Live Cricket Blog: Gunfight at The Premadasa Corral
Roar Guru By Vinay Verma, 5 Mar 2011 Vinay Verma is a Roar Guru
Related coverage
The R.Premadasa International Stadium is a graveyard for bowlers. In 1997-98, Sri Lanka racked up the world’s highest Test total, scoring 952 for 6 declared against India. The highest partnership in Test cricket of 576 for the second wicket was established by Jayasuriya and Mahanama.
Join The Roar’s live cricket blog from 7.30pm
The toss is crucial.
Since 2000, the team calling correctly has won 25 out of the 35 decided matches. Win the toss and bat first. Batting under lights has proved a bogey and tonight may be no different.
This World Cup shows that the cricketing landscape is like the Wild West and the ICC is trying to be like Wyatt Earp. Cricket administrators think you can just sink another oil well into cricket’s heart and the money will keep flowing.
The BCCI is behaving like the oil rich monarchs that give all its citizens a bonus of $3,000 to keep them compliant. Boards like Cricket Australia and the South African board are happy to share in the tripartite largesse.
The questions remain: how much of the extra revenue actually goes to the thousands of clubs that run the game for no pay?
The question of the Sheffield Shield remains a vexed potato.
The Centre of Excellence in Brisbane may not be living up to its name. Our coaches may be sending mixed signals to our young players.
Nothing happens in isolation but a lot is happening that may isolate Test and one-day cricket.
The rights for this 2011 WC were sold for two billion dollars to ESPN and it is hoped the bulk of this revenue will go to those that need it most. Countries like Afghanistan, Nepal, Ireland and Zimbabwe.
However, there must be caveats to the money and the disbursement must be subject to accountability. It would not make sense if it ended up in Mugabe’s pocket.
This World Cup is important and may go some way to restoring cricket’s credibility. Tendulkar is Indian cricket’s integrity pulse and the BCCI retains some respectability through his eminence.
Cricket in the sub-continent could do without expert comments from the likes of Mohammed Azzurudhin and Salman Butt. That these two are employed in any capacity with cricket is blight on the game.
It is inevitable that leeches will attach themselves to a World Cup that should be a celebration of all that is good in cricket. Ireland with their stirring victory over England has given meaning to the revolution and may they conquer more Goliaths.
Cricket has become elitist and is in danger of becoming irrelevant if it does not change tack. It cannot be run as a monopoly for the three or four.
It must be more inclusive and caring of those not so fortunate.
So join me at 7.30pm tonight and I look forward to discussing all of the above and sharing the game as it evolves.
It should be an interesting evening so make sure you put your party hats on and see if we cannot knock these pesky Sri Lankans off their favourite perch.
- Explore:
- Australian Cricket, Cricket, cricket World Cup, Sri Lanka cricket
March 5th 2011 @ 9:25am
sheek said | March 5th 2011 @ 9:25am | Report comment
Vinay,
A ‘vexed potato’?
As I mentioned to you the other night, I can live with T20 cricket, providing the authorities ring-fence it to protect test & 1st class cricket, as they say they will.
But will they?
As you so illustratively & expressively point out, the administrators around the globe are like carpetbaggers, gouging & ripping-off fans in their blood lust for the next pot of gold (errrr, too many cliches there I think!).
Anyway, right now the game both at ICC & CA level requires tough administrators who will put the game before rampant profiteering. Alas, I don’t see those kind of administrators anywhere around…..
As for today’s match, I guess the toss will be crucial, or more precisely, who bats first. Sri Lanka will be highly motivated coming off a loss to Pakistan. I remain to be convinced the Aussies are the “real deal”.
Vinay, I know we’ve skirted this before – but is there essentially any fundamental difference between administrators ripping off fans under the guise of legitimacy, or guys like Azharuddin, Salman Butt, Salim Malik, Warne, M.Waugh, Cronje, Gibbs, seeing the double standards & believing it’s okay to scoop off some cream for themselves?
Here in Australia we’re being inundated on TV by sports bets ad. They are mushrooming all over the place, & clubs are rushing to be sponsored by casinos (lifestyle entertainment casinos apparently). But you just hear the screaming when individuals decide to basically cut out the middleman (sports bets operators) by having their own by-play.
Two wrongs don’t make a right, but double standards & hypocrisy abounds everywhere. If administrators don’t possess the discipline, sense of right & high morals to abide by society’s written & unwritten laws, then how can they possibly expect the players to do likewise???
Apparently its okay to screw everyone else providing you do so under the guise, or pretense, of legitimacy…..
Sorry, end of rant!
March 5th 2011 @ 9:47am
Vinay Verma said | March 5th 2011 @ 9:47am | Report comment
sheek,regarding the vexed potato I just wanted to fin a new word for “hot’. Trying to get away from worn and old cliches.
Players convicted of match-fixing like Butt and Azzurudhin reinvent themselves in a society that has degrees of morality. There is no absolute with middle-classes. The absolute then comes in the form of the poor and the dictator. So given a choice most will choose the middle ground and the silent majority in many case is also the duplicitous majority.
Administraotrs in india are compromised. The next elect of the BCCI is Srinivisan who owns the Chennai franchise and also has Srikanth as his brand ambassador…Srikanth then doubles as National Selector.
Not so bad but Jamie Cox is running SACa and a selector.
Lots to discuss
March 5th 2011 @ 10:07am
sheek said | March 5th 2011 @ 10:07am | Report comment
Does this mean more frequent & longer lunches…..?
At the risk of being deep & meaningful (D&M, as an ex-GF used to say), I look at our society today & wonder if the fabric is being severely frayed. Those holding high office seem to have looser morals, & less personal integrity than ever before.
Our federal politicians, of all persuasions, must surely be the least competent as any other bad time in our history. At every level we are being ripped off by governments & bureaucrats – at federal, state & municipal level.
We are being ripped off by the big 4 banks across a range of charges. We’re being ripped off by Coles & Woolies at the supermarket checkout. We’re being ripped of by the oil companies at the petrol bowser. We are being ripped off by the utilities – electricity, water, gas, communications.
Big business treats the average consumer with contempt & impunity. And we just cop it all. As long as we’re alright Jack, we don’t give a fig about anyone else. I’m not sure we’re our society is heading. But sometimes it looks ugly to me…..
March 5th 2011 @ 1:24pm
Vinay Verma said | March 5th 2011 @ 1:24pm | Report comment
sheek it is ugly and we must speak up. There are many good corporates but the corrupt get away because of the complicity of politicians and bureaucrats.
Public utilities should not be sold to corporations. As soon as Macquarie took over the tollways up went the fees. Sydney Airport is a gouge-mall. $20 for half hour of parking? Which pollie was responsible? Which Dept? Who got paid what? Were the tenders transparent? I think Fred Nile is a puritan but he got it right with the Electricity fiasco.
the carbon tax? Who stands to gain? Follow the money to get the answers.
Coming to sport do the sums. Work out the money involved and see who benefits the most. Not the players(though they are paid more than before). It is the broadcasters. You wouldn’t see it on TV if they were not making money. Unless it was on the ABC. It is time that FTA was given “essential in the national interest” sports…without dicrimination. For this privilege they have to show loss leaders like the Shield.
Not sure of the spot rates here but for the WC in India advertisers are paying upto $7000 for a ten second spot.
We all lead such busy lives that there is no time to channel the outrage we feel.The only time we have is at the ballot box and this is the only time politicians actually listen.
In the end many administrators are incompetent and this also filters through to many large clubs in all codes.
In my sport of choice the questions I have always revolve around: Is this going to help the game? Is it going to enhance the spectacle and also retain its integrity.
There has to be zero tolerance for match fixers. Their records should be forever expunged from the record books. I applaud the ICC for their stand on the three Pakis.They did not leave it to the board. So there is a will to root this out. And in this instance the BCCI and CA,ECB are in agreement and this is good to see. It is not often that I give these boards a tick of approval.
March 5th 2011 @ 2:53pm
sheek said | March 5th 2011 @ 2:53pm | Report comment
Vinay,
It’s a two man show at present…..!
March 5th 2011 @ 3:10pm
Kersi Meher-Homji said | March 5th 2011 @ 3:10pm | Report comment
Vinay, Is the last sentence really yours or an editorial addition to spice up your post?:
“It should be an interesting evening so make sure you put your party hats on and see if we cannot knock these pesky Sri Lankans off their favourite perch.”
Knowing your unbiased writing style and assessment, it could not be from your laptop. Correct?
Pesky Sri Lankans? Not nice. I have the highest regards for them. A small poor nation with a civil war could become WC winners in 1996. And despite 7 of their players almost getting killed in Pakistan in 2009, they have extended an invitation to the Pakistan cricket team to visit them.
I’ll barrack for both the teams. May the better side win!
March 5th 2011 @ 5:13pm
Vinay Verma said | March 5th 2011 @ 5:13pm | Report comment
Kersi,sorry to disappoint but that is my line. I am in a support Australia mode and willing Australia to get rid of the “pesky mosquito” Sri lanka’s victory,for the first time in Australia last summer,is not a true indication of their respective merits in the one day arena. Australia beat them in the semis of the 2003 WC and annhilated them in the 2007 final. I do believe Australia is the better side and it would be a travesty if Sri lanka beat us tonight.
I expect australia to emerge with distinction in this game and am looking for the top four batsmen to set the tone if they bat first and if they field first I am looking for the three firethrowers to be on target. As we found out aginst NZ a natural disaster or civil war is no reason to go easy on the cricket field. We can feel sympathy off the field but when the Umpire calls play it is “war”
March 5th 2011 @ 5:21pm
lopati said | March 5th 2011 @ 5:21pm | Report comment
I see your noble points about the real winners (ICC and broadcasters) helping the less well off but it never happens.
- The millions made always dissappear into the balance sheets as neccesary to keep the organisations alive.
- The host nations would never impose any such requirements for fear of missing out on the economic benefits that will flow down through all levels of the population. Yep, the governments tell us those locals gathered outside the stadium (because they could never afford the entrance fee) are, or will very soon be better off.
Sadly we all know, when the final curtain drops and the lights are turned off:
- the ICC board members will jet (first class) back to their large homes,
- broadcasters senior management will be awarded large bonuses for their success,
- and for the people standing in the sun outside of the stadiums hoping to see a glimpse of their favorite player?
Well lets see what a very recent (even larger event – billions of dollars) acheived for it’s fans stood outside the stadiums: South African kids are still playing soccer in bare feet on dirt roads, lierally risking their lives from fallen power lines not to mention the broken glass and jagged metal everywhere. (There are unused soccer feilds available, but they’ve been locked up lest those kids damage the fragile pitch before the elite members use it.)
Well done FIFA, oh just heard, the ICC will shortly be joining you for celebrations in the ballroom. ESPN sends it’s regards along with a generously provided a truck load of Dom Pergnon to show their great appreciation “for those that deserve it.”
March 5th 2011 @ 5:30pm
Vinay Verma said | March 5th 2011 @ 5:30pm | Report comment
lopati,this is what is wrong with “rich” cricket boards. They have lost touch with the real fan,the millions that play for no pay and the thousands that administer voluntarily. Dining in the big end of town they look down on cask wine and murder beer with lemon.
The money given to Pakistan for the 1996 WC is still unaudited. Zimbabwe has more sets of books than the melbourne Storm.
I know a junior club in Canberra that has had to beg borrow and steal cricket gear. Cricket survives in spite of our administrators.
I am looking forward to the game so I can forget about cricket’s dark side for a few hours. The battle between Ponting and the M&M’s will be fasicnating. 3M should be the sponsors of this SL team.
March 5th 2011 @ 6:14pm
Russ said | March 5th 2011 @ 6:14pm | Report comment
Vinay, there is much here to chew on, so I’ll focus on one thing: the charge of elitism. It is one I’ve made myself, but I think it is problematic. The reason is that calling the full members (or the big-4) elitist implies that they are in fact a coherent group of elites; and therefore allows them to make the claim that “yes, we are elitist, but for good reason”. If you look at the recent test results of NZ or WI they are consistently out-classed. Noone really wants to see them play extended series against the major teams, and by extension, even fewer people are interested in seeing the associates promoted to the same level. A similar case can be made for one-day cricket and the weaker test teams (particularly after yesterday) and the weaker associates.
Brian Phillips recently tussled with the same issue with regard to domestic football leagues: it is good to have elite teams, playing an elite standard, and competing against each other – . The question should rightly be not whether some teams are elitist, but how to include them in a way that the opportunity is there for them to move up a level, without diluting the competition. In this respect, it is also a mistake to talk about “test standard”. There is no “test standard”, there are good teams, mediocre teams and weak teams, and below those teams, there are more teams, each a little worse than the one before. The best argument in favour of more associate teams is that the gap from the bottom of the test table to the top is substantially larger than that to the associates, and so, as fans, we are missing out on good competition by drawing a fairly arbitrary line between “test teams” and non-test teams.
This becomes very problematic when we consider a team like Ireland. I love the way they go about their cricket, but if we were to be honest they are the New Zealand of the northern hemisphere; they will work hard, there will be times when they are quite good, and there will be many more times when they aren’t. Giving them more fixtures, and eventually test status really just pushes the problem down one rung, because then the next team down is against the same glass ceiling. And for the two decades it normally takes a team to establish itself, they’ll have to deal with the same vindictive nastiness that Bangladesh and Zimbabwe put up with – something that is deeply unfair when you recall that they are better than 90 odd other nations, who they never play.
As I’ve argued elsewhere, I think cricket needs to step outside its bilateral box. It should, by all means, preserve those traditional (and financially successful) tours that make the game great, but it should only play them across half the calendar. The rest of the time it should alternate, between what in local competitions we’d call “grading” but in international competitions is called “qualification” where teams play a mixture of good and bad opposition, and elite (and not-so elite) competitions where every team plays against teams of their own standard. And where, most importantly, every nation, from the small channel islands to the big-4 can play with some goal in mind. Rather than the mindless merry-go-round we’ve been subjected to under the FTP for the last decade.
March 5th 2011 @ 6:37pm
Vinay Verma said | March 5th 2011 @ 6:37pm | Report comment
Russ the elitism I speak of is the bipatite and tripartite deals the big four are fond of doing for their own “good” It is not predicated by any altruism. India and australia have demonstrated they would rather divvy the loot among themselves rather than share it around. That is why it is important to have an ICC..even though its function is at the behest of its overlords.
Tangible benefits for Associates obviously must include regular and sustained exposure to the better teams. I would welcome more Ireland and Zimbabwean players playing in grade or district compettions. There has to be a subsidy to the clubs to offset this. And i can tell you clubs would welcome the extra dollars.
I am not sure if you know but Peter Philpott spent his holidays mentoring and coaching the Sri lankan teams of the 1980′s. The ICC should subsidise good coaches to go to these new emergents. Jason Gillespie is currently in Zimbabwe but I believe it is a commerical deal outside any ICC subsidy. The Academy in Dubai has been host to Netherlands and Canada prior to the WC and there should be more of this. In manhy ways the ICC has lifted the profile of Women’s cricket and their initiatives with the Blind cricketers also warrant commendation. So it is not all bad.
Hope to see you when the game starts.
March 5th 2011 @ 7:25pm
Russ said | March 5th 2011 @ 7:25pm | Report comment
Vinay, I think elitism in cricket operates at several levels. Even amongst the big-4 it is still true that they are offering the public what they want – more matches between the major sides. And naturally they are profitable. The ICC has done a lot of good work in the development area, despite the limited resources the full members have given to it. Unlike FIFA though, which gives each member one vote, and is therefore always opposed to the major powers, the ICC is completely controlled by its full members, and it is their collective elitism that is leading cricket down the path of exclusion.
March 5th 2011 @ 7:33pm
Vinay Verma said | March 5th 2011 @ 7:33pm | Report comment
Welcome to this Live Blog,Russ and it is always good to have your knowledge with us. This WC is a test of the 50 overs game. It was only 20 years ago that Jayasuriya and Kalu redefined the first 15 overs. Gilchrist took it to another level and we must also give credit to Tendulkar and Ganguly. Australia have been the Kings since their loss to Sri lanka in Lahore in 1996. That is fifteen years of dominance. Is it coming to an end? I think not in the one day field.
The toss is about 10 minutes away and it partly cloudy and a sweltering 29 degrees.
March 5th 2011 @ 7:35pm
Vinay Verma said | March 5th 2011 @ 7:35pm | Report comment
Sri lanka have won the TOSS and will bat they have included 3 spinners and Australia is unchanged from the NZ match. Ponting will want his new ball bowlers to make early inroads. SL rely heavily of Dilshan,Sanga and Jayawardene.
March 5th 2011 @ 7:40pm
Vinay Verma said | March 5th 2011 @ 7:40pm | Report comment
7.38PM and I am relying on the Radio commentary because the broadcast on TV does not start till 8PM.
Sri lanka are relying on Australia’s supposed weakness against spin but they may be light on their attack,especially if they post a below par score. Spinners do well if they have runs to play with. Australia will e happy if they can limit SL to 250.
March 5th 2011 @ 7:43pm
Vinay Verma said | March 5th 2011 @ 7:43pm | Report comment
You can’t keep Warnie out of the game .He has just tweeted : Australia to win by 10 runs or 4 wickets” I don’t think it will be that close. Australia to win well.
March 5th 2011 @ 7:54pm
Vinay Verma said | March 5th 2011 @ 7:54pm | Report comment
7.53PM Neither of the openers Sanga and Tharanga has score a WC century. Both had mediocre 2007 WC’s but Sangakkara has been in blistering form over the last 15 months and is ranked near the top in ODI’s.