay verma said | April 2nd 2010 @ 4:34pm | Report comment
Whiteline, I read the Roar whenever I get a chance and the subject of Cricket’s past,present and future is touched on. The trouble with many administrators,and sometimes players like Warney, is that they talk global but act local. And Warney for all his larrikinism,is still influemtial and people listen. His recent eulogising of Pathan’s innings as the “best” makes a mockery of all the greats before. The Viv Richards and the Kapil Dev..especially the 175 against Zimbabwe when half the team had gone for 17. I am for players like Tendulkar, Ponting, Smith, Dravid ,Dhoni and Vettori voicing their thoughts and influencing where cricket heads.
I’ll take my spikes with me to the grave and talking of spikes I played a charity game the other weekend and am still suffering..but you know how it is when you are showing off to the kids.
Whiteline said | April 2nd 2010 @ 5:48pm | Report comment
I think you are right on all accounts Vinay – and I empathise with you on the charity game as my young cricket mad son encouraged me to play the last two games of the season with his uncles team and I’m in the same boat as you.
Brian said | April 3rd 2010 @ 12:36am | Report comment
The ICC plan many of the T20 World Cups with very little planning and fitting them into windows when there is little other cricket. Because we Aussies like to do things at the same time every year the ICC rightly know that apart from Dec-Jan people here would not turn up to watch cricket.
For example the 2007 T20 Cup was crammed into September – no point hosting it in Australia at the same time as Footy finals. Same goes for last year’s Champions Trophy also in S.Africa. Same again for the IPL when that was moved – April 2009.
Finally to be fair prior to 2003 and 2007 neither South Africa or Wset Indies had hosted a ODI World Cup