No Caribbean in CWC
Antigua - It felt like an airport today at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.
You had a rainbow of nationalities: English, Australian, Indian, South African, Irish, Kiwi and even some West Indians.
Yes, the hosts are in danger of slipping out of the competition after a demoralising defeat by New Zealand but, frankly, the Caribbean has already been taken out of this tournament.
By the end, the Party Stand resembled a scene after a night out in London.
There was rubbish strewn all around, while drunken men and women wearing various flags were deep in conversations about English football. Gravy, so often a cheerleader in even tough situations for his team, was seen dancing alone with no-one within 10 metres of him. It was depressing.
The finger is being pointed at ridiculously inflated ticket prices and the decision to market the event to a foreign market which has not responded anywhere near as much as hoped has truly backfired.
The home side did not deserve much support, mind you, after selecting a shockingly defensive side loaded with batsmen who proceeded to produce a spineless performance.
As soon as Daren Powell, the only strike bowler chosen, had delivered his opening burst, the writing was on the wall for the Windies.
It’s difficult to see them beating England, South Africa and Sri Lanka, which they probably need to do to make it to the last four.
Indeed, if they and the English fail to reach the semi-finals, the prospect of the three biggest one-day matches in cricket being played at virtually empty stadia is very real and very frightening.
We can only hope Brian Lara’s men raise their standards considerably and quickly but it’s difficult to see that happening right now.
I was listening to this via the website today and I had to turn it off in the end as I also found it depressing. Mainly for the way the West Indies played (lets not take anything away from the Kiwi's) but also because of the lack of crowd.
What are the organisers thinking? I am off to Grenada in a couple of weeks to catch the last 2 games of the Super 8s and I have mixed feelings about what sort of "Carribean" atmosphere there will be. As a child I always looked forward to seeing cricket in the Carribean, the music, the people, the cricket and now I am not so sure what to expect?
As if it's not enough with the death of Woolmer to taint this World Cup.
Surely it's not too late to turn it around and offer discounts or free tickets to locals/school kids?? I hope so for the sake of Cricket and the Carribean's persona to the world.
Complain about this postYep. Agreed with the sentiments. Semi-finals involving Oz, SA, Sri lanka and NZ are looking ominously likely unless our boys or the Windies can get their acts together
Complain about this postUnlike my last comment which not to my surprise was not posted. This one i am certain will be posted. Not trying to come out as a pannic supporter. but the truth has to be told my one prediction Lara will bow out of the game of cricket and it will about two years too late. Not to sound like a sour looser I`ll leave it to the cricket experts and historian to expond on the subject not if, but when Lara decides to retire from the game of cricket. Mark my words.
Complain about this postWest Indies have got to do a la Malinga if they are to stay in the competition! Atleast for Lara's sake they should! (*Sobbing)
Complain about this postGood bye iiiiiiiiii good biiiiiiiii. So much for cricket they had a chance to make it world wide recognized, it will take them another ten years to achieve that, after today's performannce West Indies - New Zealand, to bad laddies thats the way the cards fall so lets get on with the National foot ball League and the American Foot Ball League. Some thing we all understand.
Complain about this postJohn Kozlich
I totally agree, I've been on holiday in Barbados for the last 3 weeks and the general atmospherere has been of indifference to the whole event. Few locals I spoke to around the island seem to be interested in the cricket and many couldn't care less.
Complain about this postI live in Barbados, and while I support the W.I, I had no intention of spending any money to see them put in yet another spineless performance. They aren't worth it. And you are right. The World Cup wasn't marketed to the people of the West Indies.
Complain about this postWhen Australia were tipping along at 250 runs, I didn't have the faith that we could make that many runs. I wanted to be proved wrong, but anything over 225 runs, the Windies can't seem to manage it. Another typical performance today from the guys. Lara should just come to the press conference with a tape recorder and play one of his previous speeches.
The guys needed to raise their standards long ago, but they consistently don't. Can't see it happening now. Something is seriously wrong with our cricket.
I am English and live and work out in Antigua, but the writing was on the wall with regard to stadia crowds a long time ago. Most people here would have to work three days to earn enough for one seat ticket, then they will also lose the money from not working...that's nearly a weeks pay to see one game once they have eaten and drank. What on earth were people kidding themselves about? The Stanford 20/20 cup last year was packed with games in the evening and entry free or at a level people could afford. The ICC has got it wrong, if you want cricket to be taken up by more people in the countries the competition is played in then let them join in....don't build stadia that no-one can afford to go to
Complain about this postExcellent view of the ICC and its total lack of mature professional marketing skills. To think you can attract tourists to a set of islands "off tourist season," was mad. The locals would have loved to go to games and partied up but the ICC makes the members at Lords look like liberal party animals.
We were in St . Lucia and the local populace was great but the restraint on the experience from the ICC left me with an empty feeling
Complain about this postWhy should it be staged in the West indies in the first place?
It is not like football where the whole world will descend where the world cup is played irrespective of the place where it is hosted.
For cricket world cup the ideal nations are the sub continent, Australia and england.
It is depressing to see the biggest tournament of the game without any spectators.
Complain about this postDid anybody forget that the 1987 World cup was held with more than 80000 people attending a non-indian final or the MCG being full for the final between Eng and Pakistan
watching the windies against australia on tues and weds was like watching the men play the boys. even in the warm up before the match the aussies showed they were a disciplined and dedicated side. they appeared a good 90 mins before the game started, doing systematic warm up stretches, practising their accuracy in throwing and batting and generally working as a team. the windies on the other hand sauntered out about 40 mins later, and proceeded to have alittle "knock about" as if it was for sunday afternoon cricket on the village green. If they can't show some dedication and put some work in to take their game seriously, how can they expect the fans to take them seriously?
Complain about this postThe organisers were so obsessed with trying to part foreign supporters from their hard-earned cash that they priced most local fans out of the equation completely, and anyone who wasn't was put off by the ICC's ridiculous restrictions on bringing food and drink, musical instruments, etc. into the ground.
Unfortunately for the organisers, the expected English supporters were never going to materialise in the numbers they expected, due partly to the counter-attraction of the Ashes (most couldn't afford the time or money for both tours), and partly due to lingering bitterness over the WICB's ticket rip-off of English fans in 2004.
Meanwhile, hoteliers and airlines believed the organisers' hype about the numbers expected, and thought they could charge what they liked, too. The result was that most overseas supporters will have taken one look at the prices being mooted, and immediately taken the decision not to go.
This was a golden opportunity to revive cricket in the Caribbean, by getting local people back into the habit of going to watch it. Unfortunately the world cup organisers and the ICC between them have so far squandered this wonderful opportunity completely. It is an absolute scandal.
Complain about this postI think the time has come to develop a system whereby, W.I cricket selectors are held accountable for their actions, i.e. the consistently dismal performance of their selections.
West Indies cricket fans need to be rescued from this incompetent clique. We need to establish a regional panel to review the process in which selectors are nominated and appointed.
Complain about this postI really thought that this world cup would put cricket up with the most highly recognised sports. It is a shame that this has had to happen to the sport.
Complain about this postseems as if west indies will have to call upon thier newly acquired citizens hadyn and gibbs to rescue them.
Complain about this postTrue what you say about marketing mistake to foreigners instead of locals and also inflated prices.
Now however, many W. Indians would overpay if they had a fighting and scrappy team. One only needs to look at Ireland, so called minnows, down and out against Zimbabwe and yesterday's classic back from the dead never say die effort from Sri Lanka. So they lose, but it gives them confidence that they can still defend a small total and which Sri Lankan fan or any cricket fan for that matter would not respect them for their fighting spirit.
Lara or singulara as he is better known as, is the same joker who dropped Sarwan to prove some point. He is the rotten apple or mango (as we are in the WI) that spoils the whole barrel.
Like Inzamam and some Indian players, he has an inflated ego of himself. He is no leader and making him captain was the biggest mistake the West indies ever made. Talented as he is, he is no Richards or Lloyd. West Indies won nothing with him and will never.
I am a West indian and God knows that I love my Windies, but this is the way I see it and it makes me sad, really sad.
Complain about this postThanks for listening.
Overpricing, ridiculous restrictions in the guise of security, murder and most of all, spineless performances by the West Indies team have well and truly spoilt what should have been a really good sporting event for the Caribbean.
Complain about this postVery disappointing.
The ICC deserve to loose money.
Complain about this postLiving in Australia means that the only access to matches where Australia are not playing are through the internet on the scripted reports.
Greed prevents us from even listening to the world cup unless you have cable TV!
We had access to all the World cup soccer (sorry football ) on both radio and TV, and its the same for other world sports including Wimbledon on free to air and steam radio.
So although a cricket lover I believe that because of their greed they have relegated this tournament to a side show.
No wonder then that people are not taking much interest!
After all the world swimming championships are on here.
I reckon that pyjama cricket will be in decline with 20 twenty taking over.
The ICC have only themselves to blame!
I think the WI selectors took a holiday today, what was the reason behind selecting seven batsmen, if six cannot do the job did they expect seven would, somehow there is a feeling that the WI team had already lost their intensity for this tournament.
Complain about this posti am very disappointed with lara and co.
Complain about this poston their home ground i was hoping that they will reach atleast semifinal, you are right , i don't see them beating ENGLISH, S.A., OR S.L. I am keeping my fingers cross for the good of cricket, seeing what is happend last 2 week,with INDIA, PAK, gone, murder of WHOOLMER, hanging large on the scene. hey u know what, i have saved bunch of money, by not going to w.c., since i stay in usa. i was almost on the plane, but my buisness commitment at last hour kept me here.
shan form L.A.
The West Indies were doomed from the moment Brian Lara, confounding most experts, opted to take the field. Of course the Aussies, led by Hayden, proceeded to conduct what was nothing less than a clinic on the art of batsmanship. Lara is indeed a great cricketer but, I submit, his captaincy leaves much to be desired. He has committed this blunder too often for it to be excusable. Therein lies his team's main problem. I do not expect a change at the helm for the duration of the tournament, so, sad to say, a team that does have some great talent, is likely doomed.
Complain about this postWest Indian cricket has been deteriorating for the past 7 years, with no positive change in sight. The batting line-up is built around Lara. In my opinion, the other batsmen have shown a remarkable incapacity to spend long periods at the crease. They should all be replaced, especially Sarwan. He has consistently done very little to justify his No 3 batting position.
The bowlers believe pace without direction, line and length is the answer. Although not very fast, Richard Hadlee and Malcolm Marshall were very successful because they were masters of line and length. Wides, no-balls, short of length and inconsistent bowling have become the norm.
Compared with the three W's, Sobers, Kanhai, Richards, Marshall, Holding and Garner, our current bunch with the exception of Lara, is definitely sub-standard.
I hope the team is replaced after the World Cup.
Their performance is disgraceful.
Complain about this postI have been watching one day cricket since the day it was formatted. I noticed that progressively this noble game too became a subject for gambling (betting). Thus started the demise of one day cricket. The 'nail in the coffin' finally hammered with the murder of Bob Woolmer for whatever reasons. Enough is enough for me - not that I have not enjoyed one day cricket. Match fixing and betting has become a norm in one dayers. I shall not be fooled again! Goodbye one day cricket.
Complain about this postChandran Sukumaran - Malaysia
In the opening ceremony they kept repeating " This will be the best ever Cricket World Cup".
Well sorry folks - the charm ended once India and Pakistan were eliminated and ofcourse the death of Woolmer left a big taint.
I would sum it up as "The worst ever world cup" - whoever wins it will also not want to remeber it.
Complain about this postNZ have got to be in the top three.......As much as I hate to admit it, NZ have several match winners.......Styris has the practise but has he peaked too soon?????
If so Oram will pick up the pieces
And thats from a pomme!!!
Complain about this postIts a tough call to make for any organiser to make as to what to charge admission for what is a global event. Some key points:
1) to set up a world cup of any magnatude costs cash and to re-coupe this you need TV, sponsorship and gate money. To get this right they all need to balance to make the event a "must see" tournament. Giving the tickets away (which they will probably have to do, to get some buzz going for the likes of Bangladesh v Ireland) is an admission of failure.
2) The format needs to be fair, for half of the teams in the Super 8 to have a 2 point advantage seems crazy and weights this stage in favour of the top seeds, Windies and England have little chance of getting through with a 2 point handicap.
3) The teams all look pretty jaded, except the Aussies, who "rested" half of thier first team in the Commonwelth Series to be ready for this event - so playing too much cricket can have an effect
4) The Woolmer effect has put a mockers on the event, regardless if you are a fan or a player, it does make the whole event seem pretty worthless.
Finally I think the event needs to travel the globe to have any credibility and should look to the likes of soccer that have taken the World Cup to the US and Japan, neither major footy nations, but generated massive interest in the sport and the creed of a world game
Complain about this postWorld Cup Cricket tournament has already lost its attraction among Indian and Pakistani fans and now its on the brink of losing its colours in the local lovers.
Now the West Indies have to take every match as their final match. Although winning a match against South Africa is very difficult for West Indies considering their recent form, but West Indies is quite unpredictable team. If you have a glance at 1996 World Cup, where West Indies had lost match to Kenya, but came back brilliantly by defeating Australia in the group stage and later on beat South Africa in the quarter final.
If Pakistan had made way to Super 8 by defeating Ireland, West Indies would have still had a fair chance to reach to the semi finals. Because the two points that West Indies carried to the Super 8 are against comparatively weakest side at this stage and it seems now as these points can play a crucial roll.
But I still hope that if Lara, Chanderpaul and Sarawan could get their forms back, they could make any upset.
Complain about this postI am dissapointed, not surprise. Brian cataincy is about Brian. He is over subcribe and over value as a captain. He was only appointed to salvage his captaincy legacy, which is defensive and is a absmal failure. The tour of England, I beg WestIndies board look in a new direction and pick Brian only as a batsman. West Indies cannot win the cwc if they are being defensive, they need to be aggressive and really try to bowl out their opposition. Droping Taylor was like droping the cwc 2007. Pick up the pieces guys it is not to late.
Complain about this postHey, as a TV spectator I could not agree more with the views presented in this column. I have watched a number of first round matches and thought to myself, hey, there aren’t many watching the game right now because everyone is waiting for the next round of matches to begin. Well, if I were betting on that thought I would have lost. The stands continue to resemble a funeral home with only the friends and family of the players watching the game. My only hope is that ticket prices drop soon and the carnival atmosphere returns to the islands stadium.
How can one begin to get excited about a game when there is no atmosphere? As things stand right now, the only talking point coming out of this competition will be the empty stadiums and lost opportunities by the islands that have pumped millions into their facilities.
Guys, lets wake-up and salvage something! The minnows are all but gone, save one. The teams that remain are the cream of the crop for the 2007 World Cup of Cricket, well every team had a chance to shine, and India and Pakistan failed, no excuses allowed.
As things currently stand, I can not see the World Cup returning to the Caribbean for a very long time not because the islands can not host the event, but more because the flamboyant stroke play of the men of the islands is starting to set with the evening sun!
Complain about this postIts funny reading some of the comments here particularly from the Indian and Pakistan camps. How could these teams not qualify from their groups when all they had to do was win 2 from 3 games
Complain about this postagainst minnows not worthy of Test cricket?
Sour grapes - come on the underdogs - send England home next!
It is sad. I am a West Indian, and I enjoy cricket and have been to Kensington Oval on a few occasions in the past. The atmosphere was great! This World Cup is not attracting WI cricket lovers. I know it's a World Cup, but it is being held over here. We are known for our atmosphere, but with so many rules & regulations, it seemed like it was being stifled and sterilised. They forgot and neglected the Caribbean people in the process. A lot of C'bean people don't feel that they are part of this World Cup. I saw numerous ads in the media to attract the foreigners to the Cricket, but nothing to attract the people already here.
Complain about this postHearing Lara talk about the boys giving it their best really sickens me. We are like dominos, one falls and down go the rest. Anyone playing us knows they are virtually guaranteed an early wicket/wickets. Stupse.
I made a promise to myself that I was not spending any money to attend WI matches until they show that they are worth the effort. It's the same ole story time & time again. No amount of party stand will change my mind about that. They don't have any pride in representing us and constantly trot out the same old drivel about doing better next time. I always remember Lara saying that records are made to be broken when we were beaten so badly at Kensington Oval some years ago, and I thought to myself, these guys don't care about retaining the WI pride. When you have proud records that have stood for so long, you fight tooth and nail to ensure that it is not simply tossed aside in a tepid performance.
FED UP AND FRUSTRATED WINDIES FAN. STUPSE!!!!!!!
Looks like West Indies Vs. Bangladesh is going to be a tough match in Super Eight.
Complain about this postWhy do I continually expect more from the West Indies?? No dedication, no commitment. Only a "We have to put this loss behind and concentrate on the next game, blah blah blah."
Complain about this postYet another letdown, but not too worry, we'll win our remaining games :-(
I am sooo angry. Watching them today was another case of deja vu. No one to blame but themselves. They just don't care, but expect the fans to continually spend money to support them. Fuhget it!! We have the talent, but no drive or committment. We saunter onto the pitch, hit some spectacular shots and then on the next pitch, play a stupid shot and go back in for a nap.
I am off to bed, I am just numb with disappointment.
Count on the Windies to perform to their usual standards.
John Kozlich: Your post was interesting but it lacked something...
... A POINT!
Go comment on something you have some knowledge of.
Complain about this postBrian Charles Lara will ride off into the Caribbean sunset on the back of a Windies' World Cup triumph - I think his team owes him that at the very least.
We have seen how South Africa came together as a nation on that memorable day in 1995, at Ellis Park, to galvanise the Boks into the mighty All Blacks so the fact that a lot of Caribbeans have been priced out of the event is CRIMINAL. The ICC has A LOT to answer for if the Windies can't benefit from home support.
Complain about this postHello cricket fanatics.
There is a new social network site for cricket fanatics . Discuss cricket, meet new friends of the game and more.
http://ecricks.ning.com
Check it out.
Complain about this postThe lack of spectator interest in the tournament is alarming. Not good for Windies cricket. I can't see them hosting another Cup in a long long time especially considering that the commercial interests in the Sport are now so strongly skewed towards Asia.
Complain about this postAll my life I have dreamed of visting the West Indies to watch the cricket-ever since I saw my first glimpses of the carnival atmosphere with drums and colour in the late 70's. I still have not been but looked at the lone Kiwis today up on the hill and can't help but think that they must be disappointed-you come to a country not just for the sport but for the culture that goes with it and the ICC has stripped that away so both foreigners and locals are disappointed.
A high price for foreigners is okay but they must have an allocation for locals at say US$10 each to give the game some spirit!
Complain about this postthe west indies team will definitely not make the semi finals.the team lack the depth in bowling and batting and even seems not to be commited to the task at hand. THEY WILL BE BITTEN BY ENGLAND, SOUTH AFRICA AND SRI LANKA. HOW SAD
Complain about this postAs depressing as it may sound I think the ICC and the cricket world depend too heavily on the crazy cricket fans of the sub-continent...And I mean lets face it, Cricket in sub-continent is 2nd only to religion, that's if it's not religion in it self.
With that aside I know that people in the United States were designing their vacations around going down to see Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India in the super 8's, semis and so fort. But after the quick exit of the two sub-continent teams, it feels like there is no such thing as the world cup any more. People have cancelled their vacations to the West Indes and have no idea whats going on in the Cricket world.
In short, as long as the Cricket world caters to the audience of the Sub-continent it should expect intrest that is parallel to the feats of the sub-continent teams. Now if the teams dont perform, ICC is left with the dillema of how to make their biggest tournament profitable while at the same time keeping the WC appeal alive...
Complain about this postIt's ridiculous charging a month's wages to see a game of cricket. Little wonder nobody is going. Reduce the ticket price to say a half-day's wage and the stadia will start to fill up. Surely capacity crowds are better than a few stragglers paying top dollar? Or is money the only thing that interests the powers that be in cricket?
This attitude is appalling and sends the wrong message out to tomorrow's cricketers - no wonder it's a rarer sight these days to see Caribbean children playing cricket in the street if their perception is that only the super-rich go and play or watch. Utterly stupid. Let's hope the ICC remove the bullets from their feet before the end of the championship. Duh.
Complain about this postGround support by the spectators to a particular side to win, plays a big role in cricket. West Indies Cricket Board made a big mistake by selling the tickets in an exorbident prices where an ordinary man can not afford to buy.
I firmly believe that it is the main reason to loose yeaterday's match to New Zealand.
Don't reapeat this mistake WCB if you like to see your fantastic crickrt side come in to the semi finals.
But from there of course it will be bad luck for you as the Sri Lankans are going to take over to win the cup.
Sri Lankan
Complain about this post
Complain about this postGREEDY GREEDY GREEDY
the cricket bigwigs deserve every bad report they get .... idiots ...... rip off the few instead of being good to the many (and making more money) .... did none of these fools learn the basics about business.
It was the same in OZ for the ashes, nigh on impossible to get a ticket if you were an England fan in England but the aussie tout's had books full from cricket australia outside the MCG and so missed the chance of a record attendance..... Then the ICC want me to head off to the Windies for more of the same ... dream on con men.
Talk about a missed chance to show the world what wonderful colourful generous vibrant people live on the islands ....
As for the team the Windies put out ... FFS springs to mind ..... the game was lost when the team sheet went up ! Ricky Ponting must have thought it was some sort of wind up...
I'm sorry that you feel it necessary to have West Indies and / or Enlish teams in the last four or the WCC will be a washout. Don't you feel that Australian, South Africa, Sri Lankan and New Zealand (not to mention Bangladesh and Ireland!) teams are capable of producing a decent level of entertainment in the semi-finals? I must say that your comments are rather condescending to teams that, for some time frankly, have out-performed the two countries that you favour. I prefer to see teams win that have the skill, daring and leadership to merit their success in the final rounds.
Complain about this postJohn Kozlich - not quite sure what your rant is trying to get at, but maybe you should include watching the "World" Series, or any of the other drug fuelled American sports that are so popular nobody else in the world cares for them.
Complain about this postYes, the carribean cricket has lost a lot in recent days. But to me it is more a case of mismanagement rather than bad performances. Look at the way they marketed the event, the way they handled the security issues and most of all the way they prepared the wickets! To me this world cup has been the most lack luster event in the history of the sport.
Complain about this postI fully agree with the comments directed at the ICC and the organising committee. However, as someone else mentioned, the local businesses and international airlines are also culpable. Prices for hotels and flights were inflated to such an extent that it put many foreigners off (including me and the other 6 people that were planning to travel). Add that to restrictions in some villas like minimum of two week bookings during the World Cup and foreigners with cash, as well as locals were priced out of the competition.
Complain about this postThe ICC are 100% to blame for this shambles. The whole cricketing fraternity understands that cricket in the Windies has been in decline for some time so what do they do? They price the local supporters out of the market for tickets and with a lack of cricketing nations able to realistically get to the Caribbean they were relying on local support to fill all these new stadia. Having put all their eggs in one Indian basket with regard to sponsorship and television rights, the ICC have failed to protect the values of the game. Seeing games played out in front of empty stadia wouldn't be a problem in the ICC's eyes if billions of people were tuning in across the sub-continent but as India and Pakistan have been eliminated the whole competition is a shadow of what it could be if local passion was injected. But no common sense has been used and the ICC have to answer as to why they awarded the competition to the West Indies but then charged English prices for tickets. It is a disgrace and would not happen in any other sport...
Complain about this posti think the organizers did not correctly plan the competition, all the new stadias built was not necessary, the viv richard grounds is fantastic but the field is full of sand...
Complain about this postThe ticket prices are too high for locals of some countries, and the ICC should have collaborated with some airlines and hotels to have specials to harbor tourists, i was sad to see an empty stadium for NZ vs W.I.... very disappointing. The ICC should have had a discounted rate for locals or lower ticket prices, and i think that the W.I. was placed in a easy zone to ensure they reach the Super 8, but the boys aren't delivering as usual.. well i hope the ICC allows common sense to prevail and reduce the price of the tickets to locals, and i hope all goes well.
come on the windies, you can boiunce back hoefully
yes ther prices r to high, they should reduce thenm by at leasty $10 aussie bucks
Complain about this postI have to disagree, even if the semis end up oz, Sri Lanka, South Africa & NZ so be it. If the crowds dont come maybe Cricket authorities will suddenly realise what happens when you sell your soul to the devil. It seems everyone is so preoccupied trying to get so much money out of cricket that we will end up losing the younger generation. Ticket prices for the locals are ridiculous and speaking as someone living in Singapore you can't see the damn thing even if you were prepared to stay up all night without paying a damn fortune. Then you here some 'dim wit' in the ICC saying they want to spread the game globally. Do me a favour!
Complain about this postThis was the most sorrowful tournament for Pakistani cricket fans. Death of Bob woolmer, early exit of Pakistan and retirement of Inzimam made it a horrible memory.
Complain about this postIt is not impossible that minnows won't be doing any upset in super eight. Who knows?Bangladesh may not move to semi-final(asking too much!) but they can upset team like Kiwis, Windies and ireland. How the pommy's will do with the tiger's? My heart will go on with Bangladesh(and Australia) cause I am an Oz Tiger
Complain about this postYou say that interest in this world cup is not what it used to be - so why is it that my husband is travelling 20 hrs from Delhi to Bridgetown just to see the final, regardless of who is in it?
Complain about this post(and the only reason that the rest of the family aren't going is cos the children are in school)
Go Windies!!!, or England, we have a split household!!
Can i ask if anyone else is bemused by the constant allusion to the Windies-Pakistan-Ireland-Zimbabwe group being 'one of the strongest'? It is described as that in an article about Ireland today.
Complain about this postWhile i dont want to take anything away from what is a fantastic achievement by the Irish, I certainly thought that it was the weakest group from the start, with both of the strong teams having terrible warm-up matches.
Even now, with the Windies (having beaten the other three teams very convincingly) struggling badly in the super 8, why is it still being referred to as a strong group?
I am delighted that India and that the matches are poorly attended.
Hopefully now the ICC can wake up - realise that they cannot rely on one country to finance their tournament.
Bradman said that players were custodians of the game. So are the organisers. Surelky we will not go down the football route - this world cup has been marketed for white yuppies. They are too proud to say they have made mistakes. They could redeem themselves a bit and let in school children free.
Oh but the shame.
Pathetic.
Complain about this postOh, and John Kozlich...describing the NFL and the AFL as 'something we all understand?'
Complain about this postI hope you realise that nobody either understands or cares about these things unless they've ever lived in America.
Clearly between the organisers and the ICC rudimentary economics/maths is not their strong point. If you charge $50/ticket and sell say 2000, that gives you $100,000 in ticket reciepts, plus a few burgers and cold drinks thrown in and I guess you're looking at around $105,000? And of course no atmosphere - which like it or not does translate to the millions of TV viewers.
Suppose, as many in this blog, previous blogs, pundits and the papers etc., have suggested that the ticket prices were slashed to between $10-$20. The former would require 10000 spectators and the latter the very realisable 5000 spectators to take the same reciepts as the current pricing. Added to that, with the greater numbers, you are going to sell more in-stadia merchandise, drinks, food etc. And perhaps most importantly inject the expensively built, re-built and refurshished stadia with some atmosphere.
Though BW's death does cast a rather long shadow over the whole event - more so than the early exit of Pakistan and India. None of which the poor old organisers could have ever predicted.
Complain about this postI am very saddened to see the state of W.I cricket. I don't think that Lara is a good captain, and he should have been removed as that long time a go. I just don't think he can motivate and man manage his team.
Complain about this postPoor Leadership from Brian Lara as Usual for more than 10 years he has created division in West Indies Cricket with his selfish rants. I doubt he is much encouragement to the team right now. Brian Lara= legendary batsman, horrible captain.
As for the rest of the team, off the field they seem more pre occupied with keeping a high profile and showing off their 'wealth' (as if they were winners) while on the field they look like Amateurs, certainly NOT justifying their status as a one day international or a Test cricket team. In fact when was the last time they won a test series? (Excluding games against relative new comers Bangladesh and a Zimbabwe team ripped apart by politics, whom in fact doesn’t do much to justify their status either).
These teams would have been long relegated from the ICC’s chosen elite if ICC rules were anything like the English Premier League.
The organisers, serve them right maybe they should hire real business men to plan marketing for this event next time.
Being in Canada, my experience of this cricket world cup has been degraded to following the games via play by play reports on websites, because of the exorbitant rates I would have to pay to view it on the only cable network licensed to show the games(one created just for the world cup charging a fee 3 times what i pay for all channels combined).
This is not the way to market a sport thats is already not very well known outside of the commonwealth
This could have been handled a lot better they should try taking a page from world cup soccer
Overall my interest is quickly fading with the hopes of the west indies even winning a game in the super 8, that Bangladesh game is going to be a tough one.
Cheers
Disgruntled Windies Fan
Complain about this postIt is really depressing watching the World Cup with so much of the ground empty. The tournament has been badly marketed and organised. It is just too long. Overseas visitors can't take that much time off and locals can't afford inflated prices. If the plan was to increase the popularity of cricket in the Carribean (it has been on the wane due to US influence) why not offer prices that can be afforded?
Complain about this postThe real reason the tournament is taking so long is the power (money) of television to the detriment of watching supporters. The same is happening with football. When are organisers going to realise that no watching supporters will kill the atmosphere and hence kill the armchair audience.
I hope that England can improve now we have reached the final stages and plenty of English supporters are on their way to the Carribean for the Easter holidays to boost the watching crowds.
I agree.
Complain about this postno crowds = no atmosphere = no spectacle.
ICC DUH!
I feel for the W.I people, when I was there last year they were so looking forward to it, but the prices are rediculous and never going to brought by the locals, the ICC just didn't think about them and now it has seriously back fired. Same can be said for the travel companies, I booked last year with Virgin to Antigua, 2 Adults and 1 kid all inclusive £2400, this year the same holiday would have cost me £4150, if they had not inflated the price I would have gone and loved to have been part of it, but no chance at those rates. Is it too late to change the pricing, NO, gives the tickets away to the kids and locals, it is there islands, let them enjoy it.
Complain about this postSomeone local correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that cricket's popularity has been steadily on the decline in the Windies as the youth take more to US sports, especially basketball. If this is indeed the case, then this World Cup should have been the perfect opportunity to reignite the fire in the local populace and especially those youngsters who have more of a choice than perhaps was the case in the 70s and 80s when television wasn't so all powerful and bringing pictures of NBA games etc to audiences outside of the US. The fact is that cricket needs to compete with these more "glamorous" sports where athletes earn stupid amounts of money. What would you choose if you were considering a sporting career that you hoped you could earn a living from - Cricket or basketball? The answer is obvious. Sadly though it appears to be the case that this World Cup has been (badly) designed as an excercise in short term money making rather than in long term investment. I suppose that it's now too late to offer cheap tickets to locals as those who have already purchased tickets at the higher prices will feel hard done by, but surely nobody could complain if local school kids were admitted free to remaining games were there is spare capacity?
Complain about this postThis absolute shambles of a tournament is a disgrace to world cricket and to the great traditions of our game. The overblown schedule (seven weeks and 51 games!) was designed solely to maximise commercial revenues in India and Pakistan - and now they are back home this looks as foolish as it was cynical. Grounds have been half empty for far too many matches - even the Windies games have had thousands of empty seats. It's all a shameful con and I can only sympathise with the many fans that have travelled from around the world to witness this farrago.
Complain about this postRubbish! Next thing youll be saying the Irish dont deserve to be there, nice one!
Complain about this postIt's difficult, sitting comfortably in the UK, to imagine the weight of expectation that the Windies have heaped on the WC. They are poor nations, with the exception of T&T, and they were looking to the WC to galvanise their economies. I was in Guyana a few months ago and the Guyanese were hoping that it would totally reinvent their economy. Tourists usually bypass Georgetown to go straight to the waterfalls in the interior. I was surprised (but not very) to read that the Providence stadium was not ready. It had looked as though it was the only part of the preparations that would be ready. There were grand plans for sites that were still green fields.
Complain about this postThis has all meant that the marketing of the competition has been designed to exploit it as a cash cow, rather than to support it and promote cricket as a whole. Cricket maniacs tend to forget that it is a minority sport in most countries where there is wealth enough to develop a travelling fan-base.
Oh dear - the ICC should hold their well paid heads in shame. Crazily high ticket prices in an attempt to rip off travelling fans has backfired spectacularly. How sad to see these stadia which are usually vibrantly full for WI home ODIs, barely a quarter occupied. You have to question the reason behind putting most of the tickets for sale only via the internet when many in the Caribbean do not have access to it and also building these out of town grounds with no transport link.
Incompetent and greedy cricket administrators are responsible for this great chance being missed to regenerate WI cricket. Will anyone from the ICC do anything about this or will that interrupt the peace on their first class flights ? I for one am not holding my breath.
And as for the selection by Messrs Lara, Lloyd and King of no less than eight batsman against New Zealand....Lose versus Sri Lanka in their next match and it'll be almost good bye to the WC for the Windies
Complain about this postI think that this world cup has been a success so far with the shocks of ireland and bangladesh and the hosts doing well in the group stage but one of the problems as has been said is the lack of crowds in the stadiums even when the west indies have been playing which is mainly due to the high ticket prices, they should be lowered!
I am a fan of the west indies and i hope they can qualify for the semi finals even though they lost yesterday it would be great for the tournament to see the hosts do well.
I am also looking forward to seeing if ireland can surprise england in todays game and maybe even win.
Finally although some people think brian lara is too old and should retire i dont think he should yet because he is still in my opinion the most naturally talented batsman in the world even at the age of 37 and is a great asset ot the west indies and the game of cricket.
Complain about this postI too felt very sad watching the West Indies match yesterday, for the paucity of commitment on the pitch was just as abject for their collective nation, as the lack of excitement off it.
West Indian cricket is all about joy, pride, excitement, colourful characters and unique atmosphere around the game. A social event with drums, music, singing and a constant buzz which even comes across through the television. Surely this is why the World cup was held there in the first place?
Thanks to the idiotic ICC, they banned all instruments, outside vendors and racked up the price so no locals can watch this supposed Worldwide event in their own back yard.
If their priorities lie with ripping off rich holidaymakers and selling out what makes the sport so popular, then they will continue to have such bland ratings and it is just a shame that the West Indian people are suffering most because of it.
Complain about this postWell I'm also disappointed at the lack crowds during the games but £25+ for each game is too much for the locals.
Another issue is the fact that the WI are not really one nation, but a bunch of disparate people forced together by cricket, they hate each other and prior to now there were strict immigration checks in order to travel between the islands.
Also compounding the problem was the pathetic performance of the West Indian team and the exit of India and Pakistan resulting in massive loss of interest in Asia, the hub of world cricket; Woolmers death was the nail in the coffin.
It's silly comparing it to Football, which is the worlds greatest game and can find an audience anywhere from a slum to a stadium. If football breaks into Asia then i fear it'll be the end of cricket as a serious international game.
Complain about this postIt breaks my heart to say this West Indies cricket is dying.
All teams go through transitions when great players retire from the game - but the West Indies has been unable to replace the greats like Ambrose, Walsh and soon Lara.
The ICC got it wrong with the marketing of the tournament. The home crowd should have come FIRST with the allocation of tickets. If foreigners want to buy tickets let them pay more, they can afford it and most won't mind.
It is ironic that these carnival islands are hosting international cricket games to bare stadiums.
ORGANISERS this is a World Cup, a celebration of cricket for the PEOPLE not to line the pockets of the ICC!
Complain about this postWhat are the rpices looking like compared to that of a ODI in Eng??????????
Complain about this postI am a little disappointed, but when you look at the West indies this week and that they have had no break inbetween games due to being forced to play on the rest day because of rain after the first innings during Australia, is it any surprise that they were not at their best? Tiredness must play a part in one day matches especially as they are having to accumulate the most runs they can in a single 50 over innings compared to a test match which runs over several days without time boundaries. You could see that the batsmen were playing tired against New Zealand, with Lara knocking off singles instead of trying to hit boundaries.
Complain about this postLets hope that the rest that England have had since their last game gives them the spirit and tempo needed to beat the Irish, who have been the shock of the tournament so far in getting through to the Super 8's.
Of course the ICC have been too greedy in their pricing policy. Given the average wage in the caribbean area there should have been a two-tier pricing policy. One for rich overseas visitors and a much lower ticket price for locals. When there are so many empty seats they should let local school children in free. This would encourage the next generation of cricketers.
I have been disappointed by the disparaging comments made about Ireland and Bangladesh qualifying for the super8s. Lets remember that they beat Pakistan and India fair and square so good luck to both of them.
Complain about this postThe blame for the "one man and his dog" crowds lie squarely with the ICC for inflated ticket prices, poor and late availability to the home fans and a raft of profiteering legislation.
No alcohol or soft drinks into the grounds (but you can buy plenty of official ICC water at inlated prices inside), huge queues for tickets and plenty of rules to kill the party atmosphere are to blame.
Cricket everywhere is going the same way - I cant blame fans for preferring to watch it at home or in a bar.
Shame on the ICC and the organisers for ruining what could have been a great tournament.
Lets hope they catch whoever killed Bob Woolmer so that at least there is one positive.
Complain about this postYou would have thought with the smaller grounds in the west indies the atmosphere would be a bit more electric, to be honest I think there is more excitement down at hove on a hot summers night watching the sussex sharks. Also you would think perhaps the ICC could have chosen a time of year to stage a world cup in a destination where it did not rain , is it just me or has it rained a fair bit this world cup ?
Complain about this postI don't think the ticket prices have much to do with it (for England fans) - they are comparable or cheaper than for ODIs in England.
The major reason has been the attempted exploitation by the hoteliers and airlines. I had tickets lined up for all the group games in St Lucia - despite the ICC saying I couldn't buy tickets for consecutive games to enable 'fair distribution' - but the flights over that period increased by £300 and hotel prices tripled, pricing me out of the market.
Complain about this postCricket is currently a shambles, I love cricket but even with today’s technology I find it impossible to view it with out paying huge fees to greedy companies. Cricket is for the people and if it is to survive and prosper it needs to be accessible to all. Also as far as the West Indies are concerned I blame the selectors, Where have all the great fast bowlers gone. I can't believe that among the islands there isn't a 6ft 6' quicky waiting to destroy the worlds top batsman. I Live in hope.
Complain about this postIT WAS DRAMATIC TO SEE NO BODY IN THE SEATS, SHOCKING, WELL NOW WE KNOW WHY, ORGANIZERS WAKE UP. OFFER TO SCHOOL KIDS, & AT LEAST FILL UP THE SEATS.
NOT ONLY PRICES ARE OUTRAGEOUS FOR THESE ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL GAMES, WE TRIED TO GET TICKETS, NO BODY RESPONDED PROPERLY.
DOES ANYBODY KNOW, IF THE TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE, & HOW MUCH WILL THEY CHARGE?
HITUL
Complain about this postI think John Kozlich is talking utter rubbish!!No one outside of the US cares about NFL or Baseball? Cricket is played and watched by over 1 billion people world wide - India, Pakistan.Australia,SA,England etc.
I do agree though that WC organisers are to blame and ICC should have stepped in to make sure locals had access to tickets....but the ICC never do anything period!!
Lots of English fans (me included) went to the Ashes and I certainly couldn't have afforded the time or money for both tours. I also went with my dad to 2004 Windies tour and we were ripped off by the WICB's ticket rip-off of English fans!
The hoteliers and airlines are charging silly prices too......a massive mistake.....if England fail to reach semi's (disctinct possibility) there will be lots of empty seats for the semi's and maybe even the final!!
Complain about this postI agree that the attendances have been very poor and the ICC have appeared to stuff up a variety of things to do with this event, not to mention the sadness around the death of Bob Woomer but some of the cricket has been fantastic. I have been listening to a lot of games, and I am lucky that the BBC is willing to cover so many games in which the English team is not involved.
The minnows beating Pakistan and India were amazing and Malinga bringing a dead game to life not far behind. I am an Oz fan, but am happy to listen to any games that sound like they are on. The Oz v Saf game was thrilling for about 75% of the game as well.
I can understand that if a fan's team has been knocked out already that they could see the tournament as a waste of time, but there is still plenty of good cricket to be played.
I hope the Windies don't continue to fold though, it is such a disappointment when they do.
Complain about this postExpensive ticket prices...spectators not interested anymore due to this...big teams leaving in the first round itself....just give the cup to Australia and lets all get on with our lives.
Hopefully the next world cup will be fun.
Complain about this postMaybe it's the format?
My best memories were of the 1992 WC when each of the top 8 nations played each other once, leaving a table with a top four who plays semis then a final. It was great viewing!
Sure, not great for the smaller nations and their development, but this is the WC, they need to qualify to be in the top 8.
Cricket is dying because it's a summer sport, and last 1-5 days. It's about lazing in front of the telly for days on end. But it's not worth going to the pub for this. Pay tv showing cricket is ruining the people's game.
Complain about this postTo Post 5: You claim to understand NFL and AFL better, so please explain to me why you call it FOOTball, when clearly the only time it hits a foot is the kick off, the punt and the conversion? Was the name HANDball already taken?
But yes, the ICC has missed a big opportunity to advertise the game of cricket here, and with empty stadia, what little advertisement has shown that people are not interested...
Such a shame...
M.
Complain about this postcricket needs a facelift. Right now the whole system is wrong. Test cricket should be made history and 50 over cricket and 20 twenty should be played more and more. Its only because of test cricket that people lost interest. The problem with test cricket is that it makes the schedule very hectic for players and it takes longer to finish and sometimes it ends in a draw. The next problem is right now only 10 teams play test cricket. What will happen next if more and more teams become test nations. Then the schedule will be more and more difficult for players. Players also have to make very long tours. The last Ashes tour in australia lasted 4 months. Which is very demanding for the players. Thats the reason players complaint a lot. In any other sport players dont complaint like that.
As for west indies is concerned, there problem is similar to Pakistan. Lara just like Inzi bats too low in the batting order, ideally he should be giving himself maximum chance to play 50 overs. He should do what Ponting, Fleming and greame Smith are doing by batting higher in the order. Lara should lead from the front. He is too good for no 5 position. Imran Khan once said
Complain about this post" A captain should lead from the front. Being a captain you can't expect your team mates to do what you can not do yourself". Thats the reason Lara or Inzimam can not blame their lesser experience batsmen who bat higher in the batting order.
Poorest Show On Earth
As a real cricket fan I am vrey very sad to see empty stadiums for the Hosts v the Champions Australia and yesterday against New Zealand.
The ICC should step now and try and save the World Cup and the sport itself.
5000 for Windies v Australia ???
It's a joke, you get more watching Real Madrid train.
Open the doors for free or forget cricket.
" I dont like cricket, no you obviously dont!"
Complain about this postThe WOrld cup will be remembered for murder, rain and empty grounds ...how sad
It broke my heart to see the empty seats in the first games and the situation hasn't improved. When financial executives run sporting events they consistantly build it with themselves in mind. They expect people to pay high ticket prices because they themselves would therefore everyone would. Next time check out the local average wage and set prices accordingly. I want to see the west indies hosting not just opening up their stadia to just foriegners. If the Windies are to get back to the form of old the youth need to be able to see world class cricket and not be turned away at the gates because of prices and leave thinking its a rich mans game.
Complain about this postTo all those people who came to the Caribbean at great cost and sacrifice, and to all those people who looked at television waiting to see exciting Caribbean cricket, I'm truly sorry and I humbly apologize not only for our performance but for the lack of intellectual input in team selection and other aspects of this glorious game.
Complain about this postMy Brother lives in Barbados and sadly this debacle has been on the cards for years. The ICC and WICB have managed to make an utter mess of the local marketing, making it very expensive and difficult for locals to get hold of tickets. This was no doubt because they thought overseas visitors would flock in droves to the islands.
Complain about this postI expect the semis onwards will be fairly well attended, even if as looks likely WI & England don't make it that far, but it's so short sighted to have empty stadia in these early stages.
The ICC needs to look closely at itself, the last WC in South Africa was a debacle because of the staging of games in Zimbabwi ( who surely should be excluded from world cricket?), and this one has not exactly been a flagship event so far
My wife and I went to the 6th ODI WI vs Aus a couple of years ago in Grenada - just happened to be in the same hotel as the Aussies - and it was a stunning day out. Not meaning to sound sexist, but even my wife, who is not exactly au fait with the basics of cricket, had a fabulous time. The atmosphere, the crowd, fresh goat curry, Red Stripe and the weather all combined into memorable day for us.
Would we go again? Yet bet!
But where are the locals? The game we were at had a ton of kids there all in uniform, having been given the day off to see their heroes beat Aus and I was adopted by a 90 year old that we were sat next to!
Complain about this postLooks like the World Cup has been royally mucked up with greed playing a major part - along with the challenge of logistics between the islands and their differing governments and views on exploitation.
It's sad to see what is tantamount to a religion in the Carribean being so shamelessy exploited - can you imagine this happening to rugby in "the valleys"?????
Lara is a big part of the problem. Yes, he's scoring runs but against Australia he made no real attempt to get on terms with the required run-rate and against NZ he was simply asking the fielders to run him or his partner out. He doesn't seem to be on speaking terms with his bowlers and is 'hiding' at No. 5. I read somewhere that he was looking for his top 4 to take responsibility!
He didn't take his third powerplay yesterday because he knew NZ would score the runs before 45 overs were up.
No wonder the locals are staying away. Special permission to bring in instruments? No pass-outs during the day? Ridiculous scheduling? It's time the income-obsessed ICC got a grip.
Complain about this postJust one thing...... Malcolm Marshall NOT that quick!! tell that to Mike Gatting! obviously not the same bloke i once watched. What nonsense.
Complain about this postThe crowds not being at the ground isn't anything to do with the Windies not playing well. Its the rules set down by the ICC, they need to review their policies, they are taking the fun out of circket.
Complain about this postThe West Indians I met while in St Lucia, didn't like the idea of not being able to take their own water - why should they pay for it? Surely if people throw bottles they should be ejected from the stadium and banned from further games.
The ICC need to remember what cricket is about rather than just thinking about the money.
I was shocked when I heard the ticket prices were up to $100 which is about £50 and even for the UK that is expensive let alone in the Caribbean
Complain about this postThe price of tickets is a disgrace but not surprising afterall the ICC and all the individual boards (BCCI, ACB, ECB) have all sold there TV rights to the highest bidder. Greed thats cricket now.
The other reason the worlsd cup has been so poor is the pitches they are slow and are not helpful to entertaining one day cricket. The originasers really have made a hash of this it's the worst tournament I rememeber.
As for the India/ Pakistan fan(s) who belives that only the sub contintent cricket fans come out in droves and without you the tournament is poorer - this is nonsense the only reason attendances atre down are the prices the rest of the world doesn't worry that India and Pakistan are out your not the be all and end all of cricket
Complain about this postThis is a diasterous world cup. The West Indies have shown themselves to be totally inept at organising a huge tounament.
Empty grounds because of over pricing the local out.
Very poor infrastructure, ie hotels are third world standard at best., and once again massively overpriced. There are hundreds of England supporters camping around Guyana, simply because we refuse to be extorted by the local hotels.
The west Indies image of being a fun friendly place to visit has long sailed off into the sunset as we find ourselves targeted as ATM,s for the locals to fleece.
This is my fourth visit to the Caeabean, Sadly it will be my last. I just hope the people who are responsible for this shambles are named and shamed.
Complain about this postI could'nt make it to the West Indies but I encouraged a couple of my friends to go saying think of the places you'll see the love of cricket the atmosphere,the colour,the music,the noise of a culture different to just about anywhere else in the cricketing world,and what do they get just about the same as they would get on a grey wet day at Trent Bridge,Edgbaston,or Lords for that matter,and why? Well the ICC thats why,simple bureaucracy,they just cannot identify with the average man in the street and come up with price structures and rules and regulations that kept them all away,the very lifeblood of West Indies cricket was penalised.
Complain about this postWhy do we let these things happen?In English Football the bureaucracy of Football the FA has been discussing removing the drawn game from he game and having penalty shoot outs to give results,they don't understand drawn games can be exciting games the populace are up in arms they don't want the game messed about,these guy's never stand on the terraces and understand how the fan feels,they are not in touch, and obviously they were not in touch with cricket in the WI.
Once again, we have a major sporting competion where the price of tickets far exceed the prices that the local population can afford. When will the organisers learn this lesson? Surely even they can see the benefit of having a full stadium by charging cheaper ticket rates. This not only increases revenue but creates an atmosphere that all can enjoy. As always, the cost of tickets is decided by those who have no idea of local situations, and the need to maximise the profit. However, once again this has backfired as empty stadia does not generate any revenue at all.They will never learn!
Complain about this postAs a West Indian, I am dissapointed with the west Indies Pperformance in the tournament so far, and whats more as a Grenadian I dont know what else Devon Smith needs to do to get a game for the West Indies.
I thought he would have been selected against Ireland because we had already won the group stage. Even yesterday when Lara needed an extra batsman he was not chosen.
Complain about this postThis world cup has been an unmitigated disaster for the Caribbean; I lie in Antigua, and the marketing to locals was almost non-existent; there was no excitement in the lead up;
Yes the WI are not doing well; yes the prices are too high; yes the ICC have destroyed a great occassion;
There is NO atmosphere in any stadium; they are all too large for the local requirements and will remain DEAD after the WC has gone; if we can't fill a stadium for WI vs AUS or NZ in the biggest game ever played in Antigua; what will happen when WI play a test against anyone later on;
Complain about this postEMPTY stadium and NO atmosphere
I think it is despicable that in a World Cup - any World Cup - that there should be seats left empty in the stands. After all, what better opportunity does cricket need to showcase and encourage new players (so desperately needed) by listening to the excitement and energy that a West Indies match would normally induce?
Where is the local support? Denied access by inflated prices?
I say drop the prices to £3 a ticket, make little to no monetary profit, but make a fantastic atmosphere for everyone to enjoy.
At least we dont have to be up at 4 in the morning to watch the excitement unfold this time!
Complain about this postI am trying to understand this game of cricket, the game itself is great. Its a few players that are not standing up to their responsibilities. The spectators are something else, the garbage is strewn all over the place, not a very pretty site. Why inflate ticket prices when you are trying to promote this game. Some of the areas were they were trying to promote this game ended up a disaster, Canada would have been a good place alas no TV. We had a chevron of nationalities participating at the games, sorry it seems the games were a bust, and did not accomplish very much.,
Complain about this postJohn Kozlich
I attended a test match at Barbados, for which foreigners simply could not buy tickets in advance. They were all sold via the ticket office at Bridgetown and mostly, firstly, to Barbados CC members. In the newspaper, 'The Nation' I think it was, a journalist wrote an article complaining about the lack of West Indian supporters in the crowd. "They're all English", she said, "Why can't they sell an equal number of tickets to the home supporters?". This statement was blatantly wrong. Almost ALL tickets were sold to West Indians (Bajans), who then sold them on for up to £100 a day to the foreign visitors who'd arrived ticketless. Foreigners weren't allowed to buy any tickets before the match, so how do you think they got in? I know. I tried for five months! If you want home supporters, you've got to stop them using the event as a profit-making exercise. Stop ticket re-sale. Also allow visitors to buy tickets in advance or they simply won't fly to your lovely islands and spend a thousand pounds without the guarantee of getting in. Then, you'll see empty stands and people like me staying in their own countries rather than flying over for, potentially, the chance to sit in the car park outside with a rum and a fish cutter.
Complain about this postI am in Canada where cricket is a sport that still remains virtually unheard of. I would estimate that 90% of Canadians are not even aware that the World Cup is on let alone that Canada had a team participating in the tournament. The attempt to price gouge is not limited to those watching live. Here to watch the World Cup the TV package is $200 CAD ($170 USD). Certainly that eliminates any casual or curious Canadian from watching and only die-hards would subscribe. Another example of greed resulting in a missed opportunity to gain more interest in the game of cricket.
Complain about this postThis is a plea to all West Indian fans and to the ICC.Firstly the ICC..I am begging you to please reduce the cost of tickets for the remaining matches. It is the only way we will see the stands filled to capacity as is the norm in the Caribbean. If this is not done , this CWC will go down as the biggest failure in the tournaments' history.Secondly to WI supporters. It seems at this point it is going to take a miracle for the WI to advance to the semis. If you are not supporting your team, support cricket, attend the matches, show the world what WI cricket supporters are about.I live abroad and it's really sad to see new stadia with empty stands..
Complain about this postICC act now please.
Jono all3in1999
A couple of visits to the West Indies that makes you an expert on us?
For me this world cup has been a dissapointment. At the heart of this is the dismal performance by the West Indies team. It is sad to see that a team with such talent plays with no passion, spine and pride.
Complain about this postThis World Cup is arguably the most mismanaged major sporting event since the Montreal Olympics.
Huge lessons to be learnt from this for any country outside the traditional industrial powers hosting a major tournament, ones that I hope South Africa take into account in particular for 2010 as I really fear they will not...
Complain about this postBecause West Indies did not win the toss they did not win?Come on Lara.West Indies would do well with a good coach,real pace bowlers,a good opening pair.Remember Clive Lloyd and his guys?they did not have to win the toss to win a game.
Complain about this postEngland will never win versus minnows like Ireland or giants like NZ and OZ as the batting and bowling slections are poor,Peterson plays for himslef, captancy pre vaughan was terrible and we do not have the desire to actually win something. forget 2005 and move forward. Ed Joyce is a bunny and is vunerable off stump , mad trescothick needs to come back desperately
Complain about this postI was at the game yesterday and Brian Lara can make all the excuses in the world that they want, but the simple truth is they did not even try yesterday. They simply did not try, they gave up, you could see it in their body language how they fielded etc. In fact I was embarrassed to be a West Indies supporter yesterday and I think this was their lowest point they have ever reached. Even lower than when they were bowled out for 51 runs against Australia.
Complain about this postLISTEN!! Blame the ICC not the West Indies. I don’t know who runs the ICC, but they are taking advantage of the Islands to make a quick buck out of the few tourists. Also does anybody know where this money disappears too, I sure it’s not getting to the potential West Indian stars of tomorrow who names you will never know.
Complain about this postParesh is spot on. I watched only a couple of the St Lucia games - early choatic organization, no coverage on your own island and ferociously priced tickets have left all the locals I spoke to rather detached.
Complain about this postThey also miss the opportunity to make a little legitimate money as the 'sponsorship and advertising' has been carved up by internationals. It doesn't even raise lots of money for cricket as fans were embarrassingly thin on the ground and losing losing both India and Pakistan before the super 8s...........
I was in Antigua last year for the Stanford 20/20.. & I had the privilige to see young talented players from the smaller islands play superb cricket.. They played with spirit & soul.. Just watching the blase, lazy display the Windies put on over the last few days really made my blood boil. Gayle for example.. now I know he can bat, but in the 5 innings so far how many times has he managed to struggle over 30 runs? Not good enough.. Same as recognised batsmen like Sarwan & Chanderpaul.. Inconsistent at best.
Complain about this postI'm sick to my back teeth at the West Indies selection committee failing to recognise (or act on) the deficiencies in the Windies team. Don't get me started on the stadium & ticket fiasco. How can the Stanford 20/20 (a local Caribbean inter-island tournament) be a more impressive showpiece than the CWC? Because of the organisation & people involved thats how. Shame on the ICC, Shame on the West Indies Cricket Board.. It made me cry seeing the Windies play with virtually no home support... Bus in those kids, give away the tickets, do anything to get anyone in!!! Stop thinking about money and start thinking about restoring some national & civic pride!
I am at home watching the England V Ireland game and it came as no surprise Vaughan got out cheaply again, he averages 27 in ODI and has yet to hit a ton, the bloke is 32 years and meant to be world class, at ODI he certainly is not, and I was quite happy to see the back of Ian Bell, he can not cut the mustard, 31 of 75 balls is not a quick enough run rate to give the likes of Australia, South Africa etc much to worry about!!
Complain about this postTHESE GUYS JUST CAN'T BAT...
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Complain about this postThank you sir for this article, "the spineless performances" of the West Indies have become a constant. Also, you must realise that India and Pakistan are not in the competition.We, Indians, although we support WI, loved to see the Indians play, and to a lesser extent the Pakistani. Since they are out, I have decided not to go to look at the matches. I have had enough of the WI failures, however, since the Indians are not playing, I do not care about the rest of the teams. As per the Aussies, they will win, but because of their arrogance and bullyism, I do not like to watch them play. Many of us here, have the same views and will stay back and follow the games on TV.
ICC , Cricket Logistics and everyone involved in arranging this world cup should be held accountable . Watching the aussies play windes in front of a empty stadium was very depressing and no better than watching 2 english counties playing infront of 2 men and a dog .
Complain about this postThe crowds have just failed to turn up for the Super 8 stage of the World Cup. The atmosphere at county games in England (or even at Ranji games in India) is a hundred times better than what we are witnessing in the Carribean. The grounds are gorgeous - it's such a shame that the authorities haven't been able to get the spectators in. I reckon there are two reasons for this: Mismanaged/ overpriced tickets and the ouster of Pakistan and especially India from the World Cup. Whilst, I understand that both the teams didn't perform upto the mark in 2 of their 3 group stage games, their presence and that of their fervent and boistorous fans is being missed! Perhaps a lesson should be learnt about the format of the competition at future events! Throroughly disappointing!
Complain about this postMost of the islands where the matches are held have very small populations. If you charge high prices this is bound to mean small crowds.
By chance we were on holiday in Nevis and went to the next island (St Kitts) to see Scotland v Australia. Even with the travelling supporters there were perhaps 1,000 spectators.
The total population of St Kitts is 40,000 and the ground takes 8,000. So you need about 20% of the relatively poor population to attend to fill the ground. Entrance alone was $25 - the stand was $90. Prices were set to milk the travelling supporters but too high for most locals who we found to be extremely interested in cricket.
You are never going to get travelling support to fill more than 10% of the ground and make up the shortfall.
Prices need to be set for the local people.
Complain about this postI believe we need to start supporting our teams rather than criticise them when they lose. If they win we would all be proud of them and forget their mistakes.
Why can't we stnd by our team and offer helpful suggestions rather than vent our frustrations.
Indeed the ICC priced most of us out of ythe stadia but let us support the West indies!
Everyone seems to be an expert, what Lara should do and what WICB should do. Come on, people on the outside always seem to know how the game should be played better that those playing the game.
Cheers to the West Indies! Keep trying Guys things can turn around.
Cricket is a game of unpredictable outcomes and anything can happen.
Complain about this postTrue, the lack of crowd support looks bad. NOt just for the host Windies but for cricket itself. What impression is being created for potentially new fans? "Well I always thought the game was boring and, by the looks of the empty stadiums, so do this game's own fans!!!" Cricket is in big trouble. CWC is trying to look world class for a game that is not really a world game. Oh by the way, as for your concerns about the 3 biggest matches...empty stadia, thank God for Jamaica, Sabina Park is already sold out...unless of course we all decide to skip it for an NBA playoff game instead!!!
Complain about this postWest Indies Cricket has been on the down fall for many years, and it is because of the politics involved. Many years, there were no small islands allowed to be in the team simply because we came froma small island. Well look at what the small islands have produced ,Sir Viv, Richie, Curtley, and in comparisson to the other islands, we have done better in mnay more ways than the current big island bunch whio show no dedication, they burn out as soon as they have bowled tow balls, and they show no application whatsoever.
Lara needs to step down as Captain, he is a pathetic Captain,there needs to be some discipline instilled in the team which has been lost since Viv left.
He took no rubbish from team member or opposition but that is why he was pushed out of the team, even though he white washed a few teams in his day. Lara has had No sucess to match the small island Captaincy of Sir Viv.
Complain about this postI have read all the posts and here is what we can all agree on:
5. Poor West Indies team
4. High Ticket Prices - pricing the locals out
3. Too many restrictions - taking the fun out of the matches for the locals
2. Too much cricket - Ashes, Champions Trophy, et al - all in the last few months.
Complain about this postThe problem with the west indies team is brian lara . Lara is a self centered and very arrogant individual who because of money and maybe record cricket scores think he is bigger than the game.He has forgotten where he came from and has sold out to corporate sponsors for the sake of money. Lara plays cricket for his own monetary benefit and self glorification and not that of the west indian people who supported him all this years .Many great sportmen of past years in all sport have been able to make their teams and those around them better he has not. He regular feuds with selectors and the WICB over money and various decision has been a detriment to west indian cricket . Also he has not proven himself a role model or mentor for the younger cricketers on the team. It will be a blessing for west indian cricket when he retires , the sooner the better .
Complain about this postFrom what I've seen from very far away on the TV in graveyard slots, and read on the net, it seems this Cricket World Cup wants to start again from scratch. Too much to say...
Security is an important thing, but it would seem the security guys won't have anything to do except talk on their radios and scowl if there's no one there. Surely local people who can come up with something like a driver's licence should get heavily discounted tickets. Does it need saying that the Caribbean is a poor part of the world - in common with a number of emerging cricket areas? Maybe the rule actually said that you had to bring a musical instrument or you didn't get in - I'd have given a further discount to people who brought something to bang or blow.
Let the tourists pay the higher prices - but then of course you just made them travel to the opposite side of the world to see the other big event, the Ashes - how has this scheduling come about? It has to change. It's bad for fans and the teams.
In Tasmania in the Rugby World Cup the locals were encouraged to adopt either Romania or Namibia for their game. That tournament had no surprises, and could have done with a better format, but it broke attendance records.
The format may be a problem, but you have to come up with something - maybe the authorities were taking a risk. Certainly there's no legislating for the behaviour of the players, be it WI, Pakistan or India.
Also I don't know when the tourist season is, but Germany is a big tourist destination - did they say 'let's move the World Cup out of the June/July period to encourage off-season arrivals'? If the event is deliberately put at an odd time, how is there going to be any atmosphere at all, or any new fans coming to the game? In a seasonalised economy anyway it won't do the locals any long term good.
Then you have the situation with Bob Woolmer's murder enquiry on the back of another dodgy result. Dodgy like some previous events. Was there intimidation involved? If one broken bone in a neck does indicate murder is it connected to fixing? I don't know how you go about fixing a sporting event, but teams that are involved - even as victims - should be banned. This is also a matter for ICC authority, and that has no hope of happening while cricket has a schizophrenic 1st/3rd world attitude.
Meanwhile even introducing the game to the Yanks will have to wait, despite many sterling efforts on the local level in the US, basically due to the shenanigans at USACA.
This all just makes cricket look like a sorry mess.
It's possible the tournament will liven up at the very end, but except in Ireland, this World Cup will be forgotten very quickly - and deservedly so I think.
Steve in Guzz
Complain about this postAs a West Indies supporter,I was very disappointed with the two back to back losses they encountered.Not so much because they lost those games,but the margin of defeat showed lack of application and self-belief.
Complain about this postI don't believe the West Indies are as far behind those teams as the margin of
defeat suggest.As much as Brian Lara is a genius his leadership qualities leaves a lot to be desired.
Against New Zealand he blamed the loss of the toss implying the conditions suited the New Zealand bowers at the outset.
Given the start they got from gale and Sarwan this should not have been an hindrance.
The Super 8 round has been really depressing, as apart from the pathetic performance of the Windies, I am stunned that the attendance at premier matches is so poor. I went to all the Windies matches in Jamaica, and saw a great crowd (for a Tuesday!) against Pakistan, an OK crowd v Zimbabwe and a surprisingly good one for Ireland. ICC has to look at pricing as one the main reasons for the problems with attendance tho, oddly enough, attendance in poorer Jamaica was better than in the wealthier Lesser Antilles. Other factors include the dissonance between how the tournament was set up and how cricket tours are usually organised in the WI. This whole "buy tickets online", specific combo's needed to be bought etc etc turned me off, so much so that I - a reasonably well educated person - was thoroughly disenchanted with the whole complexity of it all, and decided I really could not bother. Only the intervention of a friend who took on the effort to understand it all got me to buy the expensive ticket package. I suspect a lot of people were similarly tuned out by the whole nonsense involved in buying tickets. The ICC restrictions (food, music etc) were well-publicised and accordingly resented universally. There was a LOT of pre-tournament hostility, largely due to the ICC's image of being oppressive in terms of the restrictions and the high prices. Someone at the ICC did not do their homework and kept their head wedged firmly in the sand. Pity the governments spent all this money they dont have building new stadia and the like, expecting a huge influx of visitors.
Complain about this postLara needs to show leadership and open the innings,drop Chanderpaul,he plays too many dot balls,put Gayle in at number 5,he`s a waste of time as an opener,drop Sarwan he`s a waste of time full stop.bravo should not come in before number 7,give Dwayne Smith more responsibility and come in at number 4 put pollard in at number6 and demand leadership of every player.Westindies main problem is the lack of LEADERSHIP amongst the the players until that is recognised,they WILL stay where they are, at the BOTTOM OF CRICKET WORLD
Complain about this postHa I missed # 1 reason in my last post.
I have read all the posts and here are the top 5 reasons why there are so much plastic for all to see on TV.
5. Poor West Indies team
4. High Ticket Prices - pricing the locals out
3. Too many restrictions - taking the fun out of the matches for the locals
2. Too much cricket - Ashes, Champions Trophy, et al - all in the last few months.
and the numero uno reason is ....
GREED of the ICC
I can watch the olympic games, the WC football, Super Bowl, Base Ball World Series, WC rugby (on espn somewhere), snooker for some cheap motel in Las Vegas, bowling and of course my favourite - world championship POKER on TV for FREE, but the ICC and Malcolm $peed would not allow me to see not even 1 lousy clip or a 3rd rate video on You Tube. and this is supposed to be the 3rd largest sporting event!
I can't wait for Stanford 20/20 in the West Indies later this year. The last 20/20 tournament was a heck of a lot more fun and real West Indian cricket excitement. The players and teh fans acted like they wanted to be there. Maybe, Malcolm and the ICC can stop by Mr. Stanford office in Antigua for a few lessons or marketing.
Complain about this postI am a West Indian, and to see how poorly the West Indies is performing at this stage of the World Cup in their own backyards, leaves me to make a few reommendations for the next matches.
1. Brian Lara should bat at No. 4.
Complain about this post2. Jerome Taylor should never be dropped from the side.
3. The captaincy of Lara is suspect, as to to what he really wants from his men.
After this WCC is played out in the Carribean, where are we back to ?. England, Aus. NZ., India, Pakistan. How about The United States and or Canada?. The sport should be given a
Complain about this postchance here.
I've read all the posts too, and most of the comments about the World Cup being an ICC planning disaster are true.
Complain about this postThink of the impact it would have on ICC if everyone posting here sent their comments to ICC. I did - because only they can change things quickly! Type in ICC in Google and you'll get the web address.
I just go back from Antigua
WI were rubbish & looked as though they wanted to be in the stands rather than on the pitch - Id hoped WI vs AUS would be one of the great games of the series but it was a bad joke
despite paying ridiculous prices for tickets i didnt bother going to the kiwi game, WI losing was just a matter of time
TV is being very selective about the 'crowd' - I cant understand why they priced the locals out of the game & since when did China become a beacon of world cricket (they built the new stadium) - carbon credits is what this has turned into not cricket
very disappointed
Complain about this postMy son is out in Guyana and watched the match yesterday between England and Ireland. He e-mailed me and informed me that the tickets for that match cost US$75, which is three weeks pay for the locals. No wonder there was nobody there. When will the cricket authorties realise that ticket prices must be reduced if the ground is to be filled. This year at Edgbaston members at expected to pay £50 to see a one day international. That is only £5 below the price for the general public. It's far too much and the rulers of cricket should come down from their ivory towers.
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