Second chance for Kiwis and Aussies to harmonise

The last time Australia and New Zealand attempted to co-host a sporting tournament of any significance, the result was nothing short of farcical.

The competition was the Rugby World Cup of 2003 and the outcome was that New Zealand failed to provide some critical logistic and commercial assurances and consequently forfeited their half of the hosting deal.

The Australians suffered no such hiccups and sensing that the Kiwi’s were losing the plot, quickly distanced themselves from their neighbours and retained exclusive hosting privileges.

The errors made by the New Zealand rugby officials cost a number of jobs but cost even more credibility with New Zealand sports fans who came to a general conclusion that New Zealand was incapable of successfully putting on a major hosting show.

This loss of credibility lingered right up to the announcement that New Zealand had secured exclusive rights to host the 2011 rugby world cup. Hardly anyone in the country gave themselves a realistic chance and the successful bid was met with incredulous, albeit pleasant, surprise.

Three years on from the rugby debacle, and Australia and New Zealand are to try their hands once more at co-hosting a major sporting tournament, namely the 2011 Cricket World Cup.

For New Zealand it would be a major coup and a huge economic boost to have the cricket world cup on home soil in the very same year as the equivalent rugby tournament.

For the bid to be successful, a greater level of cooperation and understanding must be demonstrated by both nations than was demonstrated by their rugby counterparts.

This is though, very likely to happen. Australia and New Zealand have successfully co-hosted a cricket world cup before and have the 1992 event to call on as a reference.

More significantly New Zealand have in Martin Snedden a chief executive who is most unlikely to display the kind of commercial and political naivety demonstrated by his rugby counterparts of three years ago.

Australia and New Zealand are up against a proposal from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, with the ICC making their decision during their July annual conference.