Boards 'disappointed' with 2011 World Cup snub

The Australian and New Zealand cricket boards both expressed disappointment after losing out on the right to stage the 2011 World Cup. An ICC board meeting in Dubai today voted to award the tournament to India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, looked to draw comfort from the news that the two countries would jointly host the 2015 World Cup as well as the 2009 Women's World Cup.

"The Australian women's team won the 2005 World Cup and winning the rights to host the next global women's tournament is exciting news for the growth and development of women's cricket in Australia," Sutherland said. "It's disappointing to miss out on the men's 2011 World Cup, but I am pleased that the highly professional bid we made, which complied with a long list of strict criteria, and which was supported by governments, venues and others such as our member state cricket associations, has demonstrated to the ICC that Australasia will host a world-class tournament in 2015."

Speaking on behalf of the Australasian bid, Creagh O'Connor, Cricket Australia's chairman, said: "Obviously we are disappointed to have narrowly missed out on 2011 but I think we can be proud of the submission we produced. We accept the decision of the ICC board and send good wishes to the four Asian nations that will host the 2011 World Cup."

Martin Snedden, New Zealand Cricket's CEO, echoed those sentiments. "I believe our joint 2011 bid with Australia was of the highest possible standard and demonstrated that we could host a world-class tournament in 2011, so I am naturally disappointed that we were unsuccessful," he said. "We will work with Cricket Australia, our stakeholders and the Government to ensure that cricket in New Zealand and New Zealand itself gains the maximum possible benefit from co-hosting the tournament."