ICC chief Lorgat on cricket’s biggest challenges

MUMBAI, (Reuters) – Haroon Lorgat, the International  Cricket Council’s chief executive, addressed some of the sport’s  challenges four days before the World Cup begins in an interview  with Reuters today.
Here is a selection of his comments:
On changes to World Cup format which pitches the 14  finalists into two round-robin first-round groups of seven, a  format which appears to ensure none of the big test-playing  nations are knocked out early as happened in 2007 with India and  Pakistan:

LORGAT: “We’re trying to ensure we give every team the best  opportunity of remaining in the competition and not losing out  just because of one bad game … so that the best do go  through.”
The readiness of the competition hosts — India, Sri Lanka  and Bangladesh — to hold the event after construction concerns  at five grounds including in Mumbai where the final is scheduled  to be played on April 2:

Haroon Lorgat
Haroon Lorgat

LORGAT: “We’ve got to the point now when all of the venues  are going to be ready for the games scheduled. There isn’t an  issue about the readiness of stadiums.”
Following the five-year bans given to a trio of Pakistan  cricketers for cheating last year in England:
LORGAT: “The particular verdict and sanctions contribute to  sending quite a strong message. If you do transgress and if you  do get engaged in corrupt activities we will hunt you down and  we will prosecute.”
On security measures taken ahead of the World Cup:
LORGAT: “We’re mature in our processes, we’re very robust  and as a consequence of our experiences.. we’ve got systems and  personnel in place. It’s in fact a non-issue.”
Are top cricketers being over-worked and becoming burned-out  by a crammed calendar of domestic and international commitments?
LORGAT: “We have reached a point where we think it is the  optimum but there is also some onus on the players, on the  coaches, on the selectors to rotate or manage their squads  accordingly.”
Why the DRS (decision review system), where players can ask  for on-field umpire decisions to be reviewed, has been  introduced to the World Cup for the first time:
LORGAT: “There was a strong feeling that the World Cup,  being the World Cup, we would not want an error to cause a  result that should not have been. It was quite clear among the  vast majority (of the ICC) that we should use the DRS in the  World Cup to avoid a clear error.”
Is the ICC doing enough to promote the game around the world  in non test-playing nations?
LORGAT: “We have stepped up our promotional efforts in  spreading the game. We’ve got fantastic world cricket leagues  and the rise of Afghanistan for example through that particular  league structure helps to sell a story.”