World Cup was a milestone for cricket's global ambitions

With the decision to increase the size of the tournament to 20 teams and to play part of the group stage in the USA, the International Cricket Council (ICC) saw this World Cup as a vehicle for expansion of the sport's popularity. More teams from emerging cricket nations were given a chance to perform on the global stage and Americans were offered the opportunity to engage with a sport far from their mainstream. There were risks to such a strategy -- the smaller associate nation teams needed to...