From Bangladesh

This World Cup was to have rendered the old cricketing order safe for the organisers desire that broadcast rights be as commercially sought as possible. In 2007,the shock defeats of India and Pakistan to Bangladesh and Ireland,respectively,had led to their early exit from the Caribbean,taking with them much viewer interest. This time the long league stage was to have secured the big boys from the disastrous fallout of the odd upset,and in 2015 the number of competing teams is to be cut further,relegating most of the minnows to a lower orbit.

Clearly the ICC is hopeless at anticipating the mood and momentum in global cricket. If this long league stage and no one is likely to want a repeat had produced one benefit,it is the affection the smaller teams have gained. Ireland truly shook the competition out of its dull predictability by trouncing England. Dutch batsmen have given a good account of themselves. And Bangladesh gave themselves a chance of actually making the quarter-finals at the expense of England.

Clearly something is changing outside of the big teams and if crickets administrators want to give direction to their uneven plan to expanding crickets geographic horizons,they should take a closer look at Bangladesh. Its not just that they have proved to be exuberant hosts,thoughtfully using the occasion to showcase the countrys progress. But as a report in this newspaper highlighted,the current success of the team draws from a deepening of athletic aspiration after the team suddenly got Test status a decade ago. Test-playing status is a valuable thing,which may not be easily held out to other teams. But the ICC must come up with innovative ways of binding the minnows to the big competition without reducing them to mis-matches.