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Craig HillA recipe for the ICC to rescue the World Cup
April 22nd 2007 20:22
After nearly 7 weeks of drudgery what this tournament really needs is 3 exciting games played by full strength sides with nail biting finishes, good pre match niggle and perhaps a touch of the unexpected.
So Malcolm Speed and friends at the ICC cricketnews.com.au has taken the liberty of giving you a step by step guide to ensuring that the remainder of the World Cup is as audience friendly (not PR friendly) as possible.
1. Brad Hogg and Murali might be good spinners but the ICC PR team are not. Stop trying to convince the very gullible amongst us that the tournament has been a resounding success when empty stands and meaningless matches tell their own story to anyone who has bothered to follow the extended format.
2. Relax the disciplinary rules for the next week to allow some genuine ill feeling to brew between the sides. The Australia SA “you choke, no, you choke worsa” tit for tat is getting a little dull. Perhaps some deliberate re-ignition of the match fixing allegations in the press might liven up the week.
3. Release a statement saying that at the completion of the World Cup Murali’s action will once again be the subject of further scrutiny. It’s bound to get Sri Lankan blood pumping.
4. Place a note under Stephen Fleming’s door from Jayawardena saying that the Sri Lankans are not expecting great heights of sportsmanship from the Kiwis after their actions in running out Murali last year in NZ as he was progressing down the pitch to congratulate Sangakarra on his hundred.
5. Release a best ever sledges compilation headed by Steve Waugh and his taunt to Herschelle Gibbs at the 1999 World Cup and closely followed by Ian Healy and his Mars Bar comment directed at Ranatunga in the lead up to the 1996 World Cup.
6. And last but not least hold off on the pomp and ceremony. This tournament has gone on long enough to preclude anything other than the anthems and the odd TV interview in the lead up to games. The thought of listening to ICC execs and sponsors fleshing out TV time with collective backslapping fills me with dread. Announce the games, let them play, and for goodness sake adhere to the time honoured principle of more is less when finishing up the games, particularly the final. I want to see pictures of McGrath and his family on his farewell or the winners’ victory lap not a suit from one of the sponsors talking for ten minutes about the special bond between his company and the international cricket community.
Yours truly,
www.cricketnews.com.au
So Malcolm Speed and friends at the ICC cricketnews.com.au has taken the liberty of giving you a step by step guide to ensuring that the remainder of the World Cup is as audience friendly (not PR friendly) as possible.
1. Brad Hogg and Murali might be good spinners but the ICC PR team are not. Stop trying to convince the very gullible amongst us that the tournament has been a resounding success when empty stands and meaningless matches tell their own story to anyone who has bothered to follow the extended format.
2. Relax the disciplinary rules for the next week to allow some genuine ill feeling to brew between the sides. The Australia SA “you choke, no, you choke worsa” tit for tat is getting a little dull. Perhaps some deliberate re-ignition of the match fixing allegations in the press might liven up the week.
3. Release a statement saying that at the completion of the World Cup Murali’s action will once again be the subject of further scrutiny. It’s bound to get Sri Lankan blood pumping.
4. Place a note under Stephen Fleming’s door from Jayawardena saying that the Sri Lankans are not expecting great heights of sportsmanship from the Kiwis after their actions in running out Murali last year in NZ as he was progressing down the pitch to congratulate Sangakarra on his hundred.
5. Release a best ever sledges compilation headed by Steve Waugh and his taunt to Herschelle Gibbs at the 1999 World Cup and closely followed by Ian Healy and his Mars Bar comment directed at Ranatunga in the lead up to the 1996 World Cup.
6. And last but not least hold off on the pomp and ceremony. This tournament has gone on long enough to preclude anything other than the anthems and the odd TV interview in the lead up to games. The thought of listening to ICC execs and sponsors fleshing out TV time with collective backslapping fills me with dread. Announce the games, let them play, and for goodness sake adhere to the time honoured principle of more is less when finishing up the games, particularly the final. I want to see pictures of McGrath and his family on his farewell or the winners’ victory lap not a suit from one of the sponsors talking for ten minutes about the special bond between his company and the international cricket community.
Yours truly,
www.cricketnews.com.au
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