My Cricket World Cup
London - Born in Pakistan, I have cricket in my blood. But I have lived in a few different countries, some of which still think cricket is an elaborate rain dance performed by men in white tribal dress.
In the Philippines, Chile, France and Italy, cricket simply doesn't register on the sporting scale, probably the main reason I almost represented Italy at international level. One day while bowling to my brother on the front lawn of our home in Rome, a suited businessman who was walking by suddenly jumped over our small hedge and decided to keep wicket with his bare hands!
Needless to say he was an English ex-pat who missed the game and probably wanted to remind himself of the sound of willow on leather. In Italy, Duckworth-Lewis is probably thought to be an eccentric English explorer!
In Chile, where I lived for a year during the early 1990s, football is the ONLY game, cricket was completely non-existent apart from a few tiny pockets of ex-pat resistance.
I actually followed the 1992 World Cup by reading two-week old editions of the Guardian Weekly in Santiago's British Institute. So, a fortnight after Pakistan beat England in the Final, there I was, in a quiet corner of the library, suddenly leaping up and yelling! I got some strange looks, but what a beautiful moment - for me at least.
Most of my family live in the United States now, and in such a huge country, there's plenty of cricket available, both for players and viewers. Pakistan often play India in one-day internationals in Toronto, Canada, and those games are always available on pay-per-view.
Unfortunately I missed the famous moment when a member of the crowd started taunting Inzamam-ul-Haq, calling him a "potato", and then found to his horror that the Pakistani batsman was making his angry way into the crowd to exact his revenge with a swinging bat. Owzat?
Cricket lovely cricket. It drives some countries potty, while others regard it as an eccentric colonial pasttime, but for those with teams involved in the ninth cricket World Cup, the next seven weeks should provide some real excitement.
The game has been evolving constantly since the 1992 World Cup when the New Zealand captain Martin Crowe gave opener Mark Greatbatch free licence to throw his bat at the top of the innings, and opened the bowling with off-spinner Dipak Patel.
During the tournament, I will be hosting a twice-weekly interactive programme on BBC World. "My Cricket World Cup" will be all about the fans, the people, their countries and how they are living and experiencing the event.
It will be a social, cultural and personal analysis of the World Cup, taking a sideways glance at some of the wackier ways people celebrate their love of the game. From "bat-shaped" cars to naming their children after their favourite players. Ever heard of Gavaskar Kallicharan Sobers Border Singh? No, nor have I, but you know he's out there somewhere, and "My Cricket World Cup" will try to find him.
Why not join us on the programme? You can use your webcam, e-mail or phone. On this blog, I hope to bring you a flavour of how I and viewers around the planet are enjoying what will hopefully be a glorious, never-to-be-forgotten Caribbean carnival.
Hey, I am looking forward to your programmes. You were delightful during the football world cup in Germany!
Complain about this postI am currently living in Dallas, TX. U.S.A and there is plenty of cricket for us cricket lovers to watch and play. Our league is growing rapidly and I hope that ICC can do something to rectify the nonsense which has become a part of USACA. Having said that I was back home in pakistan when pakistan won it's only world cup with the team that might rank at the very bottom among all pakistan world cup teams but Imran Khan was a lucky captain and he had 2 match winners (Wasim and Javed, and one unknown (Inzi). I hope Inzi is as lucky as Imran Khan.
Regards,
Complain about this postIK
I too will be staying up, doing some coverage of the cricket online (Watching it on telly and typing it up for updates).
Complain about this postObviously, I can't tell you where, when, who, or for whom I will be covering it. Perhaps I will also come in to see how your forum goes on. As Barbara says here, I enjoyed your Football WC coverage.
Cheerio.
great story....
At the time of 1992WC, i was in india for holiday. i wanted to see all the matches so we have arranged in our hotel a big TV set for all the english tourists. but as usual indian electricity board had different ideas. on the day of semifinal we had a power cut. so all we ran arround looking for a working TV set. none to be seen (whole area was blacked out with the power cut). in the end, we all settle for a radio commentry power by ....(waited for it)....BICYCLE DYNAMO.
Complain about this postWill be in Argentina and Chile during the CWC, any idea how I can find any coverage? Will I be able to download/podcast your programme?
Complain about this postI,m cricket fan now living in Bermuda , I am keen to see Bermuda doing well in world cup ,together with other 16 nation teams .here many people are intrestested in game even they working they are listening the radio it is very intresting to celebrate world cup in Bermuda.
Complain about this postMr nawaz, it is nice to see you in Football world cup..and Cricket too .. you are great !!! we love to see your sports news. keep going like Cricket...
Complain about this postCWC SEATING FIASCO
Complain about this postBooked Family tickets in Barbados have ended up with seats in totally different locations, not even in the same stand. Parents who were required to sign in advance accepting responsibility for minors, have been given seats in different stands to their children. This after booking as early as possible, and needless to say, paying the full amount months in advance of even being allotted tickets.
I do not know if this has happened to visitors or whether this particular SNAFU was reserved for locals such as myself and most of my friends.
No satisfactory solution has been forthcoming from Organisers in Barbados.
I have lost any enthusiasm for this. As far as I am concerned while it may be a "never to be forgotten" waste of money, it will be far from "Glorious".
Hi, I'm an Aussie living in Cayman (Caribbean). Looking forward to it. Even the locals are passionate about their cricket. The Irish brigade from Cayman are travelling to Jamaica to watch the Ireland V Pak match on St Paddy's Day. World cricekt is truley alive,.
Complain about this postAussies to win though.
C'MON SCOTLAND!
Complain about this postFor me in Australia, the time difference means that I will be watching the cricket at very odd times but we have got used to it now.
Complain about this postWHO ARE TH MOST POPLUAR CRICKETERS SO FAR AT THE 2007 WORLD CUP. WHO ARE THE LOCALS TALKING ABOUT ?
Complain about this postThis sounds like a great place to hang out during the ICC CWC! I am a desi ex-pat living in the SF burbs and the local hotspot for cricket is Naz Cinema in Fremont.
Here is some coverage from our local rag
http://www.insidebayarea.com/search/ci_5393924
will try to post as time (and job!) permit...
Complain about this postHi Nawaz,
Complain about this postI am looking forward to viewing your reports on the world cup.I am presently in toronto and miss
cricket very much as I have cricket in my blood
having followed it from around early 1950 having picked it up from my late father.I think
this year for the first time the world cup is realy
open and so should all the more intersting.I wish
pakistan luck though my favourite is Australia and has always been over the years.
Thank you Adnan. I was born in India and now live in Miami, Florida. Is it not fair to say that the closest we come to bonding with our South Asian cultural backgrounds is through cricket and Bollywood? It is truly amazing. Here is a shout out to my all-time fav cricketer Sachin Tendulkar from my home town of Mumbai. Looking forward to the Cup!
Complain about this postI look forward with interest to your coverage from the WC, which I will follow in Southern California (where there is a lot of club cricket), cheering on England, Scotland, Ireland and Canada...as long as they may last!
Complain about this postHi, I will be watching the World Cup in the mountains of Nova Scotia.We still have a foot of snow so it will be nice to see how the smart people live.Canada should win it all with ease,but India should put up a good show.It will be a nice change from Hockey.
Complain about this posthi mr nawaz,
Complain about this posti am also from paksitan but livin in uae, and thanx to Allah v hve a wonderful atmosphere of watchin cricket here as my family and most of my cousins r here and all of us r crazy bout cricket.
will b lokin froward to yr programm on bbc.
hope the best team wins and tht team is mine keepin my fingers crossed.
we will be looking forward to your programs, is it possible to download your programs?
Complain about this postHi, Adnan! Great to see your blog! I'm from Pakistan and live in Singapore. I love your programme. I look forward to seeing "My World Cup" and hope your blog will be as entertaining as your programme! All the b-e-s-t!
Complain about this postHi Adnan,
Met u in portugal during the world cup, asked you if you knew of any vegetarian food outlets. Remember me!
Come on Pakistan! We will Win the most significant competition in cricket.
NO AKHTAR! NO ASIF! BUT THERE IS AFRIDI!
Saj from High Wycombe.
Complain about this postExcellent article or topic. Cricket has always been a game that takes me home, away from home. A common bond among the many Commonwealth expats. My wife and I just moved to Oslo, Norway from Houston, USA. We are both Trinidadians. I played league cricket in Trinidad and Houston. I just signed on to play for Aliens Cricket Club in Oslo. Thankfully, the Internet saves me from your experience in Chile.
And without a doubt the West Indies will win this world cup.
cheers all.
Complain about this postHey, we'll be looking forward to your programmes and all the input of the fans from different parts of the world, which should be interesting. LET'S GO PAKISTAN.. .BRING THAT TROPHY BACK HOME... GOOD LUCK TO ALL THE TEAMS....
Complain about this postHi Adnan,
I loved your soccer wc coverage and ur general sports news on bbc. I am in the minority of female cricket lovers.....so really looking forward to reading ur blod during the cup!!! I'm in singapore and the timing for games aint the best....so we will be pulling some serious all-nighters here!!!
cheers.
Complain about this postCricket is also in my blood, after after this tournament we will be in a position to see if this has generated a new audience that can beat the hearts of millions!? (okay thousands to start!)
Complain about this postWe're almost there ladies and gentlemen, not long before the West Indies and Pakistan lock horns in the opening game of the 2007 World Cup. Personally I have very few fingernails left and a balll hasn't even been bowled in anger yet! I can't imagine how the players themselves are feeling.
From your responses, it really does seem as if this event IS uniting the Commonwealth's vast diaspora, just as Vija Prabhudass has written from Oslo in Norway. It reminds me of the time I went to visit a friend in Armenia in the mid '90s. It was February, and I have never experienced such bitterly cold weather. -25 degrees centigrade, driving on icy, mountainous roads from the capital Yerevan to a small town called Sisian. Why? To visit a military hospital which was being refurbished, and to experience "real" life! I had a couple of copies of the Cricketer magazine with me, and was reading a feature on the great Pakistani batsman Zaheer Abbas. Over my shoulder I heard a voice saying "Girkit, Girkit", a young doctor who spoke some broken English was gesticulating to me, playing some forward defensive shots with an imaginary bat. "Owzat" I shouted and he laughed. It turned out he had travelled briefly in India and Pakistan and was taken to a couple of matches while there. He knew some famous names like Kapil Dev and Imran Khan, but most importantly he had enjoyed being at the games with his hosts and then decided he wanted to know more. With hand gestures, and plenty of exclamations, I managed to explain SOME of the reasons why cricket is a special game. He kept insisting it was like baseball, but I think I just about managed to persuade him that if a sport insists on using gloves instead of hands, then that sport wasn't necessarily for me - I may have been slightly less diplomatic at the time!!
Your thoughts are very much appreciated and are a great example of how sport really can bring people together. To read how you are planning to follow the event, often from the opposite side of the world, makes me think I've actually underestimated the impact of the World Cup. But please remember to pace yourselves, there are seven whole weeks to go, so burn-out may not be a factor for the players, but it could be for you, the fans, especially if time zones mean staying up all night. Lots of sugar may be the order of the day (or night!), even more coffee, and an abundance of enthusiasm.
Living in England, one of the things that personally disappoints me the most is that NONE of the matches will be live on free television. They have all been snapped up by a satellite broadcaster that requires a subscription, so lots and lots of people are going to miss out. If you live in the UK and want to see SOMETHING on free TV, there are highlights programmes every night on the BBC. Praise the cricketing gods for small comforts.
And finally, some of you have asked whether you can download the programmes. We are still working on trying to get "My Cricket World Cup" as a vodcast. Being a technical dunce, I THINK that means being able to download the programme onto your iPod. We'll keep trying and keep you informed. Take care for now.
Adnan Nawaz
Complain about this postAs I sat in one of the computer labs at my university, Cal Poly Pomona, after giving my last final I was looking forward to a Pakistan win.
A disappointing start for Pakistan. I must say the West Indies played exceptionally. A great match it was indeed, great cricket. Hopefully Pakistan does well in the next matches.
Complain about this postITS A BOARING WHEN WATCHING TEST WAIT WATCH VERY SLOW CRICKET AND AFTER 5 DAYS . . .MATCH DRAW . IT DRIVES MAD. HOWEVER ONEDAY CRICKET IS JSUT TREMINDUS TO WATCH SPECILY SHAID AFRIDI RICKI PONTING. BUT SOME PEOPLE TAKE THE GAME SO SERIOUS WHICH IS NOT TOO GOOD, TREAT THE GAME AS A GAME FOR THE FITTNES AND NEED TO LEARN WHATS THE SOPRTSSMAN SPIRIT, ITS ABOUT CONTROLING THE TEMPER. SOME COUNTRIES EVEN TREATING CRICKET MORE THEN WAR TO WIN. ITS JUST MADNESS.
Complain about this postJUST ENJOY THE BEST CRICKET
Hi Adnan
Complain about this postI anm from Guyana and really enjoyed both your first programme on Tuesday, and obviously the wonderful West Indies win yesterday. I have hopes that the West Indies will be the first hosts to win the World Cup. Can't wait for the Second Round matches here when I will definitely be rallying 'round the West Indies. Looking forward to your future programmes
Is the bowling action of TAIT for Australia strictly legal. Watch the way the ball leaves his hand and the wrist action before it.
Complain about this postI am in Argentina fo the World Cup. Is there any channel showing the cricket or anywhere i.e. hotel or club in Buenos Aires where you can suggest. I missed the Ashes, and as an English fan that was not such a bad thing but the thought of missing more ridicule makes me very, very sad. Any ideas would be appreciated.
Complain about this postGreat stuff Adnan. you were brilliant in the Footie World Cup, so I look forward to seeing more of your stuff in the CWC. Here in Finland I can´t get to watch a single ball on TV, even with 2 satellite channels, so I look forward to your BBC World prog!
Complain about this postAdnan
You will be happy to learn that cricket has grown in Rome since you left! Several keen players kickstarted the World Cup celebrations with a match last sunday at the Doria Pamphili , sponsored by the Indian Association of Rome. The day was glorious, the pitch non existent , but never mind, the crowd roared and cheered. Also to let you and other fans in Rome and Italy know that on the 25th of March (SUNDAY, from 9 am ) there will an ''offical' 5 team macth called CRICKET WITHOUT FRONTIERS to be held right in CIRCUS MAXIMUS (Circo Massimo as you may remember), the famous bowl of Ben Hur.
You are invited..spread the word
Complain about this postsridhar
great article sir, i love the passion you have for the game.
I myself lived in china and japan before moving to australia.
I also missed the game when living in these asian coutries.
keep up the good work.
Complain about this postThe passing of Bob Woolmer is a great tragedy. Though I did not know him personally but what he achieved in 2004 and 2005 with a dispirited Pakistan team was miraculous - and you can rate me as one of his great fans. I'm sure most people would feel the same way in Pakistan.
Complain about this postHowever, I would like to take offence at your crude and pointed 'innuendo' regarding the subject (telecast last night - early evening GMT - on BBC World) wherein you implied that the PCB should look into the matter of undue stress/pressure and how it could've been the cause of Bob Woolmer's death.
Let me ask a question. Had Duncan Fletcher passed away, after the 5-0 drubbing at the hands of the Aussies and the allied negative pressures, would you still have made the same remarks regarding the ECB?
Hi Adnan,
Have been avidly following your updates every day. Its a great read though the implosion of the Pakistani team has been very upsetting followed by the passing of Bob Woolmer. I have the greates respect for him and I hope that the Govt of Pakistan grants him a posthomous award and as some people are saying name a stadium after him.
Our team should be ashamed of their performance. Our hope they can come to their senses now. And maybe the Pakistan Cricket Board can puts its act together and not allow a physician to head it next time.
Cheers. Great stuff Adnan
Hyder
Complain about this postMy cricket world cup? I viewed the above program thinking I would get at least an update on the latest results.
Complain about this postI got some mindless twaddle which is no more than I have come to expect from the BBC
What a load of absolute rubbish.
It is a sorry stage we have reached when CNN's coverage of cricket is better than BBC
My only reason for sending this email is a hope that enough other people complain about the standard of some of your programs to make you WAKE UP!!
Hi David, (Comment 37)
I'm sorry you haven't enjoyed the programme "My Cricket World Cup", although perhaps we should have entitled it "Your Cricket World Cup" because essentially we're trying to give a flavour of how cricket lovers like you, and other fans around the world are living the World Cup in their own countries. How they feel about the event, what they think of their team and the others, what they're doing around the Cup, and what they're talking about. How they're celebrating and comiserating, and what their hopes and fears for their heroes are.
Being BBC World's "magazine" programme about the World Cup, MCWC doesn't actually have any rights to show any match action at all, those are reserved for news bulletins only - don't ask me why, but those are the instructions from Reuters and Sports News TV (who provide BBC World with edited highlights from the Caribbean). As for giving the latest results, first of all, we are only on-air on Tuesdays and Fridays, so we wouldn't be sufficiently up to date and secondly there are hourly updates, almost 24 hours a day, on BBC World's sports bulletins and the roundup programme "Sport Today". They often carry pictures of the games and/or reaction/analysis from the teams/protagonists involved.
For these two reasons, MCWC doesn't report the pure result, or concentrate on the details of the action in the middle, we're trying to paint a broader picture of the event as a sporting and cultural occasion. I've repeated it before in blogs an responses, but World Cups are of course also about people, nations, identity, pleasure, passion, colour, sound, emotion, as well as sporting prowess.
We're also trying to do all this with a smile on our faces, and for some, like yourself, we might be regarded as silly, trite, or disrespectful and dumbed down, but hopefully others see what we're trying to do, which is enjoy the togetherness we feel through our collective experiences of the event, and also to put some fun back into sport, and enjoy the lightheartedness that we should feel when something beautiful happens out in the middle, or the self-appreciation that comes with knowing how sport can re-arrange our emotions in umpteen different ways before sapping us dry of all our energies, and yet eventually leave us with the knowledge that what we have witnessed and experienced is exactly what makes us human. And that all of the above compels us to throw ourselves once again at the mercies of the competitive spirits of others, all the while knowing what we are watching is only a welcome refuge and distraction for our real lives, and the real world around us - it's a heck of a pastime isn't it.
So there you go, I've tried o giv you an analysis of what we're trying to do on MCWC, and I'm really sorry we aren't providing you with the service you want, but there are other places and TV channels on the BBC where you can get some match highlights and proper analysis of the games, it all depends on where you are in the world.
There's surely nothing wrong with enoying the World Cup and it's supprters as an event, while still appreciating every fine cover drive and inswinging yorker that makes a batsman hop?! For MCWC the two go hand-in-hand, like willow on leather.
Adnan
Adnan
Complain about this postI AM A WEST INDIAN FAN IN GUYANA, WELL HAVING THAT WORLDCUP IN THE CARIBBEAN IS SURELY A BLESSING FOR US. IT IS A TRILLER! BUT THE A THE START OF THE WORLDCUP TEAMS LIKE AUSTRALIA AGREED THAT THE TOURNAMENT IS WIDE OPEN, WE SURELY SAW THAT CAME INTO PLAY. THE TEAMS LIKE THE GREAT PAKISTAN AND INDIA GOT OUT IN ONLY THE QUALIFYINGROUND. RIGHT HERE IN GUYANA AT THE PROVIDENCE STADIUM WE SAY SOUTH AFRICA BEING ALMOST RIPPED APART BY BANGLADESH. WELL DONE BANGLADESH! THEY HAVE GREAT SPIRIT FOR THE GAME AND NEVER GIVES UP. BUT BAD LUCKY FOR US IN THE CARIBBEAN WEST INDIES IS OUT. THEY DIDN'T SHOW A FIGHTING EFFORT TO WIN THE CUP. WELL THAT ALL, GOOD LUCK TO THE TEAMS WHO MAKE IT INTO NTHE NEXT ROUND. AND MAY THE BEST TEAM WIN. IS THE BEST TEAM STILL AUSTRALIA? LETS SEE HOW IT GOES FOR THEM. NEW ZEALAND LOOKS AS GOOD OR BETTER THAT THEM.
Complain about this post