2011 World Cup

No surprise, really, that the 2011 World Cup has been awarded to a joint bid from the four Asian Test nations. Never mind that Australasia was due to hold it next under the ICC's former rotation system (Australia last hosted the World Cup, a tournament they have won three times, in 1992), or that the Asian bid was submitted late because of disorganisation, the simple truth is that India so dominates the ICC now that they were always going to get their own way.

Good luck to them, the logistical challenge of getting four countries to agree on anything will be daunting but if India and Pakistan can pull this off without fingers going near nuclear buttons then maybe cricket can be seen as a force for world peace. Just so long as the ICC does not continue to devalue the competition by expanding the number of teams taking part yet again. A World Cup that features Australia v Afghanistan or England v Nepal would be good only for statisticians.