Yorked!!! – By Chetan Narula.
An Unforgettable Tournament.
This world cup will never be forgotten.
Because simply put, the premier event of the International Cricket Council failed to ignite the passion and the zeal of a cricket world cup, say as a football world cup does. True football is a far reaching game, more famous than cricket, more nations play it than cricket. But then the way the tournament was administered, it doesn’t give a very good impression to those nations who are trying to learn the game or even adopt it.
Because even though the stadiums were quite good, well located and the facilities were good enough, the travel arrangements and the spacing of the matches was so uneven that traveling band of fans had to make a zillion arrangements to catch their teams in action. So many of them decided to stay put in one of the islands and then watch the matches that were being held there. If in a world cup, you can’t follow your team around to support it, what’s the point?
Because the ICC designed such a long tournament, that just thinking about it makes you yawn. The group matches were increased by increasing the number of teams and subsequently the number of groups. It is alright to increase the number of teams since this is the showpiece event of cricket, but there could be a more logical planning put in place. The first round of matches took two and a half weeks to be completed. On many occasions only one match was being played per day. This meant that a 51 match tournament took 6 weeks to complete. If the ICC is serious about expanding the game and bringing more teams to the world cup, we need something better than this. In the same scenario, if we had like 32 teams participating as in a football world cup, it would take approximately 6 months to complete a cricket world cup.
Because the ICC is just too greedy became increasingly evident during this world cup. the tournament was too long by any standards and this was done not keeping in mind the interest of the spectators, but its own. Only two matches per day was the limit so as to generate as much revenue from the television audiences all over the world. They have to understand that even the millions sitting at home will only tune in if the tournament progresses at a healthy rate and does not stagnate. Thus atleast the first round matches should have been done and dusted within a week or so. Playing four matches per day that is. They surely had the stadiums available. Which brings us to the on field spectators.
Because the ICC even managed to drive away the coolest cricket fans away from the grounds. They managed to drive away the most fanatic supporters away in India during the Champions trophy by pricing the tickets too high. One thought that they might have learnt their lessons then. But no was the answer as again the ticket prices were exorbitantly high. Rates of the range of 100 US$ per head were common in almost all matches and it was no surprise that the spectators kept away from the grounds. Congratulations to the ICC to have achieved something which is quite difficult in the Carribean, i.e keeping the calypso away from the cricket.
Because this world cup saw two great cricketing powers go down in shambles. India and Pakistan both returning after the first round itself, dealing the ICC and the sponsors a huge loss speculated to be to the tune of Rs.1500 crores. Not to mention cricket lost a lot of sheen in the next few weeks. On the other hand, teams like Bangladesh and Ireland brought a new look to the second round of the cricket world cup showing that the opposition quality in ODIs is just a myth. Bangladesh actually raised a few eyebrows as they highlighted the uncertainty of the game that is cricket, first beating India and then South Africa, and then losing to Ireland, who themselves had already taught Pakistan a lesson or two.
Because the other teams in the fray also managed to catch the headlines as almost all lost form in the middle of the tournament. Though they didn’t exactly choke, the South Africans’ loss of form especially their middle order just became a riddle they could not solve. New Zealand started well and even reached the semi finals only to fizzle out. England and West Indies were, well there to complete the numbers, as they bowed out without ever staking a serious claim to a semi final berth. The West Indian loss hurt the tournament greatly as the home side s fortunes were seen as a last hope to revive the tournament with a spark. While Sri Lanka looked like the only team to mount a serious threat to the Australians, but that debate too was put to rest by one Adam Gilchrist.
Because Australia continued their domination of world cricket by winning an unprecedented third straight title. 28 matches unbeaten in three world cup editions. It will take a lot of brain scratching to find another such run of domination in any other sport by a single team, maybe Ferrari and Michael Schumacher in Formula 1. But in F1, it’s all dependent on the machinery too as proven last year in Japan when Schumacher’s car blew up. Here it’s this team that is the machinery and this machine just doesn’t stop. It’s well oiled and isn’t getting rusted any sooner. Plus the spare parts which will replace the old ones are just as good. This mean machine will continue to roll on many opponents for the years to come. 2011 is merely four years away.
Because sadly too many stalwarts played their last world cup and there was only one sufferer, the game. Inzamam-ul-Haq was the first to go, accompanied by Anil Kumble. Brian Lara was the next big casualty as the West Indians could not even muster enough grit to hand him a final winning good bye. Champions like him deserve to go out on a high and that’s what exactly the Australians gave to Glenn McGrath. The Pigeon could not have asked for more than the trophy and the man-of-the-series award. Cricket is poorer post world cup 2007.
Because the world cup finally came to an end, albeit a dramatic one. Actually many had lost hope it would. But a farce of a tournament ended in a farce. A rain curtailed game, 38 overs a side and the last three overs played out in pitch black darkness, not to mention the drama which preceded that. It proved beyond doubt that the best four umpires in the game and the best match refree in cricket had little knowledge as to the rules of the game. The Australians were shocked to hear that they will have to come out again the next day to bowl 3 overs and it was the presence of mind shown by the two skippers that the match finally ended. The match should have ended earlier when the Sri Lankans accepted bad light and saved cricket from this embarrassment. If the ICC wants to project a good image of the game in countries it is trying to get a foot in, it was a poor advertisement of it.
Because cricket eventually claimed a life. Yes it killed someone for reasons not yet entirely known. And there is doubt if they will ever be known. Was he killed because he was about to blow the whistle on the match fixing saga or was it something to do with the book he was writing on the religion creeping up in the Pakistani team. Or was it merely the act of fanatic fans upset with the loss to Ireland. By the way, Ireland’s national academy was coached by Bob Woolmer under ICC’s programme to increase the game’s reach. Who ever it was, whatever the reason might be, he is gone. The man who gave cricket so much, even his life, it’s such a pity he got only death in return.
This world cup will never be forgotten.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Yorked!!! – By Chetan Narula.
Australia blow Sri Lanka away……..
Swish, swoosh, zoom, whiz, thump, slam, bang. That’s all the noise the menacing blade of Adam Gilchrist (still a wooden bat) made as it thumped the Sri Lankan bowling to all parts of the ground. After the carnage was over, when Gilchrist finally got out to an unforgettable 149, there was only one question remaining. Why was Mahela Jayawardene smiling after the toss?
The Sri Lankan skipper might have gone out for toss expecting a good day. After all it was the world cup final and they were the second best team in the tournament. But for all the talk about the pitch and its bounce, Jayawardene actually didn’t know what to do. In reality, it was more like he wanted to lose the toss and let Australia decide. His wish came true and one wonders now, is he regretting wishing that?
Of course he is. Take a look at these statistics. First ten overs
yielded 46 runs for no loss as Australia batted first in a rain curtailed 38 over game after Ricky Ponting won the toss. There were only two power plays to be executed and the Sri Lankans delayed the second one for nine overs after the first one. End result? Those 9 overs were smashed for 89 runs. No Sri Lankan bowler gave away less than 6 runs an over. Everything they tried went waste. The ball did not swing in the hands of Vaas, Malinga or Fernando. Neither did it spin in the hands of Murali or Dilshan. All it did was visit the boundary in quick succession as the Australian wicket-keeper launched the most brutal attack this (otherwise boring) tournament has seen. Inspite of his indifferent form in the tournament, only he could do it on such a grand stage, what Adam Gilchrist did. He scored a majestic ton of only 72 balls. His first ever century in three world cups played. He ended with 149 runs off 104 balls with 13 fours and 8 sixes. A savage batting display indeed.
The Sri Lankans didn’t do much wrong though. They fielded well and even bowled well. The simple fact that Hayden who has notched over 600 runs in the tournament struggled is testimony enough. Or that Ponting and Symonds failed to score at a run-a-ball only shows that it was the special magic of Gilly that failed the Sri Lankans. Not that they could do anything about it. Or that it wasn’t enough to win Australia its third straight world cup.
The only thing that stood between Australia and glory was well, their mental strength. And we know this side is mentally as well as physically tough. But it had been done before. Remember the best ODI ever played? South Africa doing the unimaginable and what bigger stage than the world cup final to do the same but by Sri Lanka. It all depended on how Jayasuriya would play and the support he would be getting from the other batsmen. Well they tried and for a moment, when Sangakkara and Sanath were batting, they were actually ahead of the Aussies on score comparison. However it wasn’t to be. The rain gods intervened and so did the D/L method, virtually putting the match beyond the reach of the Lankans. Almost as if even the Gods wanted Australia to lift the trophy too, such has been their domination.
And so it ended, but not without another twist. This time a farce being played out after the Sri Lankans had accepted bad light. What it shows is that the players have more knowledge about the game than the officials governing it. But let’s leave it to that and look at the positive side. The Australians got to celebrate twice. And if you do think about it, wasn’t it deserved?
Another stalwart of the game walks away into the shade. Glenn McGrath bid farewell to the game and what a farewell it was. A third straight world cup win, four consecutive appearances in the world cup finals, above 500 test wickets, he’s done it all. And to top it up, he was voted the man-of-the-series. We will miss you Pigeon.
Australia blow Sri Lanka away……..
Swish, swoosh, zoom, whiz, thump, slam, bang. That’s all the noise the menacing blade of Adam Gilchrist (still a wooden bat) made as it thumped the Sri Lankan bowling to all parts of the ground. After the carnage was over, when Gilchrist finally got out to an unforgettable 149, there was only one question remaining. Why was Mahela Jayawardene smiling after the toss?
The Sri Lankan skipper might have gone out for toss expecting a good day. After all it was the world cup final and they were the second best team in the tournament. But for all the talk about the pitch and its bounce, Jayawardene actually didn’t know what to do. In reality, it was more like he wanted to lose the toss and let Australia decide. His wish came true and one wonders now, is he regretting wishing that?
Of course he is. Take a look at these statistics. First ten overs
yielded 46 runs for no loss as Australia batted first in a rain curtailed 38 over game after Ricky Ponting won the toss. There were only two power plays to be executed and the Sri Lankans delayed the second one for nine overs after the first one. End result? Those 9 overs were smashed for 89 runs. No Sri Lankan bowler gave away less than 6 runs an over. Everything they tried went waste. The ball did not swing in the hands of Vaas, Malinga or Fernando. Neither did it spin in the hands of Murali or Dilshan. All it did was visit the boundary in quick succession as the Australian wicket-keeper launched the most brutal attack this (otherwise boring) tournament has seen. Inspite of his indifferent form in the tournament, only he could do it on such a grand stage, what Adam Gilchrist did. He scored a majestic ton of only 72 balls. His first ever century in three world cups played. He ended with 149 runs off 104 balls with 13 fours and 8 sixes. A savage batting display indeed.The Sri Lankans didn’t do much wrong though. They fielded well and even bowled well. The simple fact that Hayden who has notched over 600 runs in the tournament struggled is testimony enough. Or that Ponting and Symonds failed to score at a run-a-ball only shows that it was the special magic of Gilly that failed the Sri Lankans. Not that they could do anything about it. Or that it wasn’t enough to win Australia its third straight world cup.
The only thing that stood between Australia and glory was well, their mental strength. And we know this side is mentally as well as physically tough. But it had been done before. Remember the best ODI ever played? South Africa doing the unimaginable and what bigger stage than the world cup final to do the same but by Sri Lanka. It all depended on how Jayasuriya would play and the support he would be getting from the other batsmen. Well they tried and for a moment, when Sangakkara and Sanath were batting, they were actually ahead of the Aussies on score comparison. However it wasn’t to be. The rain gods intervened and so did the D/L method, virtually putting the match beyond the reach of the Lankans. Almost as if even the Gods wanted Australia to lift the trophy too, such has been their domination.
And so it ended, but not without another twist. This time a farce being played out after the Sri Lankans had accepted bad light. What it shows is that the players have more knowledge about the game than the officials governing it. But let’s leave it to that and look at the positive side. The Australians got to celebrate twice. And if you do think about it, wasn’t it deserved?
Another stalwart of the game walks away into the shade. Glenn McGrath bid farewell to the game and what a farewell it was. A third straight world cup win, four consecutive appearances in the world cup finals, above 500 test wickets, he’s done it all. And to top it up, he was voted the man-of-the-series. We will miss you Pigeon.
29 matches, that’s how long this unbeaten run in the world cups has lasted. The Australians were last beaten in the 1999 world cup by Pakistan in a league match. When the next defeat will come, only God kno
ws. Can we bet on it to be in 2011?
ws. Can we bet on it to be in 2011? Saturday, April 28, 2007
Yorked!!! – By Chetan Narula.
World Cup Final: Defending Champions v/s Dark Horses
This world cup could not have had a more perfect final. The defending champions
, Australia, on the cusp of history, a third straight world cup, a record in the making and a chance to get even for the defeat in the 1996 final. The dark horses, Sri Lanka, a great run to the final, the second best team in the world cup, easily the most tactical team too and of course the chance to complete a double on Australia in world cup finals. Doesn’t get better than this.
But it is not the past that matters for this match and that is what both the captains have to understand. Easier said than done, of course, but more so in the case of Ricky Ponting than Mahela Jayawardene. The Australian captain believes that it is the heavy defeats his team incurs on the opposition that gives his team the confidence they have and display on the field. Yes agreed, any win does you a world of good and adds to your momentum. But the truth is that the Aussies haven’t really been tested. The semi final against South Africa was supposed to be the tough one for them, but it didn’t happen. Of course, they deposed off the Proteas with disdain but again, what happens when this team is stretched?
They tend to meander and lose, is the answer. It has been done before and will be done again. No doubt about that, but will it be this match? It might be. Because in the super eight match against the Aussies, the Sri Lankans might have lost but they came away with smiles and of course a tactical advantage. And that is where Mahela Jayawardene has really put his hands up. The move of not playing his front line bowlers in that match might just pay off. Malinga was injured and both Vaas & Murali were rested. Vaas is a dodgy customer any given day and Malinga has well, set this world cup on fire, with his slinging deliveries. But it’s the Murali factor that matters most tomorrow. Yes it matters on any other day too for Sri Lanka to win but not more than this, has it mattered ever.
The last tim
e Australia played Muralitharan for a whole series was well, quite a long time back. He didn’t visit them in 2004 for the tests and then after that played the VB series in 2006. Since then the two sides haven’t met for a while. Why this is going to be a factor is evident from the group stage match against India. Murali and Vaas didn’t tour India prior to the world cup and here they became literally unplayable. And consider that the Indians, their world cup debacle notwithstanding, are far better players of spin than the Aussies. Point is that Murali’s guile is unplayable if you haven’t faced him for a while.
While the fact that the Sri Lankan bowling will be bearing a totally different look from the one that played the super eight match, the batting will be the same. And that is where the
Aussies probably have a head on. Their bowling led by Glenn McGrath is quite competent on any day and if it is the world cup final, you would certainly root for them. It is going to be the last match for the Pigeon and unlike Lara and Inzamam, he would certainly want to go out on a high. And what better than winning the world cup for a third straight time. The pitch at Barbados is expected to have good pace and bounce which could only mean that the Aussie pace battery will be smiling even before the match starts. And as we have seen in this tournament, the ball does move a bit in the mornings before it settles down for the day. And again, the Sri Lankan batting seems more circumspect than the Aussie line up.
The Lankan batsmen have done well throughout but they have not come out on tops as many times it would like to. Against good quality attacks of South Africa and Australia, they came up short. A repeat of that in the final and they can kiss the trophy good bye. The Aussies haven’t been tested as mentioned earlier and Hayden & co. couldn’t have faced a sterner test in the final. Given that Ponting wants to set a target most of the times than chase, both the teams’ batting will have to click. The first to blink will be the one to lose.
Key players will be the stalwarts of the respective teams. Hayden, Ponting and McGrath hold the Aussie keys but its time Gilchrist set this world cup on fire. For the Sri Lankans, Sanath Jayasuriya is up for one last hurrah and then of course there is Vaas and Murali. Throw in a bit of Clarke and Symonds plus Malinga and Sangakkara, it’s a fine concoction for the biggest cricket match in four years.
World Cup Final: Defending Champions v/s Dark Horses
This world cup could not have had a more perfect final. The defending champions
, Australia, on the cusp of history, a third straight world cup, a record in the making and a chance to get even for the defeat in the 1996 final. The dark horses, Sri Lanka, a great run to the final, the second best team in the world cup, easily the most tactical team too and of course the chance to complete a double on Australia in world cup finals. Doesn’t get better than this.But it is not the past that matters for this match and that is what both the captains have to understand. Easier said than done, of course, but more so in the case of Ricky Ponting than Mahela Jayawardene. The Australian captain believes that it is the heavy defeats his team incurs on the opposition that gives his team the confidence they have and display on the field. Yes agreed, any win does you a world of good and adds to your momentum. But the truth is that the Aussies haven’t really been tested. The semi final against South Africa was supposed to be the tough one for them, but it didn’t happen. Of course, they deposed off the Proteas with disdain but again, what happens when this team is stretched?
They tend to meander and lose, is the answer. It has been done before and will be done again. No doubt about that, but will it be this match? It might be. Because in the super eight match against the Aussies, the Sri Lankans might have lost but they came away with smiles and of course a tactical advantage. And that is where Mahela Jayawardene has really put his hands up. The move of not playing his front line bowlers in that match might just pay off. Malinga was injured and both Vaas & Murali were rested. Vaas is a dodgy customer any given day and Malinga has well, set this world cup on fire, with his slinging deliveries. But it’s the Murali factor that matters most tomorrow. Yes it matters on any other day too for Sri Lanka to win but not more than this, has it mattered ever.
The last tim
e Australia played Muralitharan for a whole series was well, quite a long time back. He didn’t visit them in 2004 for the tests and then after that played the VB series in 2006. Since then the two sides haven’t met for a while. Why this is going to be a factor is evident from the group stage match against India. Murali and Vaas didn’t tour India prior to the world cup and here they became literally unplayable. And consider that the Indians, their world cup debacle notwithstanding, are far better players of spin than the Aussies. Point is that Murali’s guile is unplayable if you haven’t faced him for a while.While the fact that the Sri Lankan bowling will be bearing a totally different look from the one that played the super eight match, the batting will be the same. And that is where the
Aussies probably have a head on. Their bowling led by Glenn McGrath is quite competent on any day and if it is the world cup final, you would certainly root for them. It is going to be the last match for the Pigeon and unlike Lara and Inzamam, he would certainly want to go out on a high. And what better than winning the world cup for a third straight time. The pitch at Barbados is expected to have good pace and bounce which could only mean that the Aussie pace battery will be smiling even before the match starts. And as we have seen in this tournament, the ball does move a bit in the mornings before it settles down for the day. And again, the Sri Lankan batting seems more circumspect than the Aussie line up.The Lankan batsmen have done well throughout but they have not come out on tops as many times it would like to. Against good quality attacks of South Africa and Australia, they came up short. A repeat of that in the final and they can kiss the trophy good bye. The Aussies haven’t been tested as mentioned earlier and Hayden & co. couldn’t have faced a sterner test in the final. Given that Ponting wants to set a target most of the times than chase, both the teams’ batting will have to click. The first to blink will be the one to lose.
Key players will be the stalwarts of the respective teams. Hayden, Ponting and McGrath hold the Aussie keys but its time Gilchrist set this world cup on fire. For the Sri Lankans, Sanath Jayasuriya is up for one last hurrah and then of course there is Vaas and Murali. Throw in a bit of Clarke and Symonds plus Malinga and Sangakkara, it’s a fine concoction for the biggest cricket match in four years.
The last time a team was on the verge of winning a hat trick of world cups, Clive Lloyd’s West Indies in 1983, they were upset by the underdogs, India. Again in 1996, Australia were firm favourites to lift the cup, only to be beaten by the 66/1 underdogs, Sri Lankans. A repeat is on the cards. It’s the defending champions versus the underdogs. It’s game on.
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