MELBOURNE, May 3: Former president of International Cricket Council, Malcolm Gray, has flayed the decision to allot every third World Cup to the sub-continent and accused India of using undue clout to influence decision of ICC's Executive Board.

Gray said allotting 2011 World Cup to Asia had broken ICC's rotational policy and called for a return to the system according to which regions took turns to host mega event.

After Australasia hosted 1992 event, it was decided that staging rights will be rotated between five cricketing regions, Gray said.

“This (allotting 2011 World Cup to South Asia) unfortunately has broken that and for sake of the game I think it would be better if it did go around in order,” he added.

“In the past, India has used power of programming to get votes of lesser countries. I'm well away from it now, so whether that's still case I don't know, but you have to suspect that.”

Gray was chairman of World Cup when it was held in Australia and New Zealand in 1992, but he said Australasian bid, however worthy, would always struggle against India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.—Agencies