Canada crushed playing the formidable Sri Lankans. Kenya butchered by 10 wickets after making 69 runs against New Zealand. Weak nations reduced to rack and ruin by the established nations. We have seen it all before: the ‘security council’ of cricket nations getting precious.
The members cherish their status in determining who can and should play cricket on the world stage.
The performance by the Mahela Jayawardene was remarkable – the fourth fastest one-day century in cricket history. Canada was sent packing with a 210 run defeat, with the irresistible Sri Lankans posting 7-332.
In 2015, the World Cup, to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, shall have 10 teams. Minor nations will not figure. But one can’t help but feel that this is the wrong argument to foot.
For a game that is essentially deemed to be the colonial expression (yes, a beautiful expression but nonetheless) of an English past, restricting teams is surely not the way to go about things. The game remains, even at the highest levels, a provincial, village sport.
The debate on whether the minnows should have a stake in the World Cup of cricket is one that continues.
In 2007, Ireland’s captain Trent Johnston explained why he felt that the minnows needed some form of representation at the highest levels. The fact that they are there is itself recognition, a form of recognition essential if they are to advance in cricket.
“We know that we’re not suddenly going to go and play Test series against Australia and South Africa but we need to get ourselves into a position – the political position notwithstanding – where we can play teams like Zimbabwe and Bangladesh” (Guardian, Mar 28, 2007).
The argument of the Irish captain was sound: allow a match to take place against the best, and duly seek the chance to improve. The quality of one’s opponent is the measure of one’s prowess.
Solidly against the motion was Jonathan Agnew, stalwart of the BBC cricket establishment.
“When [cricket] is beamed around the world into someone’s living room, it should let them say, yes, that’s a great sport, let’s go out and play it, as happened in the Ashes 18 months ago.” The ultimate worry for Agnew: the empty stadium, the one-sided match.
The same with Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting, who claimed that the World Cup and Champions Trophy were no places for ‘those countries’ to be allowed in, despite his approval of those probable places that might allow them to gain practice. How such practice is to be attained was not something he dared define.
The current Black Caps all-rounder Jacob Oram was not shy to admit that the gap with the minnows is closing. While some of his praise is no doubt based on the psychology of extolling the virtues of an enemy one hopes to vanquish, there is little doubt that an element of truth to that exists.
“While I don’t know the particular make-up of the Kenyan attack, I’d say that they’d be a couple of spinners and some dibbly-dobbly medium pacers, meaning its going to be very hard to score runs” (Stuff.co.nz, Feb 20).
In the end, there were no runs for the Kenyans to play with, whatever the expertise of their ‘dibbly-dobbly’ bowlers.
In 2007, Bangladesh came up with a host of surprises. A few commentators were impressed. Luk van Troost of the Dutch team did not pass up the opportunity to remind journalists that Sri Lanka had itself been in the dumps of minnow status for a good stint before roaring through the ranks and attaining cricket glory.
Besides, what are we to make of those who tasted glory in the past and are now going to seed (consider, in that manner, the West Indies, and the current New Zealand team). Are these states to be reduced to minnow status and therefore eliminated from one-day competition altogether?
The same reminder must be made again. The minnows are an indispensable part of disseminating the game. Let it continue, whatever the losses. In time, these countries will do those who selected them proud.
Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, Cambridge. He lectures at RMIT University, Melbourne.
Build your own fantasy cricket team and put it to the test with Draftstars daily fantasy competitions. Pick your match, pick your team and watch the points roll in to take out cash prizes on each match. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit.
Probably the most popular Aussie in Wales, Marnus Labuschagne rarely lets down the fans at his Glamorgan "second home". The Test batting maestro was…
RCB were initially questioned after bringing Maxi on with the new rock. It worked a treat as he dismissed Ruturaj Gaikwad first ball.
Faf du Plessis took one of the catches of the tournament as Royal Challengers Bengaluru qualified for the IPL playoffs with a 27-run win.…
Jonny Bairstow wants to never mention it again and Alex Carey got sick of hearing about it but the firestorm surrounding their dramatic incident…
Arjun Tendulkar fell victim to the humidity as he cramped up, but he wished he had taken himself off as he delivered two gifts…
New Zealand took 28 years to win a Test match, finally triumphing in 1956. There were plenty of skilled individuals before that but not a complete team.
