World Cup Roundup


By Anil - Dec 5, '02
December 5 2002

The latest on the most prestigious of cricket tournaments, the World Cup, which starts in South Africa in February '03. Along with some other developments and tidbits from Indian cricket.

Fast action on Bonus points

Notorious procrastinators ICC have acted with lightning speed in amending the rules of the World Cup to eliminate bonus points. This was done after complaints from Steve Waugh and the Australians after New Zealand used the bonus point aspect in their last ODI tournament to ensure that Australia did not make the finals of the triangular tournament with SA.

The ICC has piously proclaimed that their rapid action has ensured that results cannot be rigged in the World Cup, as happened in that tournament. However, it is interesting that the ICC is so quick to react to feedback from Australia and England, whereas they routinely turn a deaf ear to feedback from India. Some might ask why it is that the opinions of the main financers of the game are systematically ignored, whereas bit players like England appear to possess a disproportionate clout. Australia, even though the game is still popular there, are tiny contributors to ICC revenue compared to India, with most of the money from the World Cup next year originating from Indian companies. So why is it that serious issues highlighted by India, for example, regarding the World Cup contract, are denigrated or dragged out for months? Why has the Jayadevan formula for revised targets still not replaced the defective Duckworth-Lewis method more than a year after it was submitted to the ICC for consideration, even after most experts agree that it is a far better technique?

In the meanwhile, the ICC has left the PCF (points carried forward) aspect intact for this World Cup. One might ask why it is that they have chosen to do so, even though they have eliminated the bonus points. Can that aspect not be misused in a similar manner? But it appears that the ICC (aka the 2 Malcolms of Australia) will turn a blind eye to any proposal that does not originate from Australia or England. Will someone fire these two guys please?

A refusal to speculate

Ali Bacher has reportedly refused to speculate on the possibility of an early exit for India from the World Cup.

It is clear as day to anybody that understands basic economic principles that there is a massive amount of money riding on India doing well in the tournament. 500 million of the total 510 million people that will watch the World Cup are expected to originate from India. This is also why 85% of the sponsorship money for the Cup comes from Indian companies, who are targetting that very audience.

What might happen if India does not make the Super Six stage? The TV audience for the World Cup will dwindle to a tiny portion of what the sponsoring companies expect. They will be dissatisfied. That makes for an unhappy set of sponsors, and by implication an unhappy ICC.

With the dissatisfaction in the ranks of both Indian players and Indian sponsors high, it is time the ICC consider scaling back significantly their expectations of revenue from the sponsors. $550 million was always too much, considering that the ICC intends to pay only 20% back to the cricket playing countries. $100 million is far more than the ICC needs, including the $60 million they need to pay back to the Test playing countries. The sponsors should be paying Indian cricketers directly, instead of the ICC.

Back to the money riding on the results of these matches: Paul Condon has never explained why he didn't investigate South Africa's loss to India in the Champions Trophy more closely. SA were in an impregnable position, heading towards sure victory, when Gibbs retired and all the other batsmen starting with Kallis slowed down inexplicably to lose the game from a position of great strength. What possessed Kallis and company to give away the game in such "callous" fashion? One might also ask why Condon was unconcerned about this, especially given that South Africa is the one team known to have discussed and seriously considered accepting money for matchfixing during team meetings, and several of their team members have been captured on tape discussing such things. While we are at it, just who is keeping tabs on the actions and conversations involving Lord Condon himself?

New Zealand's bizarre format

What possessed the BCCI to agree to open the tour with a bizarre, immature format of cricket for a serious tour comprising Tests and ODIs? And how can a single 3-day tour game suffice for preparing for such a tour? New Zealand is about as different a place from home for the Indians as can be imagined.. whether you consider pitches, playing conditions, or weather. Surely a better acclimatization is called for if we are serious about this tour, which immediately precedes the World Cup. Instead, we are faced with the injury of our best bowler Zaheer Khan, who was risked in the strange "Super Max" game format to the obvious disapproval of the Indian players, shortly after landing in New Zealand - with the entire team still suffering from jet lag and having to put up with biting cold weather after the hot Indian weather. One wonders if anything non-financial ever enters the BCCI's heads when they negotiate the schedules and other aspects of tours.

Australian superiority

Although the Aussies publicly lament the lack of competition, it is clear they are enjoying the humiliation of the Poms more than they are letting on. Ticket sales are high for such a one-sided affair. Just why are 5 Tests needed for the Ashes series, given the inevitable thrashing that the English have always received?

Indeed, as Steve Waugh alluded, India is the only team to have given the Aussies a real challenge in the recent past. Consider the record of Test playing countries against Australia in the last 10 Tests played:

Based on this, India have a reasonable case to be ranked the number 2 Test nation after Australia. Not only has India won by far the most number of Tests against Australia in the last 10, they are also the only team to tie with them if you consider all 10 Tests together. This in spite of the fact that Australian cricketers are given all the amenities, scrupulously fair umpires and a fantastic touring schedule when they visit India, even though the exact opposite is true whenever they have visited Australia!