Sporting An Opinion

 
Sir Viv Richards has said that he isn’t too thrilled with the way the World Cup has been organised. According to him, the excitement normally associated with cricket in the Caribbean is missing; even at the new Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua. He said, “Those of us who have played here know what it’s all about; the excitement factor. We are a vibrant people.” There is a lot of criticism about the organisation and despite the best intentions and efforts, it’s just not coming together as yet. Add to that the fact that the Windies will be knocked out soon and the attendances would dwindle further.
 
One team that doesn’t have to worry about getting knocked out is New Zealand and Craig McMillan says he is feeling good about New Zealand’s chances. Can’t really disagree with him considering New Zealand is playing some pretty fabulous cricket. One wonders if even Australia can stop them. McMillan is not getting overconfident, though. He knows there are some big matches coming up before the semi-final and New Zealand could still get knocked out if England can spring a miracle. But there’s more of a mathematical chance of that happening that reality!
 
Meanwhile, the developments in India are affecting the Bangladesh team in the Caribbean! Dav Whatmore’s open interest in coaching the Indian team has irked the Bangladesh board and apparently some players too. It’s not surprising. On the one side, his team’s enjoying their best month of cricket ever, but they are not winning. On the other, a job as the Indian coach would be the biggest challenge he could ask for as coach not to mention the riches it brings along! He is caught between a rock and a hard place and if he is seriously interested (which he insists he is), he had to make his intentions clear.
 
One of the biggest matches coming up is on Sunday between archrivals Australia and England and Australia would be itching to take revenge for the CB Series final loss. That loss sparked off a five-match losing streak before Ricky Ponting’s return brought them back into form and is now back on track to completing a hat-trick. The next three weeks shall reveal a champion but there is a lot of cricket to be played before that. And don’t mind the organisational glitches. Just enjoy!

Will you experience withdrawal symptoms with the upcoming two-day break in the cricket? Or do you think the cricket was never good enough to be addicted to? We are sure there are some who feel that way, but on the whole, it’s been pretty good cricket. If only the atmosphere at the grounds had been the same!

Enough and more has been said about the extravagantly high cost of tickets and how the crowds have found it forbiddingly expensive. Despite the best efforts of the organisers with pools in the stadiums and all being installed, the crowds simply haven’t been there. Not even for the West Indies matches.

The break also offers a good opportunity for officials to recharge before the final leg of the tournament. Once this break is over, the final scramble for the semi-final slots shall begin in all earnest. Australia seems like they will get there on a canter. As will Sri Lanka, New Zealand and South Africa. England perhaps blew their hopes when the lost to Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, one of the two surprise exits in the first round, India, has begun the investigations into the debacle and the results are being seen already! Greg Chappell has already resigned and the race for the Indian coach will hot up once again. Dav Whatmore and Viv Richards have both shown interest but the mysterious ways in which Indian cricket works, it’s best not to make any predictions.

And there is more turmoil in Indian cricket with the announcement of the ICL. But Lalit Modi, BCCI vice-president, has said that the league is not possible without the BCCI support. That is true, but there may just be other ways to get this off the ground. The proposal now also has the support of some former players including Arun Lal. The uncertain days surrounding Indian cricket continue.

And it’s likely to be around for a while.

Subhash Chandra’s googly has landed right on the money and how the BCCI and ICC play it, only time will tell. Whether or not they play it with a straight bat is up to them but gauntlet has been thrown. It is interesting that a similar experiment back in the 70s was by another media mogul Kerry Packer. So the underlying theme of TV rights is definitely one of the factors.

But more than that, what Chandra proposes does hold promise. Whether he can pull it off, time will tell. But for the BCCI, it could not have come at a worse time. With increasing discontent among players and officials, the BCCI is in its worst phase in a long time and maneuvering all this would be a challenge.

As if the existing problems were not enough, Indian cricket’s most non-controversial player Sachin Tendulkar has responded to the allegations by coach Greg Chappell and this will further make things difficult for the board. How will they address all the discontent for comments by Tendulkar cannot be taken lightly. He is not the sorts who speaks out too often and when he does, it needs to be taken seriously.

Coach Greg Chappell’s future is in definite doubt but where it heads with regards Indian cricket will be decided on April 6 when the board meets. And Subhash Chandra’s announcement will certainly add to the agenda for April 6!

Upon closer scrutiny, the ICL proposal is nothing revolutionary. It promises better administration of the game and some more glitz around the sport. How much the fans and sponsors buy into it would depend on how the BCCI responds. Will they join forces or will Chandra be forced to play revolutionary? On face value, playing along seems the best recourse, but the BCCI is not known for towing someone elses line… not even the ICC!

The ICC response is another matter for consideration and a breakaway Indian league stands to affect the ICC’s commercial standing as well. In all this, one hopes the interests of fans and players are not ignored. Tough times ahead and the action begins on April 6. And yes, the World Cup continues!

India’s exit from the tournament is reason enough that many Indian cricket fans would stop following the tournament altogether. I mean, how does it matter to the Indian fan who wins? Only the die-hard will see the key matches hoping for some good cricket. Right? One hopes not, actually. Cricket is so much a part of an Indian that the World Cup is his pilgrimage. And the rude end to this pilgrimage may not be handled too well by most.

In our conversations with some fans, we have found that cricket is today only as important as any other soap opera at prime time. The earlier fights for the remote and control over the TV has reduced considerably. Only perhaps an England v West Indies or Australia v New Zealand match will arouse some good interest. And who can blame them? The time for watching a match live is just too wrong. Most people have to go to work and following it beyond the first innings (that ends at about 10.30 pm) is criminal.

Honestly, this could be one reason that the Caribbean may not host another World Cup for a very long time. It’s not well suited to the large TV audiences around the world. Matches in Australia are no problem to follow for the subcontinent or even England. Ditto for games in South Africa and the games in England may be a bit of a problem for Aussie fans, but they are pretty used to it now thanks to the Ashes!

What has also been disappointing is the lack of crowds at the grounds. A similar problem was noticed at the recent ICC Champions Trophy. With limited venues and too many matches, the cost of tickets can be prohibitive. But the ICC and the organisers did not reduce the cost or even make it free. As a result, the locals have all but abandoned the matches. Brian Lara has already gone on record lamenting the lack of support and with India and Pakistan bowing out, even those who had planned trips to the Caribbean have reconsidered and some, canceled.

While the format would come under scrutiny, it cannot be an excuse for two exits. Upsets are part of the game but one upset cannot decide the fate of a team, right? It happens in tennis with an upset in the early rounds but there are more top players to fill the void in a pool of 128 players in a Grand Slam. If this is the Grand Slam of cricket, two of the top seeds are out and that leaves a small field of six top teams to pull in the crowds. Rather inadequate. With Bangladesh and Ireland, it has also meant that 12 matches have suddenly become one-sided. That translates to 12 days of lost revenue on TV, crowds in the stands and lack of interest.

Will this issue be addressed? Is there an issue to start with? Should the top eight teams be ensured entry into the later stages? The obvious answer is yes, at least until the lesser teams are good enough to put up a fight. There would be many who would not like or agree with this solution, but in a world that comprises eight big names, the securities needed to keep the business going are tremendous. Tough decisions need to be taken and the ICC will need to make them. They don’t have the best track record in this regard, but for once, they will need to do it.

Every World Cup brings to the fore a new set of stars who one expects will replace some of the outgoing ones. On current evidence, there are a whole of lot of outgoing ones, but not nearly as many new ones on the horizon. Or are there?

Lasith Malinga is undoubtedly the latest bowling sensation to hit the cricketing world. His unusual action with some pretty good control and a heroic effort against South Africa have ensured he is in the news. And the Sri Lankans know that in Malinga, they have a future star and performer. They need to protect him against burnout and ensure he can play as long as possible.

The West Indies may have argued that Jerome Taylor is a new rising phenom but the team’s results are just not good enough. Nonetheless, he is a talent and something of a rarity in the West Indies: fast, accurate and wicket-taking! Another asset that needs to be managed well lest he also go the route some other promising talent did (remember Franklin Rose?).

Of course, more stars are born out of a situation more than choice. By that argument, players like Paul Collingwood, Shaun Tait, Andrew Flintoff, Shane Bond, Monty Panesar, Herschelle Gibbs, Graeme Smith and many others still have a chance to make an impact. They have already done their bit but as we get closer to the part where nerves start to jangle, a player’s character would be tested. Even for someone like Malinga, could he repeat half his 4-in-4 in the semis against Australia? That would be the true test of his character.

It’s not all about the young stars, though. Old hands like Jacques Kallis, Sanath Jayasuriya, Matt Hayden, Ricky Ponting, Glenn McGrath, Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan and Shaun Pollock have already tasted success. With almost all the above playing in their last World Cup, the scramble to finish on a high is going to be tremendous! Which is where a little help from the younger stars in the team won’t hurt! A couple of exceptional performances from some of the younger players would go a long way and the experience of the seniors could well win the day!

So who has the best combination of the young and the old stars? We would think Sri Lanka!

All things equal, what is it that would differentiate the six big teams in the World Cup. For practical reasons, let us not consider Bangladesh and Ireland. One is tempted to leave out the West Indies too, but let’s not!

Australia has redefined the art of aggression. And for once, we will not go on a rant about their sledging. It’s not always about sledging when Australia takes the field. It’s body language, the small signals they send out even when they are throwing the ball back to the keeper, they dont merely lob it back. Every throw leaves an impression on the batsman. It also helps that they chase down just about everything. And drop almost nothing. So when a team comes up against a unit that is so good, how do you win? Are there any chinks in the armour?

The only real chink seems to be the bowling. But that has more to do with the lack of big names than anything else. But they do seem breakable on this front as New Zealand has proved time and again. In the batting department, they are just as in your face playing audacious shots. Sure a long and talented (and in-form) batting order helps them take a risk or two but one needs to have the self-confidence to play the way they do.

New Zealand is another side that has all the confidence. Scrappy they may look, but they are effective. Making every resource count is their motto and while they may not be as aggressive in terms of body language, they dont lack any aggression in their play. Right from the top of the batting order, they have players who are ready to dig deep and play out whatever situation they may be faced with. Shane Bond and Jacob Oram perhaps personify their aggression but one cannot forget Craig McMillan, the true scrapper who simply refuses to lie low. The New Zealand-Australia match should be the highlight of the ongoing Super Eight and perhaps, the best final.

South Africa is fragile and although their captain and non-stop chattering bowlers would like to show that they are on top, their body language sometimes belies that. The batting is aggressive, but at some level, lacks the skill. A couple of failures leaves them exposed and a good bowling and fielding line up (the kinds Australia and New Zealand possess) can hold up their progress. At this stage, they are good enough to make the semi-final, but should they be up against New Zealand or Australia, it could well be curtains.

Sri Lanka has the skill, but they seem to be getting the batting wrong. Fielding is as good as any, and the bowling has the enigmatic Malinga and Murali with the steady and incisive Vaas to back up but that apart, they can be run ragged. Malinga himself is erratic and the loss to South Africa would have hurt. Now they need to get past the West Indies, one minnow team and England to ensure a spot in the semis. The games against Australia and New Zealand should be exciting but one doesn’t see them beating Australia. New Zealand, perhaps.

Which brings us top the two underperforming big teams: England and West Indies. If the four teams mentioned prior to this form the possible semi-final line-up, these two teams have only themselves to blame. They have too many internal issues and trivial things that should have been sorted out by now. Team selection and infighting will be the bane of the West Indies team while an out of form top order and erratic bowling will bring down England.

If we are to argue that the skills of the top six teams are well matched (not really true across the board, but on an average, there are minor differences) it will eventually be the will to win and the aggressive outlook that would differentiate them. Australia v New Zealand looks the most likely final at the moment unless they end up facing each other in the semis.