World Cup leaves sour taste
It was a deeply frustrating World Cup - the third in a row that has spectacularly failed to live up to its billing - and one that will be remembered more for events off the field than glorious deeds on it.
The mysterious death of Bob Woolmer some time during the night after Pakistan’s shock defeat to Ireland, devastated the tournament. Even now it still seems incredulous that such a universally liked and respected man might have been murdered because of his involvement with cricket.
We still don’t know the outcome of the police inquiry in Jamaica, which completely overshadowed the World Cup – but early in the piece we were treated to two firsts: Herschelle Gibbs hitting six sixes off the unfortunate Daan van Bunge in St Kitts and the wild-haired Lasith Malinga almost routing South Africa with the first instance of four wickets in four balls in international cricket.
Oh that England could have produced anything remotely as entertaining or productive. They were insipid and uninspired, and their campaign was poorly planned. A miserable winter ended with the resignation of the coach, Duncan Fletcher.
Although their win over West Indies was one of the highlights of the World Cup, the quality of English cricket – and particularly its attitude towards one-day cricket finds itself under review - just 18 months after the triumph of winning the Ashes.
And that’s not all that’s under review. The format of the tournament, and the petty rules that stifled the natural enthusiasm of Caribbean cricket lovers, need to be urgently addressed.
Forty-nine days is far too long - there was no momentum for the players or the supporters - and after weeks of empty stands because of overpricing, the ridiculous rules that even included the need for conch shells to be registered before being blown were revoked.
You won’t find Ireland or Bangladesh complaining about any aspect of the tournament but it is clearly a dreadful error to devise a World Cup that can allow the remotest possibility of India and Pakistan being knocked out before it really gets going.
But the so-called minnows took their chance with Bangladesh beating India and South Africa, while Ireland then comfortably won the showdown between the two. That win - and the earlier one against Pakistan - should do wonders for cricket on the Emerald Isle.
The bottom line is, however, that there was not nearly enough exciting cricket played and the whole thing took far too long. Worse still the farcical final, which could have been played over two days, remember, was an embarrassment to anyone associated with cricket.
What an appalling advert for the game it was - and those responsible must never be allowed to administer a cricket tournament again.
Jonathan, your on-screen anger at the end of this farcical apology for a cricket match was entirely appropriate.
This world cup has been a disaster of organisation from start to finish, and once the rain had intervened during the final one feared the worst....and that was what we got.
It was nothing short of a joke , and cricket will take years to recover its dignity.
Complain about this postC'mon Aggers, tell us what you really think....
Harsh but fair - the worst WC to date.
I'm sure you meant to congratulate Australia on a wonderful achievement, just slipped your mind?!
However, I disagree strongly with "but it is clearly a dreadful error to devise a World Cup that can allow the remotest possibility of India and Pakistan being knocked out before it really gets going."
Arrant nonsense.
Complain about this postSorry Aggers but what was wrong with the 99 world cup? The final was poor, but Aus-SA x 2? And less time was loss to rain than this time. As for the crowds...
I think the Champions Trophy needss to be turned into the World Cup so we play at least every two years getting rid of some of the meaningless one day tournaments and series in the process so that this does not mean even more cricket.
Cricket needs event marketing, but not like this. Nuture both the roots and the on-going development of the game.
Complain about this postA 38 over match is not the same as a 50 over match. Australia may well have won, equally convincingly, a 50 over match, but that is not the point. Some articles state that 50 over innings over two days were ruled out by ICC because TV companies would not relay live the second day's play, with a consequent reduction in the earnings of the avaricious ICC. It is just shameful that money should be more important to the ICC than a properly played World Cup Cricket Final. ICC mandarins should hang their heads in shame.
Complain about this postGood Call Aggers. Heads have to role for this and especially making that final into that farce it was. They should make a law now where Semis and finals have to be 50/50, regardless of the possiblity that "people" (probably the fatcats at the ICC) have planes home the next day. That final was so devalued by it being 38 over match.
At least one positive though, 4 best teams made the semis and the two best teams made the final and probably the best team won the game, although under favourable conditions to them.
Complain about this postYes, the final was a fittingly ridiculous and embarrassing end in some ways to this tournament, but I will always remember Gilly go berserk against the best attack in the tournament.
For an Oz fan, that was worth watching as much as anything else in the whole inept tournament.
Complain about this postAgreed.
The one thing that needs also to be mentioned is how excess cricket dilutes the excitement of the world cup. In 2011, there should be no high-profile cricket for at least a month leading up to the big event. That will create an apetite for the big event.
The organization of this event was a disaster. Malcolm Speed, Percy Sonn and the rest of the crew should resign if they have even a shred of honor.
Complain about this postHOW, UTTERLY DREADFUL AND SHAMELESS OF 2 'MINNOWS' TO DARE EVEN TURN UP TO THE WORLD CUP TO START WITH!! AND TO TOP IT BY ACTUALY PLAYING DECENT CRICKET, PLAYING AS A TEAM AND EVEN DARING TO BEAT TEAMS RANKED HIGHER THAN THEMSELVES (INCIDENTLY HOW MANY TIMES DID ENGLAND PERFORM SUCH A FEAT) IF YOU DONT WANT TO HAVE ANYONE BUT THE GOOD TEAMS IN IT, THE ICC COULD HAVE JUST GIVEN THE CUP TO THE AUSSIES AFTER THE OPENING CERIMONY AND EVERYONE COULD HAVE JUST STAYED HOME INSTEAD OF WASTING 7 WEEKS ON THE THING!!
IF CRICKET ISN'T PREPARED TO HAVE UPSETS YOU COULD HAVE JUST HAD AUSTRALIA vs S.AFRICA (1st vs 2nd) AND LEFT IT AT THAT
Complain about this postWhere were the Steel Bands,Rum Punch,and everything else one associates with the West Indies? Once all the fun is taken out of the procedings,the tournament is bound to be a first-class flop,which it was.
Complain about this postThe ICC should hang their heads in shame for wrecking the whole thing.The endless quest for money is behind it all.
I wonder what Len Hutton would have thought..!
It seemed to me that, about two-thirds through the SL innings, that everyone - umpires, administrators and not least the team themselves - believed that Australia SHOULD win the world cup, no matter what. After the first rain-break - when the rain had been pouring for approximately 20 minutes already before the covers came on - the decision should have been made to halt the game and continue the next day. Why was there so much pressure to keep the game going? And who on earth plays cricket in total darkness?? That reminds me of when I was a Scout, playing over on the moor until 10.30 at night, barely being able to see the ball in the murk.
OK, Australia were fantastic in their innings, I won't take that away from them. But they never had the chance to be challenged. Look at it like this - Man United and Chelsea in the Champions League final. Man U score 4 in the first half, and Chelsea 1 in the next 35 minutes of the second. Then the floodlights get turned off, players ordered not to kick the ball too fast, and the scores readjusted to "make it fair". Man U win, 2-1. How fair is that? Would that situation ever arise in footall - or any other sport?
Complain about this postWhy is it wrong that India and Pakistan were knocked out? The Football Cup allows for cup upsets; it means bigger teams have to prve they want the cup, and it's a chance for these 'minnows' to show they can play a bit of cricket. And Ireland and Bangladesh fully showed they could play cricket, so deserved to go through.
Complain about this post"but it is clearly a dreadful error to devise a World Cup that can allow the remotest possibility of India and Pakistan being knocked out before it really gets going."
Sorry, Aggers you are wrong. This is eaxctly what all world cups are about - whatever the sport. Taking yor chances and playing above yourself. No team has the right to progress if they don't produce the results on the day. If all the "seeds" go through at the expense of the "minnows" what incentive is there to develop their game.
Some of the big seeds being knocked out was the injection that this tired format of "seeding" needed - otherwise the minnows are only invited to be cannon fodder.
I bet this has done wonders for grass level support in Ireland & Bangledesh and hopefully will see long term sustained improvements in te quality of the game they play. Remember that Sri Lanal was not so lomg ago a minnow too.
Complain about this postGet over it ! You state in similar vein of Englands reference to the 1966 world cup win in football when you write 'Although their win over West Indies was one of the highlights of the World Cup, the quality of English cricket – and particularly its attitude towards one day cricket finds itself under review - just 18 months after the triumph of winning the Ashes.'.....what you omit is that they were then thrashed 5 nil in an ashes series so your comment is hardly relevant.........stay with the current or at least the recent past . One off old stories do not win matches
Complain about this postYes i agree the world cup as a whole has not lived up to any expectations.....its seems to me that there was a carnival atmosphere only in about 2 or 3 games including the final. secondly the it didnt help the fact that pakistan and india got kocked out pretty early, which from a neutral's point of view, left the world cup without that extra spice. maybe this can be a lesson to pakistan and india, they need to get select the right players, who can field also, because their fielding has been poor over the last few years. you just need to look at sri lanka and how far they have gone and learn from them.....
Complain about this postWell done aussies!
JA is spot on-WTF!
Complain about this postIndeed, a farcical finish to the World Cup. It took a similarly farcical event in 1992 to bring in a better way of dealing with interrupted games. Hopefully this final will help get the 'reserve day' uncertainty looked into.
Complain about this postThe ONLY reason this World Cup was interesting was down to the likes of Ireland and the other minnows. The forumalted, unimaginitive play of the major nations really showed a lack of passion.
So for people to say the tournament should be modified to exclude these developing nations is a crime. It should be a level playing field for all, not seeded, not ranked, nothing.
Their inclusion was the only reason to get excited about it, the chance of a shock is what makes all World Cups exciting, in any sport.
Ashley
Complain about this postThe captains should have been given the final say in the cirrcumstances. It's about the players and spectators , not the administration and some sacrosnct rules. It's just a game for heaven's sake.
Complain about this postFurther, there should clearly have been some contingency plan for poor light. Never mind the rain. For goodness sake, there aren't that many htings to consider wnhen staging a cricket match. Ask any phys ed teacher about planning for bad weather. Basic!!
I do agree. The final was kind of rushed thru for some "unknown" reasons. If the World Cup final can not be played to its full quota of 50 overs, I do not see how the champions come out of this reduced game?
As usual Toss becomes virtual winner. No other team have ever tested aussies batting under stress on a 300 plus run chase.
A real champion side should have been tested on all counts but no team in this World Cup could do that before rewarding them the tag of Champion.
They may even win 2011-2015 world cups without any proper test.
Complain about this post"..but it is clearly a dreadful error to devise a World Cup that can allow the remotest possibility of India and Pakistan being knocked out before it really gets going."
Sorry Aggers, but that makes no sense at all. It may seem like a strange concept, but if you don't beat the teams in your group (even if they are Ireland or Bangladesh) then you don't deserve to go through to the next stage. It's elementary, really.
Complain about this postwatching australia play is so much like watching roger federer play. its boring, not because they dont play amazingly well. but because you already know whose going to win and that gets boring after a while. its not even about making records and all, because the bottom line is, like the author said, it didnt go any good to the game. it was boring, there was no intensity to it, the kind you'd associate with the worldcup anyway.
Complain about this postNow we learn that Rudi - the most senior umpire - had suggested, according to Mr. Crowe that the match be continued on Sunday with just three overs to go.
Why in heavens name didnt they stop the game when the rains came pouring down and allowed it to continue the next day instead of having Sri Lanka bat in dismal weather with the atrocious light when the players let alone the ball couldnt be seen.
What a farce! A disgraceful ending!!
Complain about this postThe whole format has to be changed and the venues chosen with greater consideration of the weather. And for our collective sanity please stop this ridiculous Duckworth system. If its 50 overs then play 50 overs - not 38 and then reduce it to 36!
The final was a total farce, and the tournament not much better. However, I don't think it's the fault of the organisation that India and Pakistan were knocked out, they simply weren't good enough. Moreover, the lack of exciting games was merely because of the gulf in class between Australia and everyone else, and the other 3 semi-finalists and everybody else bar Australia.
Complain about this postEngland were poor, but when you consider that they were involved in 2 of the only 3 exciting finishes in the tournament, that's not too bad, and when we're ranked the 7th best ODI team in the world, finishing 5th could (almost) be considered an overachievement
End the Super 8s stage - too many games that individually mean little or nothing. Instead, the top two from each group should go straight into one of four knock-out quarter-finals. Then the semis and the final itself.
That could take two weeks off the WC and make every game after the group stages a 'must win'.
Complain about this postThe last match was meaningless because of the weather conditions. The result of the final should be declared nul and void. In no way was it a fair or valid victory for Australia.
If there cannot be a replay, let Australia and Sri Lanka share the trophy
Complain about this post"it is clearly a dreadful error to devise a World Cup that can allow the remotest possibility of India and Pakistan being knocked out before it really gets going"
Once again, this pathetic excuse is used. What is the point of allowing the minnows to turn up if they have absolutely no chance of reaching the latter stages. What do you want, fixed matches with pre-determined outcomes?
India and Pakistan lost their matches fair and square, it is their fault and not the job of the organisers to ensure that they do through. You should be giving congratulations to the minnows on their excellent performances and overcoming the odds.
Complain about this postTotally agree Jonathan. Ridiculously long and generally totally unmemorable. One of the key pleaseures of watching cricket in the caribbean is the genuine passion, mixing and liveliness of the local supporters who know more more about cricket than some suit at the ICC will ever know. This seemed to be stifled out of them at every oppotunity.
Malcolm Speed must be one of the most out-of-touch and incompetent administrators in world sport - not just for this World Cup but about everything else he touches. Hope he has the decency to go.
Complain about this postExcellent article by Jonathan Agnew, the whole event was dreadful, poor wickets, poor entertainment, poor umpiring and organisation. The final itself should be a celebration of the game, entertaining and filled with fun and skill, my god, what a let down.
Complain about this postThe players and the administators will need to take a long hard look at themselves, the game and quickly.
Totally farcial end to the 'Olympics of Cricket'.
Thank goodness the best team won.
Must ensure that the World Cup is only hosted by nations that can provide day/nighters. Love the West Indies, they have provided the life line and all the excitement during my youth, but the final must have been capable of being played under lights. Sri Lanka must have been given the opportunity of finishing the game off with a chance, if not diginity (which they scored 11 out of 10). That way we can do away with the gooseworth-dorthlewis system.
Complain about this postWe are a lucky bunch, win, lose or draw. Cricket is such a great game!
Prior to the World Cup one of the hopes that many held was that the tournament would act as a catalyst for a revival in the fortunes of West Indian cricket.
Many fondly remember the wonderful cricket played by the West Indians in the not too distant past and their unique supporters who transformed cricket matches into carnival events.
Recreating this and ensuring that there are a breadth of teams capable of challenging for the title of World Champions or the number one ranked Test teams can only be good for the sport.
To reinvigorate cricket across the islands and stem the tide of sports such as basketball which are competing for athletes then the tournament needed success on two fronts 1) exciting cricket and 2) wide access for West Indians to attend matches and fall in love with the game.
The quality of the cricket has ebbed and flowed as one might expect in a tournament of such length but it would be a real shame if a generation has been 'lost' to the game due to the restricted access which Mr Agnew speaks of.
Complain about this postThe D/L method should only be used when no more time can be allowed in which the match could be completed.
If over 2 hours of rain delayed the start of the match, and it had to be played in one day, then why not reduce the overs for both teams. This must be fair to both teams because the decision had been taken before play started.
As for playing in the dark, it is beyond belief that this should have happened.
Complain about this postJohnathan
I fully agree with most of your comments here, but one you make to me is totally out of order. How can you possibly think that the minor nations can improve if we are going to create a world cup where they have no chance of causing upsets and progressing to the next rounds. Can you imagine the FA cup without the minnows or the Football world cup without the small country upsets over the so called big names? It is up to the major teams to BEAT the minor nations and if they fail and get knocked out then that is their fault and they should accept it.
Well done Ireland and Bangladesh.
Chris
Complain about this postI know one day cricket is just a bit of fun (or at least that's how it is treated in England) but I think for a World Cup final as much should be done as possible to give each side an equal chance.
A rain break affects the batting side far more than the fielding side unless both batsmen are fresh at the crease. It takes time for a batsman to get his eye in and every time he comes off he has to do this again.
Thought should be given to how the batting team could be compensated when they have to come off for rain. Maybe an adjustment to the DL calculations or an extra over for the batsmen to get their eye in again.
In any case Sri Lanka were at an obvious disadvantage having to restart their batting effort after rain breaks.
Complain about this postYes many things were wrong with this World Cup (including the way the end of the Final was played) but don't you think you might have mentioned something about the one team in the tournament who showed everyone how cricket should be played? Or perhaps a small comment on one of the greatest one-day innings any of us will be priveleged to see?
As for England, all I can say is that players and commentators both have lived up to the phrase of whingeing poms...
Complain about this postJust a farce! the final & the whole tournement.
Complain about this postI've never been so bored with cricket, & the highlights !! Please BBC, thinkl off the working man. We need to sleep, highlights at 11.30ish the norm. Just as farcical as the cricket
so the umpires act with indecision when enforcing the rules of the game! what do you expect when time and time again the icc doesnt back them. give them a break. the icc is the joke here. they let players and tv dictate everything. umpires enforce rules to the letter, its is up to the players to show the character. thankfully the 2 captains didnt take their sides from the field in protest.
Complain about this postThe Aussies deserved to win, they were too good for any of the teams.their approach to the game is mature and they are very professional and consistant. They are an incredible side, congratulations Ponty and company. Well done Mr Heyden and Mr Magrath, you left an unforgetable mark. For the younger crop please take it even higher, we are behind you. It always feels good to watch such fascinating cricket!
Complain about this postOnce again an article that sums up a lamentable World Cup that will have done wonders to put off many would be cricket supporters for ever. Congratulations then to the ICC, Australia, and the Caribbean weather for contributing to what should be the demise of the tournament in this form. Looking back, it has been a wash out for 7 weeks, apart from too few memorable moments, and the emergence of Bangladesh, Ireland, and a resurgent Sri Lanka, who could have run the Aussies close in the final, but for the rain, bad light, and a dreadful umpiring decision against them. Why was Glenn Mcgrath allowed to bowl in bad light when this is not allowed in test matches? Is this how the Aussies want to win, with all their talent?
Complain about this postIn any event, the tournament should be shorter with less overs per side, like the final, then it can become more exciting, in the same way as 20/20 cricket is taking off around the world.
The cricket purists may not approve, but the faster version of the game is here to stay and is the only way to attract more supporters and players. Otherwise, the ICC and Australia will have got what they deserved, a pointless tournament with a devalued prize, and less supporters, particularly in the West Indies, where they were not even allowed to celebrate at the matches in their own uninhibited, inimitable way.
Televison and everything else seems to have overtaken the staging of the world cup final. I, like Jonathan Agnew, failed to understand why the game was not played over two days?
The final should be over the 50 overs and nothing less. If it takes two days then so be it. Has the ICC lost it totally?
Complain about this postI agree with most of the comments above but two things (1) Why have a second day if you are not going to use it? - HOw many overs need to be lost before you go it to the next day?
(2) "a dreadful error to devise a World Cup that can allow the remotest possibility of India and Pakistan being knocked out before it really gets going."
JA is totally wrong - If India and Pakistan did not play well enough to win their group games then Tough!
Complain about this postGood god! Was that match yesterday really a part of the same 'world cup' that Bob Woolmer was a part of?
But that was months ago.....
Complain about this post"...but it is clearly a dreadful error to devise a World Cup that can allow the remotest possibility of India and Pakistan being knocked out before it really gets going"
Yes, that exactly how this world cup was designed- for India and Pak to to beat Bangladesh and Ireland respectively. You cant make it easier than that for the two Asian giants.
Complain about this postThe only thing that can make the tournament better is reducing the field. What's the sense in trying convince ourselves that including teams like Netherlands and Canada will help make cricket more popular in these countries (which itself is debatable), when the price you pay for that is a reduced interest in cricket in the major cricket playing countries? Is a lowered interest in cricket in the West Indies really a fair trade-off for an increased interest in cricket in Bermuda?
It's time the ICC took a step back and re-evaluated it's objective of globalizing the game. Spreading the game can wait. Keeping interest alive in current cricketing countries should now be the priority. Urgently.
Dear Jonathan
I agree with you fully, but how are we going to get rid of such incompetents as Speed an co.
In a professional organistaion, they would be forced to resign.
It seems that they are allowed to continue in high paid jobs without having to bear any responsibility for their numerous failures.
Complain about this postI'm sorry Aggers - but the reason that India and Pakistan went out was because they were not good enough. End of story. The world cup is not solely there for the big boys - it is also supposed to be there to help in the development of the game and in that regard it seems to have been fairly successful eg the success of Ireland and Bangladesh.
What I do agree with is the farcical situation that developed in the final - that was not good for cricket.
I know also that people do not like the ease in which Australia have dominated this tournament (i don't) but credit should be given where it is due - they are easily the best team in the tournament and deserved to win.
Complain about this postWhat an appaling advert for the game of cricket this World Cup was. As a cricket fan I feel so let down that the ICC could take what is the most wonderful sport and turn it into a laughing stock. NEVER should those involved in this dreadful fiasco be allowed anywhere near the sport again and yes that incudes you Mr Sonn and Mr Speed.
How can you take a World Cup to the most joyous, spontaneous and beautiful parts of the World and squeeze every last drop of excitement and passion out of the sport. I feel ashamed of this fiasco and as a cricket lover so so angry that those in charge of its showpeice occasion are so incompetent.
Complain about this postI'm inclined to agree, minus the point about India/Pakistan being "allowed to exit early". That's ridiculous. It worked exactly the same as any tournament does - if you don't win games, you don't go through. Simple. What are you suggesting - that the "non-minnow" teams get more points for winning? Crazy.
Complain about this postI've criticised your rather wayward punditry and derogatory comments about the minnows in the past, however, this piece is absolutely spot on. Well said Aggers.
Complain about this postThe way the final ended was farcical. But that f-word could be used about a few things involving the ICC and Messrs Speed and Sonn. The ill-considered restrictions on what could be bought into the ground and the branding police preventing paying customers (that's a phrase Messrs Speed and Sonn should learn to understand and respect) from bringing in their own refreshments if they were not made by a non-approved organisation are two clear illustrations why the ICC is incapable of running a world cup. Hell, in my view it is incapable of running the sport but that's a different debate.
However, I must take issue with your comment "...it is clearly a dreadful error to devise a World Cup that can allow the remotest possibility of India and Pakistan being knocked out before it really gets going."
Why is it a dreadful error? Please elaborate on this statement. This is supposed to be a world cup, not a closed shop like the Americans' "World Series" baseball.
India and Pakistan may well have been guilty of arrogance and not respecting their opponents in Bangladesh and Ireland. The Spirit of Cricket says that:
"The Spirit of the Game involves RESPECT for:
Your opponents
Your own captain and team
The role of the umpires
The game's traditional values"
(Maybe someone should devise a Spirit of Cricket Administration for the halfwits at the ICC.)
If you don't play good enough cricket to beat your group opponents then you don't go through, *regardless* of how much money that teams's sponsors have paid that country's cricket board.
But I'm sure the ICC will fix the rules and grouping systems to make sure that doesn't happen again. Money talks and the ICC loves and needs money.
So ends my interest and following international cricket. The ICC is interested only in money, screwing the paying public out of hard earned cash by putting on mindlessly long one day tournaments. It's in a mess now because it is committed to this senseless cycle. Only if people say "enough is enough" and stop following, watching through pay-tv, buying overpriced merchandise and attending games will the ICC recognise there is a problem.
Just in case you think I'm being unduly harsh on the ICC, in response to the (justified IMHO) treatment he got in Nasser Hussain's excellent autobiography "Playing With Fire", Malcolm Speed said: "I am not going to comment on the book. I don't even read cricket books."
The man at the head of the world game doesn't even read cricket books? And people wonder why the game is in such a mess...
Complain about this postAs usual, the umpiring was not consistant, the correct call would have been to stop the game the moment the shower started. Thereby protecting the pitch and also the D/L target would have been reduced to a 'fair' target.
As Sri Lanka were still in the game at that point the target would have been something like 90 off 10 overs with 8 wickets in hand.
Wonder if test cricket will now be played in 'bad' light - if last night wasnt danagerous and unfair what is ??
The best bit was the booing when the ICC officals were introduced - take the hint guys !!
Complain about this postTo suggest that India and Pakistan should have been in the super eights regardless of their initial performance does immense injustice to the efforts displayed by Ireland and Bangladesh. Such a view is as money driven as the organisation of the World Cup.
Equally, to suggest that the final was altogether a farse is an insult to the Australians, who have shown the world how professional cricket is to be played and are a real credit to the sport.
Complain about this postI can't for the life of me understand why at least the final shouldn't be played as a "best of three" series, since the whole tournament can be decided either by the win of a coin toss, bad weather, or worse, the ineptitude of the match officials.
Australia were the best team but in a one-off situation even they could easily have been beaten.
Many sports use a "best of" series to determine the true winner (eg, NBA Basketball), so why not world cup cricket?
Good coverage by the BBC though, telling it like it is after the ludicrous final.
Complain about this postWhile I think there is nothing wrong with Ireland and Bangladesh qualifying - a fantastic achievement indeed - the format of the tournament needs looking at when, six weeks into the tournament, you are still getting games are all over before lunch, as happened twice with Ireland a couple of weeks ago.
You should not get so far into a turnament and still have such one-sdied fair. The league format was too long and it needed to get down to knock-out cricket a lot earlier to make it exciting.
Complain about this post"it is clearly a dreadful error to devise a World Cup that can allow the remotest possibility of India and Pakistan being knocked out before it really gets going."
I was under the impression that sport was about the contest, taking part and with both sides having the opportunity to win, if they choose to take it. This is part of the reason why cricket shall never again replace the likes of football or cricket in terms of mass appeal or popularity.
Complain about this postWhen unpredicted or unexpected results occur in football they are celebrated and lauded upon by the neutrals. No-one will say that a team should be allowed to still be in a tournament based on reputation alone and cricket lovers only seem to be happy when the obvious, predicted result is the outcome.
Jonathan, there's a sure way to ensure that Pakistan and India don't get knocked out before the World Cup gets going. It's called match fixing, but most of us fans would prefer that we didn't see that happen.
Congratulations Australia. The gulf between you and the rest of the teams is indeed enormous.
Interesting to note that apart from Sri Lanka replacing the West Indies, the semifinalists were identical for the ICC Knockout competition in October and this World Cup.
The fact that Pakistan and India could not make the semifinals of either tournament show just how poor both of those teams are.
Complain about this post100% in agreement with Jonners. I shall very quickly forget this WC except the fact that a good and decent man may have ben murdered because of his involvement with cricket. A sad comment on life in general nowadays.
The ICC need to take a long critical look at itself and some heads within this rotten organisation should resign asap.
Complain about this postAt 09:35 AM on 29 Apr 2007, Roger Coasby wrote:
"The last match was meaningless because of the weather conditions. The result of the final should be declared nul and void. In no way was it a fair or valid victory for Australia.
If there cannot be a replay, let Australia and Sri Lanka share the trophy"
YOU'RE KIDDING? Australia were undefeated (including a comprehensive win over Sri Lanka in the Super 8 stage) while Sri Lanka lost 3 matches. That is all that I need to tell me that the Australians were far and away the best team and the worthy champions. How hollow for Sri Lanka if they were to share the trophy with the team that trounced them twice and which has not lost a world cup match stretching back to 1999. That would be an insult to both Sri Lanka and Australia. The result was fair - both teams played under the same rules and if Sri Lanka were good enough they would have won on the day under the rules agreed to by all.
That's sport. Deal with it.
Complain about this postAll these people saying the game should be played again and that it wasn't fair. It wasn't at all fair on the Sri Lankans but if it had been your team in the Oz position I can't imagine that you would have wanted it played again or declared null and void and you would have been talking about your opener's innings in breathless terms.
One of the CB trophy final in Oz games was completely hamstrung by the weather as well and I didn't hear any English fans saying that it should be replayed!
They need to change the organization of this more than anything else. At least the best team in the tournament by a country mile DID win.
I don't mind JA not congratulating the Ozzies, after the winter and the Ashes, he can't possibly have wanted them to win this and like the rest of us, he was just hankering after a decent game.
Complain about this postI whole heartedly understand your anger and frustration Aggers. What a tragedy this World Cup has been.
Cricket has, and always will be my favourite sport, and my heart bleeds for the damage this competition may have done for its future development worldwide.
Overshadowed by the harrowing murder of a team coach, empty stadiums, under cooked and under performing major teams, a ridiculously drawn out schedule, and the most farcical final in sports history, the administrators of the ICC should be brought to account for this disaster.
I take issue with your statement concerning Bangladesh and Ireland, as both teams fully deserved their place in the latter stages, and as for England; yes they were dreadfully poor, but I frankly didn't expect them to get any further in the tournament than they actually did.
I congratulate the Australian side, who are extreme professionals and overcame the amateurs who ran this tournament, and along with the Irish and the Bangladeshi's they offered the few bright highlights from this debacle.
World cricket has without doubt been dreadfully wounded.
Complain about this postI wonder what responses we'd be reading if Sri Lanka won the toss and batted first.Eventhough the Sri Lankan captain said he would have probably fielded he was only talking through his hat because he lost the toss.It was lucky for Sri Lanka it was a rain reduced match because if you consider the way the Aussies batted Sri Lanka would have been chasing 400+ for sure.
Complain about this postThis final was actually VERY close. I believe despite Gilchrist's mighty innings which was a joy to watch, Sri Lanka effectively only lost by 15 or so runs... rewind to the ball which saw Jayasuriya fall and the D/L total jump to 169-3..... what if...
Clarke drops one in short, Jayasuriya stays back and defends away into the offside, then takes the next delivey straight back over Clarkes head for four, before dispatching the final ball of the over through the offside for four. 153-2.
Some good running brings 2 off the first ball from McGrath then an crackerjack drive past the bowler for four from the new Warwickshire man. As the rain starts to fall, Jayawardene just gets a lucky edge which beats Gilchrist, third man can't cut it off at the boundary and .. oh my goodness... we're off the field. Bucknor and Dar are calling for the covers with S/L ahead of the rate. Well Ponting has seen the scoreboard, he is talking to Dar ,but some concerned looks on Aussie faces at the moment. Not sure the crowd realises that with Sri Lanka 162-2 and if it stays like this they will be the winners of this world cup...
Now how much complaining would there be then?
The Cup as a whole has been poor in a lot of aspects, and the on-off confusion later was appalling, but for anyone in command of the cricket rules, it was an exciting finish to this point and was VERY close to going the other way!
Congrats Australia, and Ricky Ponting - brave and clever decision to bring on Clarke to force the mistake - it could have easily backfired!
Complain about this postI dont agree with your views on India and Pakistan. You cant get an easier round than this. They are expected to be in the final 8 without any difficulties! I am from Bharath (India).
I feel that Indians are not good at playing Cricket and they must stop playing it for a while. If Imran Khan takes over Pakistan Cricket he can produce some of the best talents in Pakistan and make them to beat Australia like he did it in 1992.
World Cup finals must be played to its full quote of 50 overs. You MUST stop playing cricket when there is a heavy rain unlike yesterday where SL was forced to play when it was raining like hell!
FYI, for once India and SL shared the Champion Trophy (hosted in SL by ICC) due to rain.
Complain about this postFor all those who are talking about a best of 3 etc. Sri Lanka had the chance to see how they measured up, and learn lessons from facing Australia in the Super 8s. It was a meaningless game (except for Australia who were always going to play hard to protect that cup winning record) and a perfect chance to test themselves and learn lessons.... instead they chose to rest their key bowlers (Malinga excepted) who then disappointed no finals day. If Gilly&co had hammered them in that game, I'm sure they would have found plans for the final! Strange decision that!
Complain about this posti agree a lot with what aggers has said but not with his comments on the format. the first round could have been played over a week then a break then the super eightsgives the minnows a goal to aim at
Complain about this postAustralia in all aspects of cricket are the best. There is no doubt about it.
Complain about this postEverything they do in cricket is the best.
1.Australia got the best cricket structure in the world.
2. They got the best cricket facilities in the world.
3. They got the best and huge cricket grounds in the world.
4. They got the best cricket coverage (channel9) in the world.
5. They got the best Cricket commentators in the world like Richie Benaud, Bill Lawry, Ian Chappell, etc.
6. hence there is no surprise if there team is best in the world.
Aggers, please clarify your statement 'but it is clearly a dreadful error to devise a World Cup that can allow the remotest possibility of India and Pakistan being knocked out before it really gets going.'. Do you mean that they should change the group stages so that they are more interesting?
Complain about this postIndia and Pakistan were deservedly removed from the tournament due to playing terrible cricket. (England were lucky to avoid the same fate). If you don't want them being eliminated, and the word of cricket spread to other countries, then don't invite the minnows to the party. The problem is, that the WC would have been far less enjoyable without them.
As far as the format goes, why weren't two matches played every day during the group stages? The 'Super 8' has to go. Even my enthusiasm was virtually lost by the time the semis eventually rolled round. If the ICC insist on having all the 'top' teams play each other at least once, then why not simply have one big Super League with the top four/six going into a play-off.
And now, the final. What a joke. The overs should not be reduced in a final. It should go to the reserve day and beyond if necessary. TV companies should not be allowed to dictate how any sport is run. Maybe the final needs to be a three match series like the NatWest and CB series are. It seems to work quite well there, but then they are not organised by the ICC.
Complain about this postwhen it's all said and done.... Let's just stop and marvel for one second:
THREE-PEAT to the Aussies!
Boo-yahhhh!
Even if you think it's boring to watch them dominate, you can't blame them. The other teams out there have to step up and match the standard they have set. Otherwise it will just be second rate
Complain about this postThank goodness the whole thing is over. The whole tournament has basically shown what rot one day cricket is. Welcome back Test Crciket. If only there could be a moratorium on one day cricket for the rest of the year, talk about overkill.
Complain about this postAll people who are suggesting Australia won the world cup on the toss of a coin WAKE UP. Adam Gilchrist was the difference. If he hadn't played that innings, the result would have been a lot closer. At the end of the day, the best team won.
Complain about this postI think everything written above is 100% right. To have a world cup that has felt like it has been going on for months is never a good sign. Most people knew the outcome would be an Oz win, not one team pushed them at all the whole tournement. Its a sad state of events with English cricket, but the same could be said for all the major sports in this country. Money is not going onto the grass roots and the young players are not coming through. I love watching cricket, and the Ashes win seems like a memory I am going to have to remember for a long time, cos I can not see the English beating the Oz again. Sadly this world cup will be seen in many peoples eyes as a complete waste of time.
Complain about this postCouldn't agree with you more Aggers. The administrators are a joke.
Complain about this postThis was supposed to be a Windies World Cup and instead it turned into a soulless one sided romp for one of the sets of white anglo saxon toursits who dominated the sparse crowds in the big new grounds.
True I would be happy had England won, but I would like to think I would be able to acknowledge the bigger picture.
World Cricket is only going to be healthy if Australia are challenged more regularly, and if the fat cat businessmen who dominate the running of the game are replaced by some more open minded types.
Jonathan,
Although I agree totally with your opinions on the failings of the organisers of the world cup tournament this year, I'm afraid I can't agree with:
"it is clearly a dreadful error to devise a World Cup that can allow the remotest possibility of India and Pakistan being knocked out before it really gets going".
If Ireland are going to qualify for the world cup, why shouldn't they have the chance to knock out a so-called heavyweight and attain the opportunity to play the greatest countries in the world? They played three games each. That shoul've been enough to see them through. Pakistan should've beaten Ireland but they were complacent and Ireland played well. The same goes for Bangladesh.
England are ranked quite highly currently in the world of football. Would you say that if they had a bad day and a team like Sierra Leone or Luxembourg beat them, that England should still go through? No. They blew their chance.
The test-playing nations didn't have to qualify for the tournament, so why should they automatically be handed a ticket to the next round? If this were to be the case, make the tournament consist of 12 teams and have a "super-12s" round. I even give the ICC permission to use that name (!).
Really enjoyed your comments over the last 7 weeks Aggers....and I'll always listen to TMS instead of watching live on sky any day....
Complain about this postThe taste depends upon the slice selected and personal predilection of the savorer. Let us not ignore that while many other teams couldn't summon the concentration, keep the desire, or produce the skills over the entire length of the tournament, there were some who did it.
In this test of endurance, the most determined and skillful team prevailed.
Why were they few people watching at the grounds?
We have heard about the high cost of the tickets, but that surely isn't the only reason. You may know better than I, Mr.Agnew, but maybe the tickets were already sold out via the internet and agencies to fans who didn't turn up after their teams fell out rather unexpectedly. I have seen people trying to auction away tickets on internet auction houses for peanuts in comparison to their original price. So the ICC could not re-sell property already sold temporarily just to fill up stadias.
I agree about the length of the tournament causing a mental "disconnect" with earlier matches - much like an frequently interrupted reading of a thriller.
This WC has had its moments and none as precious as a team winning it thrice in a row. What must have gone into it? Can we comprehend it, or imagine it to be some mysterious hoodoo because we cannot? Maybe it is simpler to call it all boring.
Where is the old-fashioned appreciation? Looks like most of us have forgotten how.
By the way, I am not an Australian!
Complain about this postOh come on Agggers, I'm angry England got knocked out as well, but that shouldn't take away the fact we've seen some magnificent cricket in this tournament.
It's not the organisers fault that Pak and Ind got beaten by minows, they should have just played better cricket. Same with England, I so badly want to blame other things like you are, but the fact of the matter is, we simply didn't have the bottle and didn't stand up and be counted for.
Yes the rules were too strict at the begining, but when they were relaxed, the Carribean atmosphere came back to the grounds.
You got to hold your hands up and say well done to the Aussies, they've been a class above all tournament and we were privelaged to see one of the greatest world cup final innings (Gilly) ever seen.
Apart from the final few overs, the final was running smoothly, even Sri Lanak admitted the weather didn't really play a part in their loss, they were simply outclassed by now World Cup champions Australia.
I do agree that the final few overs were just very badly organised, when the batsman went off for light they should have just had the presentation ceremony then, but its typical clueless ICC.
An enjoyable World Cup tournament, that provided us with great entertainment, I'm confident England can get back on track and mount a stronger challenge in the next World Cup.
Complain about this postThe match result should read 'Australia won the toss and decided to win' as any team batting first would have won that final.
Complain about this postAt last somebody has said sack the organizers. That is a start but Mr Speed was confidently defending the mess even a couple of weeks ago.
This sick idea that more money is better is the key failure.
Huge international names sponsoring it and dictating terms for their megabucks was the root of all of the other problems.
The stadia were universally unfilled due to the sickeningly expensive ticket price (a lot more than Lords for an unshaded seat without replay screens).
Complain about this postOn the farce front don't forget the back to front wearing of non-CWC-sponsor-logo'd current national team shirts to get through 'security'.
Remember the forfeiture of water purchased outside the stadium(St Lucia, to my certain knowledge) to get through 'security'. This was to allow the CWC approved suppliers to charge up $7EC for a half litre(c£1.50) they promptly ran out of water and food(Eng v NZ) Furthermore they then removed the tops when selling it to prevent use as missiles, so you couldn't then put bottles down or in a rucksack for fear of accidental spillage.
SACK THE BLASTED LOT, RETAIN ANY BONUS THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN DUE, AND GET A PUBLIC LIVE APOLOGY FOR THE SAKE OF THE FANS.
What a wonderful opportunity missed, principally through greed and the self deception that more money is better.
"it is clearly a dreadful error to devise a World Cup that can allow the remotest possibility of India and Pakistan being knocked out before it really gets going"
It would clearly be an even more dreadful error for *any* team to be guaranteed a place in the 2nd round regardless of whether they win or lose their matches in the 1st. There's a recipe for meaningless games if ever I heard one.
I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that I quite liked the format of this tournament. If they could have got through the super 8 stage quicker - say by playing two games each day instead of one - and not made such a monumental balls up with the ticket pricing it could have been a great tournament.
Oh well, at least the best team won. Australia completely dominated every game they played and are worthy winners - hopefully some other teams can up their game enough to challenge them in the next one.
Complain about this postI take great issue with the following: "it is clearly a dreadful error to devise a World Cup that can allow the remotest possibility of India and Pakistan being knocked out before it really gets going."
India and Pakistan have no divine right to proceed past the group stage. All India had to do was beat Bangladesh and Pakistan had to beat Ireland. Simple as that. They didn't so they deserved to go out. This sentiment that India and Pakistan were hard done by is wrong. They weren't - they were let down by their players who didn't seem to care about playing for their teams.
Complain about this postI agree with Aggers point of view, it was a rather disappointing world cup. Although on the field it was probably one of the best in terms of performances and even though India and Pakistan left early the on field performances of the minnows really added something to the tournament.
I think something has to be done because the ICC and cricket depends hugely on the revenue from the sub-contentient, sounds unfair but you have to try and keep those billion or so fans interested in the competition if cricket is ever going to ge the good coverage it lacked during the latter stages of the world cup.
The length of the tournament is also too long, and the final well great display by both teams but the end of the game was far from satisfying, and i am sure health and safey would have had something to say about it. Also where were the floodlights?! not being funny but if you are redeveloping the majority of the grounds why not install some floodlights, if Essex can afford it I'm sure the ICC can give the West Indies money for it.
rant over
Complain about this postI understand the final ended in less than ideal circumstances, but why should it be played under different rules to every other one dayer in recent memory ( as most bloggers above are suggesting). Th DL system has been in place for many years now and any target worked out under this method is a fair target based on the run rate of the side that batted first. Sri Lanka had fine conditions up to the time Dilshan got out. Admittingly after one rain delay. The fact that the target seemed beyond reach is down to the skill and effort of the Australians. Jayawardene at the start of play said he was happy to back second with DL likely to come into play. His only problem was that the supposed best bowling attack in world cricket then got hammered by the Australains. If it had gone 50 overs, the Aussies would have scored almost 400. and the Sri Lankans would not have got anywhere near that. It might sound arrogant, but it is not as if the true World champions did not win.
Complain about this postWhilst I agree that the world cup has been awful I disagree entirely with your comment regarding India and Pakistan.
The group stages were in now way different to the football world cup, which offers the opportunity of lesser sides progressing into the second round. The fact is neither India nor Pakistan deserved a place in the super 8s because they played badly.
However, I feel the issue with Ireland and Bangladesh progressing occurred because of the nature of the Supers 8s as they simply can't be expected to compete with bigger sides in 7 games. This is the area that needs to be addressed for the next competition, not the involvement of the minnows - otherwise what incentive is there for cricket to develop in the more minor countries?
Complain about this postAbolish the 50 over World Cup and replace it with a 20:20 World Cup.
Shorter format. Shorter tournament. More exciting. Greater crowds.
Complain about this postIf it was not for the minnows, i think i would not have watched the world cup.
Complain about this postI think the world cup ended and was won by both minnow teams and the other should be ashamed of them selfs
As for the final, well what a let down the icc cant expect people to pay, watch and put up with this sort of farcical. (lets make them play it agian)
What A JOKE!!
"...and particularly its attitude towards one-day cricket finds itself under review - just 18 months after the triumph of winning the Ashes."
I am an Australian and reading this blog and in particular the paragraph that this quote was in is one of humour. I can't believe you English are still talking about the Ashes win almost 2 years ago. Since the win what has England done in the World of Cricket?
Can I remind you, that you lost the last 5-0. Take some advice from Australia, yes we lost in 2005, but then won everything right up to the Commonwealth Bank Games, in which yes England won. (I guess that would be the next dream that will live on for years.)
As soon as the Aussies lost in 2005, they went to work, to win them back A.S.A.P, which they did. They did the same after the lost in the World Cup final of 1995. Stop living in the past and realise that England need to do some major work. The Australian Summer that they had was a joke, the world cup an embarrassment to Cricket. But I guess you won the Ashes, in 2005 and in the 1980's, so let that memory live on and not the real game of cricket!
Complain about this postThe major difference between English and Australian Cricket, that we (Australian's) live to win at all costs, home or away. England Cricket, well i guess the very first quote sums up your attitude.
how was england's win a highlight?
it was a pointless dead rubber match between two pathetic teams.
Complain about this postWith it being a World Cup, why weren't some of the stadiums floodlit?
I stayed up until 6.30am today to watch it live in Hong Kong.
Farce indeed!!
Complain about this postI agree with aggers completely.
Complain about this postThe world cup was a disaster from start to finish and after 3 in a row that have been very poor, perhaps it is time to call a halt to the whole procedings?
I see that Duckworth/Lewis is coming in for a bit of stick in these comments.
To all the detractors, I say this - it was the rules that were at fault, not the D/L system. OF COURSE the final should have been played over two days in the situation, but this is a rare situation.
And why don't you find a better way of setting targets in rain affected matches.
The finest minds in world cricket have tried and failed for years and years. The thing is, that D/L is the best possible lest we start to play indoors
Complain about this postIt ended in the way everyone knew but didn't want to say. The Australians were just too good..still
Complain about this postim not sure if anyone has suggested this yet but why not just play 20-20 games in the world cup. it would be quicker and a little more exiting.
Complain about this postI cannot believe people are blaming Australia and saying they should be ashamed!
Ashamed of what? Being light-years better then any other team on the planet?
Yes, how very dare they...
Complain about this postVery few significant moments but disgrace and disaster to international cricket. CWC= Cricket Worst Cup.
Complain about this post"What an appalling advert for the game it was - and those responsible must never be allowed to administer a cricket tournament again."
I agree with these comments 100% - the organisation of this world cup was terrible and never allowed players and spectators to be become involved. There were far too many meaningless matches - how can you have a tournament with only the the semi finals being two knock-out matches!!!
Great performances by Australia and Sri Lank, the others "must do better"
Complain about this postWhy are there not qualifying rounds for the Cricket World cup? There should be a system similar to football where the big tournaments have group stages months before the event. I know the smaller sides have qualifying but maybe the test sides should be involved. That way the tournament will be shorter and the big teams will not be knocked out in one off games. The group stages could be played 2 years before the tournament, much more sensible and it works for football.
Complain about this postWhat if Sri Lanka had batted first? I do believe the Aussies were the best team in the tournament, but with the farce at the end if the teams had been reversed would we now be looking at a Sri Lankan Victory?
Also strongly disagree with your comment aggers "You won’t find Ireland or Bangladesh complaining about any aspect of the tournament but it is clearly a dreadful error to devise a World Cup that can allow the remotest possibility of India and Pakistan being knocked out before it really gets going."
Complain about this postThe both deservedly got knocked out from very poor performances and just because their a big cricket nation they should not be given ANY sort of advantage, cricket should not turn into a Elitist sport it does not have the mass support capable of doing that
Jonathan just likes a bit of a moan about everything doesn't he? Lets get a bit of perspective. England were never a good team going in to the tournament. No amount of staying off the sauce, and changing of coaches, will change the fact, that they are poor one day team, with key players missing. So why does this guy write article after article, trying to find complex answers to a simple equation? The final wasnt great, but either outcome would have been unsatisfactory, so Johnathan would have moaned either way. The unjustifiable ranting of the English press is getting a little tedious and melo-dramatic, it really does need to stop now.
Complain about this postI agree with most of Jonathan's views except 'it is clearly a dreadful error to devise a World Cup that can allow the remotest possibility of India and Pakistan being knocked out before it really gets going.'
I feel all teams need to perform and 'deserve' to be in the super eights. No team should be able to assume that all they need to do is show up to get there. I'm afraid as an Indian, I have to conceed that my boys (and the Pakistanis) did not deverve to get there and power to Bangladesh and Ireland. Popularity and commercial interest in the subcontinent is not enough and teams need to qualify on their cricketing credentials.
Football is able to accept big teams being eliminated in the first round (e.g., France in 2002) and we should be big enough to accept this as well.
Complain about this postAgree with most of your comments 'Aggers' there's no doubt this World Cup has done precious little to further the game to pastures new and very little also to those already converts to the game.
Complain about this postI do disagree though with your comments that something has to be done in the games format to prevent the likes of India or Pakistan being eliminated too early,upsets are part and parcel of any World Cup whatever the sport,and while we may miss the opportunity because of this of seeing a few great players in action any sport has at sometime to offer the opportunity of a 'Minnow' to play above themselves and as we have seen do it better on the day than the Big Boy's.
As an overall view I do believe too much International cricket is played,it is overexposed and as a consequence if a tournament such as we have just had in the W.I.with all its problems
will not serve to ignite peoples enthusiasum to see it again quickly, but more likely than not it will encourage them to find another way to enjoy themselves.
As a suggestion I would like to see every 3rd or 4th cricket season based on perhaps the Northern Hemisphere season to be a blank International Season,it would release all international players to have one full domestic season,give them a break from the grind of the International regime and the opportunity to wet the appetite of the cricket supporter to perhaps see something or someone new.
I still think if we had a 50 over a side match under normal circumstances, the outcome might have been different or we could have a competitive match due to many reasons like,
Ball was soft due to moisture and soft ball is hard to hit, Sanath Jayasuriya's dismissal on a ball that kept very low and after his dismissal the required run rate according to stupid duck worth Lewis method increased and etc.
ICC shouldn't use D/L method in finals (quarter, semi and the final itself) it’s not fare for the teams and not good for the fans of cricket even for the globalisation of the game.
Any way I don’t want to take any credit out of Australia’s remarkable success but this world cup was the worst (no doubt about it).
Complain about this postIF CRICKETERS HAVE THE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL STAMINA TO PLAY FIVE-DAY TESTS THEY CAN SURELY ACCOMMODATE ODI's IN QUICK SUCCESSION.
LIMIT THE NEXT WORLD CUP TO EXACTLY A MONTH - APART FROM WARM-UPS.
THE THREE GROUP GAMES - ASSUMING THERE WILL STILL BE FOUR GROUPS OF FOUR TEAMS - COULD BE PLAYED OVER 10 DAYS LEAVING 20 FOR THE SUPER 8 STAGE OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE CALLED.
AT LEAST WE WERE SPARED THE ULTIMATE NIGHTMARE - A PLAY-OFF BETWEEN THE BEATEN SEMI-FINALISTS FOR THIRD PLACE. HOW DID THEY OVERLOOK THAT ONE ?
Complain about this postAggers is quite right about it being a shameful end to the tournament. Though Gilchrist's superb innings was probably match-winning in any circumstances, we shalll now never know. We must be careful though to separate our ire for the ICC from any feelings towards the Australians who were easily the best team throughout They can after all only beat the teams they are pitted against. Congratulations to them but I'm sure that they too would have preferred to bowl Sri Lanka out in 50 overs and not win in the face of these rumblings of discontent.
As to India and Pakistan's early exit - they have only themselves to blame and no tournament should be designed to allow no 'minnows' to progress. That after all, is the romance of sport (Yeovil Town against Arsenal in the FA Cup quarter final would be every much as big a draw as Chelsea v Arsenal), especially given the English love of the underdog.
Incidentally, I appear to be the only one around who liked the World Cup going on so long. For those of us hard at work all day it was a treat to come home each evening and have a TMS broadcast to listen to and see the highlights each night. It has bridged us from spring to summer now: oh that sitting in the garden with my transistor radio tuned to crackly long wave yesterday and bringing back memories of childhood summers, I could have listened to a less TV-money/scheduling motivated charade and mockery of our beautiful game.
Thank you TMS; P45s all round to the ICC.
Complain about this postyeah totally agree with u, aggers. for those who scoff at his minnows remark did u actually watch ireland & bangladesh play? most of their cricket in the super 8s were appalling. two of ireland's games finished before lunchtime. and bangladesh were rolled over by 10 wkts & 9 wkts. very uncompetitive cricket.
next time instead of super 8s, why not have 2 groups of 4. top 2 of each go to a semi. straightforward.
Complain about this postJonathan,
Sorry you feel this way old chap. Yes, the WC was not up to our expectations but then what to do ? At least the right team won, go Aussies go !
Complain about this postYes - a hopeless World Cup. Far too long, ridiculous crowd entry restrictions, grossly overpriced beyond the reach of most local cricket fans, very few genuinely exciting games - perhaps 4 at the outside, several senior cricketing nations playing way below an acceptable standard, too many teams competing, and a final pioneering night cricket without floodlights. Bermuda's participation was the equivalent of San Marino playing in the World Cup football finals.
Suggestions for improvement next time. Have a preliminary ICC Trophy competition among the minor ICC nations such as Holland, Ireland etc and the winner of this competition joins the 11 other main one-day cricketing nations (including Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and Kenya) for a 12-team World Cup. Split the 12 teams into two groups of 6, with teams ranked 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 in one group and the other teams in the other group - essentially a Super Sixes to start. Then semi-finals and final: 33 games in total. If one game from each group is played each day, then the whole competition could last about 3 weeks.
Ensure that at least half the tickets are reserved for the local population at affordable prices, with a maximum allocation per household. Have sensible security regulations without absurd prohibitions on drinks, tee-shirts, musical instruments etc. For the semi-finals and final, have a reserve day and allow it to be used if there is any interruption in play - this final was really devalued by the stoppages and overs reduction.
Oh, and scrap the ICC Champions Trophy - there is no need for that competition and the World Cup at a time when far too much cricket is being played.
Complain about this postInteresting article and well written.
Complain about this postOnly one problem: why have a tournament that isn´t competitive? If Pakistan and India aren´t competitve then it has to be bye bye. It is their problem not the competition´s. Nobody would be interested in watching or competing in a tournament in which you are not allowed win because your country is not traditionally good, or worse you are not allowed lose because your country has a good tradition
Forty-nine days is far too long - there was no momentum for the players or the supporters - and after weeks of empty stands because of overpricing, the ridiculous rules that even included the need for conch shells to be registered before being blown were revoked. Perfect this is definatually the reason for a bad world cup
Complain about this postIt is truly appaling that on field umpires, and I assume the rest of the match officiating team don't know the simplest match regulation. That said, the media should stop pressing that point and celebrate the brilliance of Australia, and the bravery that Sri Lanka showed in the early parts of the run chase, when victory was not unimaginable.
In the end the World Cup was a flat affair really, it never really caught fire. Its unfair to blame that on the achievements of Ireland or Bangladesh. I think much of it has to do with over long format, not enough games had much riding on them, and the tournament didn't build up in the way a football or rugby world cup does. I think the Super 6/8 round doesn't really capture the imagination, mainly as it takes too long. Perhaps a system of 2 groups of 6 in the first round, with positions defining the quarter final line up, and then a straight knock out would be better?
Complain about this postThis is 'the third in a row that has spectacularly failed to live up to its billing'.
Gee, who won those three tournaments?
Sounds like sour grapes to me.
Complain about this postI think some of the comments on this page are pretty harsh. As someone who actually spent two weeks in Barbados I say that I thought the atmosphere was wonderful there was plenty of rum punch and the final England game againsnt West Indies was a cracker that was thoroughly enjoyed by all!
Yes the cricket could have been better but i have never been to an event where as visiting supporters we were given a true and sincere welcome. Surely the best place in the world to watch and enjoy cricket
Complain about this postAgnew's is right that this was a dreadfully disappointing World Cup and (of course) that England were poor throughout. Nonetheless they did manage to particiapte in two of the best finishes - perhaps partly because they weren't quite good enough. Over 90% of the Super Eight/Finals matches were pretty much one-sided - it's become as interesting watching Australia win this stuff by huge margins as it is wondering which English football team will win the league/cup etc etc. I wonder whether the longer limited overs game has much of a future - after all they've thought up every wheeze possible to make it exciting but frequently it just ain't.
Complain about this postWhat absolute nonsense, to claim that ... "it is clearly a dreadful error to devise a World Cup that can allow the remotest possibility of India and Pakistan being knocked out before it really gets going"
catch yourself on...if teams don't perform well when they need to, you can't just change the structure of the tournament just to help them out. unless of course you don't really want the sport to develop that is and its popularity to increase.
it is of course true that the world cup did not live up to its billing. however, it is clear to see that for many people, the only real interest in the tournament came from the performances of teams like ireland and bangladesh, as well as their enthusiastic support.
Complain about this postCouldnt agree more Jonathan-Malcom Speed has a lamentable record (and Im an Aussie)his work ethic and decision making reminds me of the English cricket team.
Complain about this postA great shame for the Caribbean which needed this world to boost cricket in the region yet so many of these colourful musical people werent to bring instruments in or simply couldnt afford to go.A disgrace but who cares about the locals Malcolm when there are the corporates to worry about. A world cup so long and with so little cricket Ive found myself more interested in the battle between Man United and Chelsea and I dont support either club.
Hi Jonathan;
Complain about this postThanks for the reports you keep posting for us cricket lovers. Am a big fun of Australia and please give those guys some credit. They were so so so so good that the other teams couldnot match up with their standards. Often times, when one is so so good the others buckle under the heat because they can't handle. Its what exactly went on with the cricket world cup. We hope next time round others shall have caught up such that we can get the entertainment we so desire though abit of flashes in some matches were displayed.
For all cricket lovers, hurray and keep it coming.
Cheers all.
i agree totally with everything in this article bar one point: i don't see what the problem with india and pakistan going out is. it's the beauty of a cup format that teams have to play consistently throughout the tournament, giving up-and-coming teams the chance to cause upsets when faced with the complacency of the established nations. it's great for world cricket that teams like ireland and bangladesh can be given that chance and that the sport is not seen to be completely closed.
Complain about this postAggers, you have just hit all the nails on all the heads. The way the tournament ended epitomises everything that went on before it. Well done to Australia, the best team by miles won and thank god they were there and playing like they did. The rest of the teams were disgraceful. Because of the poor standard and form shown by all the other teams, we even started saying that New Zealand were contenders to win, doesnt that show how far we all are behind the aussies. No offence to Ireland or Bangladesh but they dont make for exciting cricket matches.
Complain about this postI love cricket, have actually followed all of it and I AM GLAD ITS OVER.
Terrible World Cup.
This is a World Cup that will be remebered for all the wrong reasons - not least the WICB's attempt to fleece the fans with unrealistic prices.##Thank goodness England went out when they did. They were nowhere near good enough. Finally, Michael Vaughan looks as though he's something of a myth as an outstanding captain.
Complain about this postClowns of the ICC cricket board including their president should be blamed for a so poor world cup arrangement.It is a disaster.Most of the matches were played with so poor public attendence. The stadium was full only in the finals.
Complain about this posttotally agree with aggers! But one thing that gets on my nerves is yes the minnows beat the big guns, but in super eight matches how many victories did they see. its good for the minnow countries but not for international cricket being watched by millions worldwide.
Complain about this postSuper 8 without India and Pakistan is NOT a super 8 and I'm an England fan. Both these team would have got better and challenged the other teams in the later stages. Ireland getter through was a waste - pointless games, I and thousands of other didn't pay money to travel and watch games last 2 hours. The Caribbean locals were alowed into these games free at 11:00 on game day - when they arrived the game had nearly finished - scrap all the rounds the 10 best teams over the previous 4 years compete against each other - this is qualification for the world cup.
Complain about this postF1 was boring when Michael Schumacher was dominating, David Hamilton started with three podium finish, it is a great sport now for the Brits. Aussies are so professional and dominant that their game is one sided most of the times and hence it may look boring.
Complain about this postIf England had reached semis or the finals, the world cup would have been an interesting one for Andrew & Co.
Just because England did not qualify in the last 3 tournaments does not mean the cup is boring.
Last WC was a great success in India as it reached finals.
I can't comprehend what I saw yesterday and I feel cheated to the extreme. Yes, Australia deserved to win as they were the better team throughout the tournament. But to win the Final in the dark was a farce. I was in the front row of one of the stands and could not see the ball for the last ten overs, let alone the final three. I feel for Adam Gilchrist - his innings was stunning and a joy to watch, but the manner of the win undervalues the innings, the match and the tournament.
Complain about this posta dark tourament for sport, ended in the farce it deserved in the dark.
Complain about this postIndeed, Johnathon - as if we England fans aren't already embarrassed enough at the tawdry and eminently predictable debacle which was England's 'campaign' - yesterday was an additional embarrassment for all involved in cricket. What a very sad end to a very sad competition. Well done to Australia who ruthlessly and brilliantly destroyed all before them. The blip (theirs and ours) of 2005 seems oh so far away.
Complain about this postAggers I've been agreeing with you about the appalling quality of this world cup all the way through, but, if India and Pakistan turn up and fail to beat Bangladesh and Ireland then thats there own fault not the fault of the world cup organisers.
Complain about this post"Appalling advert for the game" - well-said, JA, that sums up this World Cup in an unregistered conch-shell. Not Australia's fault that they were unbeatable - congrats to them. (Though said through gritted teeth.) Congrats, too, to Ireland or Bangladesh; sorry, Aggers, but it was India and Pakistan's own fault for not getting into the last 8. But overall, a damp squib.
Complain about this postThat also goes for the BBC's late-night highlights programmes; I don't want to see the presenter on the beach or somewhere 'exotic' every evening; I don't want more than a few seconds of pre-match analysis and not much after, either - as a cricket-lover, I love watching cricket, and that means what happens ON the pitch.
Thank God this World Cup is over.
"You won’t find Ireland or Bangladesh complaining about any aspect of the tournament but it is clearly a dreadful error to devise a World Cup that can allow the remotest possibility of India and Pakistan being knocked out before it really gets going."
Nonsense. If you'd replaced India and Pakistan in that Pakistan with West Indies and England, people would laugh at you. Nobody would seriously suggest that England and West Indies should have the rules changed to minimise their chances of getting knocked out so why should Pakistan and India? If the argument is that they are both top teams then one would question their record against the best sides in recent years. India in finals? There's a joke in itself. In terms of important silverware the West Indies have won more in the last few years than India with the Champions Trophy victory in England and reaching the final of the last tournament. Pakistan have been playing dreadful cricket for a fair while now and can't really claim to be one of the top elite sides in either form of the game right now.
I suspect your opinion, which has been much stated in previous blogs, is based on the idea that Pakistan and India should have been in the next round because they attract huge support and that would have brought more flavour to a drab tournament. On that I agree. I also feel that had the Super Eights been replaced with a straight knockout, nobody would be moaning so much as Ireland would have been knocked out in the quarter finals and the argument of too much boring cricket couldn't be used. Frankly after seeing Pakistan play like men with no talent in South Africa, I don't think they would have added much to the mix in terms of challening Sri Lanka or Australia.
There are several different issues here. India and Pakistan looked like jaded hasbeens living on former glories. They looked like relics, a mirror to how the England football team looked in the 1970 World Cup. Their lack of performance is their own doing and their own problem to solve. The World Cup schedule is for the ICC to sort out. If any international coach had adminstered a team as badly as the ICC administered the World Cup, there would be dismissals and resignations going on. The like of Percy Sonn and Malcolm Speed need to have some kind of critical review into their own performance.
I've said previously that I'd have a longer group stage scenario of four groups of four teams, each team playing each other twice so each team plays a total of six matches. That way, the Associate sides get plenty of cricket and no major side can get knocked out through one loss to an Associate side. From there, you go into a straight knockout. Less matches played, more intensity, less mucking about. You get your TV audience, you get the Associate sides playing good cricket over a sustained period and you keep the competition at a decent intensity for the professional sides. The Super Eights format is flawed, dull and needs to be scrapped.
Complain about this postWHat a disgrace for the WC final to depend on the good behaviour of the weather. Unbelievable that the Sunday wasn't left open to ensure it would be a 50 over match. Who are these clowns organising such a joke?! And if anyone argues time constraints-this during a 50 day tournament. Pathetic.
Complain about this postJonathan,
Your kind words about Australia winning are generous in the extreme. That you could pause in your rant to acknowledge the clear champion of the tournament is much appreciated. It also balances the angst you so clearly express.
Also, thanks for marginalizing teams like Ireland and the like. There is no place for such teams in the World Cup. If they are allowed to play then it should be as a short warmup before the real games.
Suitable oppponents for them would include Canada, Bangladesh, and England.
Complain about this postWhen England beat Aust in the triangular series I thought it was a good thing for Aust as the real prize is the WC, however not sure how any team is supposed to be able to time their run given it goes on for so long, I am just glad in the end,despite the weather, Lewis Duckworth system, that the best team won.
Complain about this postNot sure why you'd want minnows playing good teams, all that's going to do is to make the odds go out a long way for various bookmakers, say 100-1 or something, meaning throwing a game makes it that much more attractive to someone involving in something illegal.
51 matches of which probably only 4 (the final, the semis and the England SA game) really had any edge to them. The whole tournament was set up to drag as much money out of the poor punters as possible (and failed to spark their interest).
Next time, I suggest three groups of 6 teams on a normal round robin basis. That's three times 15, or 45 games in all, with the top two in each group plus the two best third placed teams going straight through to the quarter finals. That would be 7 finals matches making 52 in total, but as thr group stages could be completed in 3 weeks, the whole competition would come down to a month or so.
Plus the desperation to get the best possible results to gain the best third place spot would put an edge on more games.
Complain about this postOf all these issues, the worst seems to me to be the fact that the tickets were not affordable to most local people! For whom was the tournament taking place?
Complain about this postJonathan, I agree with you on most points but I dont think teams like India and Pakistan should be favoured. No other sports tournament works that way. Very frankly, if Pakistan cannot beat Ireland then they dont deserve to progress.
The thing that upset me most about this WC is the increasing encroachment of on-field advertisements. How long before the whole outfield is covered? It is pure greed which allows for this and it spoils the aesthetics of the game. Watch the old matches on ESPN and see how much more beautiful they were. The ICC should not allow banner ads on the field of play.
Complain about this postI thought that the tournament WAS designed so that India and Pakistan were almost assured of a place in the super8s. It required that they beat teams like Ireland, but they blew their chance, and Ireland took it.
Apart from a bye, not much more could have been done.
By insisting that India and Pakistan have a right to progress, you are siding with the money-grabbing organisers and TV companies whe are merely chasing TV ratings in the sub-continent! What kind of competition is that?
The best team still won.
Complain about this postI agree completley with the comment below. whats your suggestion aggers, give them a passport too the super 8s? a very arrogant comment, and im suprised BBC let you say that.
"However, I disagree strongly with "but it is clearly a dreadful error to devise a World Cup that can allow the remotest possibility of India and Pakistan being knocked out before it really gets going."
Complain about this postArrant nonsense.
In a way, it was most appropriate for such a disaster of a tournament to end in this facical way. At least the two best teams of the tournament reached the final and the four best teams reached the semis.
The Super-8s has to go. Replace it with quarter finals. Price the tickets reasonably for local fans and get rid of the totally ridiculous and petty rules over sponsorship and food and drink. Also, why on earth have an ICC Trophy which is another world cup anyway?
One final thing - how on earth can you build new stadia for a major crocket tournament and not include floodlights? That is simply crazy!
The idiots running the ICC should be made to personally refund money to fans who were so terribly ripped off by this money-grab.
Complain about this postI stopped following cricket closely around 2002, only returning to enjoy the Ashes success. I think it's naive to heap all criticism onto the World Cup itself, but rather look at cricket as a whole. The empty stadiums were an absolute joke considering this is supposed to be the sports showpiece event. You would never see an empty stadium at a football world cup. I think this is the price you pay for holding the final in a fundamentally 3rd world nation with corrupt and deluded organisers interested in extracting as much money as possible. Realistically, are Indian and Bangladeshin supporters going to afford such astronomical prices? And i agree about Aggers regarding the tournament format. Cricket struggles anyway for top quality nations, so seeing Pakistan and India go out before the tournament really gets going is a joke. Yep, I'd rather see Younis Kahn and Youhana along with Sachin Tendulkar and Dravid playing.
But cricket in general is a sport in decline. Well, in my opinion, has it ever been a top sport? It doesn't deserve its place as ranking alongside football and rugby. County Cricket is a farce, you're lucky to see 100 people at a ground for some matches, and we're heavily reliant on foreign influence for flair and panache. As for international cricket as a whole, aside from the Ashes, there aren't many gripping Test Series. Test Cricket in general can be desperately boring. Block. Block. Block. Defend the new ball. Wait for spectators to fall asleep.
All i'm saying is, don't expect a glorious World Cup from an average sport.
Complain about this postNot the best of the tournaments. But I strongly disagree with some of the comments. The format of this world cup may have been somewhat lengthy, but was I think much more fair. One day international cricket necessarily incorporates quite a bit of luck in terms of winning or losing a match. The outcome of a tournament that decides a world champion must therefore eliminate as much of the luck factor as possible. In this view, I would have even preferred seeing a best of three in the finals and the semi-finals.
Conversely, there are situations where it is just not possible to blame your luck for losing a match. Take the case of India and Pakistan, for instance (and I am an Indian myself). If these two team are good enough to come any close to winning the world cup, one would expect them to have standards that would enable them to get past lessor teams such as Bangladesh and Ireland no matter what bad luck befalls them. No offense to either Bangladesh or Ireland, I though they played some very interesting cricket.
In the final analysis, any other result than Australia wining would have been a big farce. Just looking at the statistics and the huge margins by which they one every single one of the games ought to tell you something. Sure the Sri Lankans were good but only good enough to be the runner ups.
Complain about this postI agree with most of your points there Mr Agnew. However, the constant criticism of Bangladesh and Ireland making the Super 8's ahead of India and Pakistan is quite honestly shameful and leaves a taste in the mouth as sour as the final itself.
All the teams knew the passage for qualification, this is (supposed to be) sport, and if the "heavyweights" of india and pakistan cannot raise their game to beat the "minnows" then it is their own fault and they dont deserve to be there, what is it with this sport i love, that constantly tries to keep it an exclusive club. Hopefully India and Pakistan and all the other "big" teams who failed to perform in the tournament (ENG, WI) will look at their game and improve it and not take their place for granted. After all, if you dont win a game you dont deserve to go through. end of story.
And lets face it, Ireland going through to the Super 8's was just what cricket needs a reordering in the otherwise predictable cricket world.
Complain about this post"You won’t find Ireland or Bangladesh complaining about any aspect of the tournament but it is clearly a dreadful error to devise a World Cup that can allow the remotest possibility of India and Pakistan being knocked out before it really gets going."
If anything, it was already set up for them to progress but both teams lost to so-called minnows.
Complain about this postAre you suggesting it should be fixed so Pakistan and India make the latter stages just because they have a large following and pull in massive TV audiences?
I know, let everyone play off for the right to meet Pakistan and India in the semi-finals. Then if either of them loses, keep playing until Pakistan and India reach the final. Then make it a best of three ...
Jonathan Agnew’s report praises England for one game in a morass of mediocrity, notes that Ireland and Bangladesh “took their chances” and ignores Australia’s achievement as a whole, one of the great one-day innings in particular.
Australia was stunning and deserved to win. Good for them, their skill, the organisation of and attitude to the sport and their supporters.
As for ICC being at fault for devising a World Cup that can allow the remotest possibility of India and Pakistan being knocked out before it really gets going, that is just silly.
The relevant question is why India and Pakistan produced performances that allowed them to be knocked out?
ICC deserve all the criticism they are receiving but while we’re looking at the world governing body plus the leadership and organisation of English cricket, can we also look at the broadcast media coverage and consider whether it’s time for another clean out of the sort that took place on TMS when Fred Trueman and Trevor Bailey were dropped?
Cricket is a technical game and commentary benefits from input based on a sound understanding of the technicalities involved but it also needs broadcasters that can correctly identify players in the field, read the scoreboard and talk about what they see in an interesting way, which goes beyond knowing the colour of a bus driving down the road or carping about the rigours of flying between Caribbean islands.
Second, am I alone in thinking that having played cricket at a first class/international level let alone having been a captain guarantees nothing in terms of broadcasting ability? True, SKY money attracts the big names so we can listen to TMS without having Nasser lecture us about whatever aspect of the game he has prepared for that day but if the best the old pro’s can deal up is “….at 47 for 5 what they really need now is a partnership…” then roll on Ant, Dec and Jonathan Ross.
There were a lot of low points in this World Cup but one of the lowest was hearing a TMS commentator in conversation with the summariser belatedly interrupt their musings about whatever it was to announce, “….he’s bowled him…” Shame he hadn’t been paying attention or we would have know who “he” and “him” were: it’s not just the ICC that is complacent and muddle-headed.
Complain about this postThe whole damned thing has been a serious pain in the arse for some time. Cricket used to be a mind-game: what intelligence is there in thirty-eight overs of slog? Those of us who can only get Radio 4 LW have to suffer what even your own commentators declared to have become a total and utter farce, without being given a hearing. Was this really worth a man's life? It's time to stop this, once and for all.
Complain about this postMove on Aggers...what is it with you lot. You won the ashes in 2005 and haven't been able to comprehend what has happened since. I've been following the debate on 606 and reading the various associated BBC blogs and the overwhelming impression I have is that.
Complain about this posta) The Australian team is the luckiest in history. For a marginally talented lot everything seems to fall just right for them.
b) For some reason the Australians seem to get preferential treatment from the umpires. Dodgy umpiring decisions always go their way and against their much more talented opponents.
c) The Australians are the bully boys of world cricket (the implication here seems to be that they wouldn't win if they didn't bully opposition teams into submission and that their overly aggressive behaviour somehow equates to cheating).
d) It was much better in the 70's and 80's when the West Indies dominated World cricket ...why oh why can't we turn back the clock to a more civilized time when Australia was regularly and soundly defeated by England et al.
However the fact is Aggers that this is 2007 and despite the head in the sand attitude adopted by many who populate this site, Australia are the best cricket side in the world (in both forms of the game) and history will show that this side is right up their with the best cricketers ever.
If cricket is to prosper and grow as a sport then why not use the Australians as a benchmark, adopt their methods, be professional, analyse their game and hand them back some of their own medicine, not whinge, whine and blame everything but our own inadequacies every time Australia wins something be it at cricket or anything else. Grow up folks!
Completely agree, except about devising a format where there shouldn't be the remotest possibility of the likes of India and Pakistan from being kicked out early. The upshot is saying to the Associate teams that you can turn up for the first half of the party, but then you have to leave I'm afraid! Doubt if that would then do much good for cricket in the Emerald Isle etc.
My biggest concern is what the people of the West Indies feel, after being over-priced and over-regulated out of their home tournament.
Complain about this postno offence to ireland (bangladesh has the population and appetite for the game and will become a force )but their status in international cricket reamins at 0 because frankly no one watches cricket in irealand. Ever wondered why over a billion people want to watch pakistan v india and why hardly anyone was interested in ireland v bangladesh or ireland v australia. do the math, ireland is never really ever realistically going to make it because all their players runaway to england and for very good reason!
Complain about this post100% correct. Dull, dull, dull. Although England may play boring cricket, they were involved in two of the best games of the tournament.
Complain about this postWhy do we need the D-L rule when each game had two days scheduled??
Why couldn't we have two super-8 games per day? Surely with some floodlights they could stagger the games.
Is there some way of handicapping the Aussies? They get 40-overs while the opposition get 50?
A disappointing world cup is at last over. Most players have retired/will retire before the next world cup. Let's hope that the next world cup will be enjoyable with new players.
Complain about this postIt seems almost astonishing that ANYTHING could have been organised more badly than this tournament has been. EVERYTHING has been incredibly poor (except having Ireland involved), and we all know that the ICC has this horrific habit of justifying their incompetence in terms of how much cash-flow has been generated.
In contrast: Yesterday, I went to watch a local 3rd XI match on a beautiful day in a lovely ground surrounded by cherry trees in blossom - I took my girlfriend, who has never seen a match before, and she's now in love with the game. After a crap World Cup, it reminded me how perfect cricket can sometimes be, and I'm so glad that we didn't have the option of watching Australia/Sri Lanka on Sky.
Complain about this postaggers there are several things I agree with your article, I feel that the whole worl cup is a farce. the best team in the world has shown why they are so good and have shown that on any surface in any condition they can still prevail and show the rest of the cricketing world how cricket is played
I am an indian supporter and though there was alot of commercial interest form the indian subcontinent, the world cup was lost almost immediately once the paks and indians left. the world cup should not be designed for the sucess of these teams but for the people where the world cup is hosted.
In my opinion the ICC are more interested in the short term option of how much revenue can be hgained. cricket is after all entertaiment based and that shgould be at the fore front of this all. If the icc presume that people will singularly turn up just to watch non-interesting cricket then they will sorely be mistaken.
Ireland and bangladesh fully deserved their places in the super 8's but would they not have benefitied playing in a mini league before the super 8's where the so called minnows of the game play in a syled playoff system and then allow the top 2/3 to enter the super 8 matches. Wouldn't this allow for all the unpredictability and then also have more meaningfull games. I don't feel that the organinsers of this event got all the decisions right.
It's sad once my team left I sort of lost all interest in the game, but seemed alot of other people dis as well and that is what needs to be adressed not the revenue that was lost but the people who watch the game
Complain about this postAfter this World Cup farce, should we not seriously examine the possibility of dropping the cricket World Cup as a showpiece event?
After all, things are just getting worse and worse with every administrator bringing in his own agenda items to the table, to the utter detriment of good cricket and entertainment.
Complain about this postaustralia's dominance in the cricket has made the cricket the most boring game.
Complain about this postbest way to make it interseting again is to start a worldcup of the teams without australian participation .
if australia is in the competition we know the result,there is no competition to australia.
FIRST OF ALL,COGRATS TO AUSTRALIA.THEY DESERVED IT.BUT AFTER THE END OF THE TOURNAMENT,THE BAD THINGS ARE REMEMBERED.EVEN IN THE FINAL,WHEN THE AUSSIES STARTED CELEBRATING,THE UMPIRES SPOILED THEIR PARTY.WELL NOT THE WORST WC,BUT STILL NOT THE BEST
Complain about this postI can't believe the number of people who are blaming Australia for any problems in this world cup.
Surely the blame should be on the organisers, and the awful teams and the good teams who intentionally played understrengthed line ups (SL/NZ).
Australia played to their fullest in every single game - if every other team had done that, the tournament would have been great. As it was, it was only Bangladesh and Ireland who were also able to play to their ability.
As for any complaints about the final, it was only the D/L method which kepy SL from being humiliated - however if you still have problems with it, then please let me know your thoughts on England winning the CB series here in Australia, as the final game in that was played in equally bad circumstances - favouring England.
Complain about this postGood point Aggers
but you could at least congratulate the Ozzies
they are by far the best team in the world
no one came remotely close to challenging them
and surely they entertained, it is not there fault everyone else was inept
well done australia
Complain about this postMr. Agnew, you were spot on with EVERY ONE of your criticisms.
>For good or ill (I believe largely ill as, sadly, would Mr. Woolmer's family) cricket is now run from the Indian Subcontinent and it is incredibly naive to suggest that teams like Ireland and Bangladesh should have the opportunity to knock out the two most significant teams in cricket in terms of sponsorship, TV rights etc. before even the Super 8.
>The stupidity of the rules that were enforced at the grounds, the overpricing of tickets and the lack of proper hotel and other facilities showed in the empty stands and general apathy. In any other sporting venue, this alone would lead to the firing of those repsonsible - can you imagine if the Champions League was run the same way? At times, it was almost as if the ICC were deliberately attempting to have the teams play in empty stadiums to make some sort of twisted point.
>The tournament itself was utterly predictable once India and Pakistan were out. You could have picked the final four after the Sri Lanka / India game and most people I know did. This made the Super 8 almost utterly pointless, while the Semis also were depressingly routine.
>The 'final' was so completely ludicrous that it might as well have been a Monty Python comedy skit. This was supposed to be the final of the most important cricket event in the world. It ended by summing up the entire tournament perfectly - a sinister farce, from start to finish and one wonders just how much lower the game of Botham, Garner, Richards and Warne can now sink.
Complain about this postIt sounsd to me, that a lot of people are either in denial or just hate australia. For the whole 6-7 weeks they played unbelievable cricket, some teams played well but not for the whole tournament. Whereas australia, did the basics right... i agree the final could of been alot better organised but people are too big headed to acknowledge that australia are true champions, and deserved to win and be no.1 in the world. How often do you see the same team win a world cup 3 times in a row... not very often!!!
Complain about this postCompletely agree, what an anti climax yesterday was. When you rwife asks you if the World Cup is over yet even she has had enough!
Serious rethink is needed everywhere with regards to the world cup.
Complain about this postThe problem with the format was it was so deliberately geared up for everything going as expected. The ICC knew who they wanted in the super 8 group, and the first round was just to be a parade of small nations so they could brag about the number of teams involved.
Then when everything failed to fall into place they were left with a pretty crappy league system, with a huge number of uninteresting games (because either to both teams the result was meaningless as positions were assured OR the match was foregone conclusion OR the teams knew they could pick up the points later so winning was not essential)
looking at it, I cannot believe how bad an idea the super 8 was. we had only one game of real urgency and pressure, ENG v SA, before the semi finals.
The format in future must put an emphasis on making teams desperate to win and play exciting cricket, not simply deciding what match ups the punters would like to happen and then arranging the format to make it happen.
Complain about this postSorry if I am mistaken but I thought India and Pakistan actually lost TWO games in the group stages!
No one can ever criticise the minnows who are more competitive against the test sides than the test sides are against Aussies.
When did Australia last lose in the World Cup?
Yes, exactly.
Complain about this postMr Agnew ....
"You won’t find Ireland or Bangladesh complaining about any aspect of the tournament but it is clearly a dreadful error to devise a World Cup that can allow the remotest possibility of India and Pakistan being knocked out before it really gets going."
So what are you proposing? The eight text playing nations get "byes" in to the Super 8? India and Pakistan going out early obviously did have a detrimental impact on the tournament, and on revenues but the simple fact is ..... they were beaten by Association Teams.
I'm sorry that this impacted the interest in the tournament but .... "you have to be in it to win it", and to win it means you need to "win your games". All credit to Ireland and Bangladesh.
I am surprised Mr Agnew that you could make such a statement.
For 2011 I am sure that there will be changes but those changes should not guarantee the progression of the "test nations" to the later stages. I'm English, and I was concerned that England might suffer the same fate in their last group game against Kenya.... by then we already knew Pakistan were out. I do not thing it is right to guarantee any teams progression .... even if that means teams like India, Pakistan, or even my home nation of England GO OUT. If you lose you go home, the games against Association Teams should not be taken lightly. All India and Pakistan needed to do was win those games and this would be a non-issue. They lost.... they went home.... sorry, that has to be RIGHT. Hopefully in 2011 the Association Teams will be even stronger based on playing cricket at a higher level and we will see more quality performances.
Complain about this postHow deliciously ironic that after all the ICC imposed rules that made this whole tounament such an unappealing sleep inducing bore, they were unable to understand their own rules in attempting to bring the final to its (farcical) conclusion.
Complain about this postOne thing I disagree with you about, Jonathan: how can you design a tournament where India and Pakistan could not be knocked out? That's impossible, unless you get rid of the minnows altogether.
Complain about this postThere were too many games. The ICC ought to streamline the cup then they should go straight to the super 8 stage and have the finals and the semis as a best of 3. To get to the super 8 you should be made to qualify over the period between world cups. this would mean that there was more at stake when one day international series' are played, and it would give teams something to play for when they are a game or two down in the series. the minnows should be given the opportunity to play the lower ranked teams to climb the ladder. there's no point of them only being allowed to test themselves against "greater " opposition once every four years.
as for the crowds. the appeal of the windies as a venue is its informality, friendliness, ramshakle charm, vibrancy and colourfull support. if you tinker with these things you put everyone off. tickets should have been cheap. there is plenty of money in tv revenues, advertising and merchandising.
Complain about this postJonathan,
A shambolic end to a very disappointing tournament. Poor organisation, last minute preparation and over emphasis on commercial interests were to blaim. Being told that I could not take a muesli bar into the ground because it displayed advertising really "took the biscuit".
Accepting that the final was dogged by bad weather I am perplexed by the apparent urgency to complete this prestigious match in a single day. The result was an unbalanced contest which could have been avoided. The sight of Tait steaming in to bowl at the Sri Lankan middle order in the gloom was alarming to say the least. Someone has to ask whether the rules on dangerous play were interpreted differently just to allow proceedings to continue.
Mike
Complain about this post"but it is clearly a dreadful error to devise a World Cup that can allow the remotest possibility of India and Pakistan being knocked out before it really gets going"
Disagree with that statement. India and Pakistan were fully aware what they needed to do in order to move to the next stage but they did not perform when it mattered so their early exit was an exciting event in this world cup. Devising a format to make sure good teams go through is called 'fixing'
Complain about this post51 matches of which probably only 4 (the final, the semis and the England SA game) really had any edge to them. The whole tournament was set up to drag as much money out of the poor punters as possible (and failed to spark their interest).
Next time, I suggest three groups of 6 teams on a normal round robin basis. That's three times 15, or 45 games in all, with the top two in each group plus the two best third placed teams going straight through to the quarter finals. That would be 7 finals matches making 52 in total, but as thr group stages could be completed in 3 weeks, the whole competition would come down to a month or so.
Plus the desperation to get the best possible results to gain the best third place spot would put an edge on more games.
Complain about this postFor me it was nice to watch Scotland, Kenya, Zimbabwe (although should they have been allowed to participate given what is going on there??), Holland, Canada and Bermuda.
They might all be posties and truck drivers but they all showed a lot of guts, passion and a determination to do well.. You could see that they were all proud to be there and enjoyed every moment, knowing that they had no chance of winning. This is what cricket should be all about.
Two questions-
Was anybody put off by all the spitting that went on?
Why don't the players have stars on their shirts indicating how many times their country has won the world cup?
Complain about this postWell done Australia. Well done Sri Lanka.
I'm sorry, I must be in the wrong place, I thought this was a site for Cricket Fans...
I wonder how many of the whining scrooges on this blog were actually with Aggers in the Caribbean for this?? Yes the over regulation and lack of crowds, and the format/length of the tournament need looking at... but unless you were there spending your money, why on earth was this a problem????
Surely you were watching for the cricket? It was disappointing there were few close matches, but the ICC can hardly be blamed for the West Indies, England, India & Pakistan and to some extent South Africa being below par in this tournament - that's down to the teams themselves - Sri Lanka & Australia managed to prepare!
Overall there have been some great individual performances, and it's been a pleasure to watch some the very best working their craft. Cricket is about skill and individual contests as well, and there has been plenty on display along with some fine heroics - Shane Bond, Matty Hayden, Scott Styris, Malinga's 4 in 4, Gibbs and Smith, Ireland and Bangladesh reminding some top batsmen how to play slower deliveries, there has been plenty to watch.
Even though England have been disappointing, there have been highlights, Bopara, Nixon, Vaughan's comeback innings, Pietersen's hundred.
Cricket is a game of intangibles and subtleties and there have been plenty of great moments within games, wickets and cameos to observe even if this time they have not always added up to close finishes.
As for the final, Gilchrist's innings was truly awesome, ask Jayawardene - The D/L method is a part of the game, and the whole reason Clarke was brought on and able to bowl an advancing Sanath Jayasuriya was down to the intricacies of this situation. Was I alone in finding this intriguing/exciting? The game hung on a knife edge in those two overs, Pointing risked a bit part bowler in the teeth of a battering by he Sri lankans, and it paid off. 15 more runs and a stoppage and they would have lost! Cheated? ... whatever!...
I sometimes feel that now even journalists of TMS supposed standards are just too lazy to impart enthusiasm to us about the intricacies, twists and techniques that make cricket the game it is, and would rather moan & patronize tabloid style about how the game needs to be xy & z for all the poor people who can't appreciate it.
With fans like this Cricket doesn't need any enemies. Constructive Criticism people come on... Aggers, take a lead here!
I can't wait for the 20/20 WC but it will be a different game - we won't get to see these teams all together for ODIs again for four years! Lets hope more teams are truly at the top of their game for the next one, but for now savour the good stuff and quit whingeing!
PS Bob Woolmer's tragedy was trully terrible, but clearly not the fault of the ICC either, unless some conspiracy of Xfile-esque proportions is yet to come out.
Complain about this post
Complain about this postWeather spoiled the world cup final. In addtion to that it was managed very badly in my opinion
I am just qurious to to what was in Gilcrist's glove. Is it legal to use something like that just
to enhance batting strokes. It as like if boxers
can use heave substance to punch the opponant.
But it is not legal. how come Australians use such
tactics against cricket rules. why official turn blind
eye to it.
When you first appeared on the broadcast scene you appeared an easy-going and positive-minded fellow? Do you feel you have changed? It now seems that the English cricket media is dominated by spikey bitter and bad-temtpered bowlers from the 80/90's! (Fraser/Selvey/Pringle).
Complain about this postTop teams hardly play the so called minnows prior to the big stage. That's something ICC should consider. Pakistan's loss to Ireland and India's loss to Bdesh are mainly the fact that these teams have hardly played before the World cup and they may not even have video recording of the minnows players to have an effecive planning for the game.
India and Pak together have population in excess of 1.5 billion. Thats 1/4th of world population. Among cricket playing nations over 80% of followers are from these two countries. Their early exit is clearly a disaster for the event. Those one sided matches are due to the early exit of India and Pak - in particular India.
Complain about this postThe islands did their best to host this tournament and the local organizing was very good. If you attended any of the games you would have seen that. Islands like Grenada poured allot of resources into hosting the games. Logistically the games were well executed. Most of the people that came to region will tell you they had a very good time.
The tickets were too expensive and too many rules. However in the end all the games were well executed.
The next world cup should include the same number of teams. There should be more simultaneous games during the first round. What happened during the finals was nature's work. The umpires did their best to adhere to the rules in a difficult situation. The two best teams ended up in the finals and the best team won.
Complain about this postI agree with everything you say, Aggers, except for your view that it was "a dreadful error to devise a World Cup that can allow the remotest possibility of India and Pakistan being knocked out before it really gets going". Pakistan only had to beat Zimbabwe and Ireland to ensure qualification with the Windies for the next round - it seems to me that the ICC had gone as far as they could to ensure Pakistan would get through, never dreaming that they would blow it. Pakistan's flair would have been very welcome in the Super Sixes, but no team should have a god-given right to proceed. One reason that Australia are so successful is that they don't get complacent and ensure that they do the business whoever they are playing.
One of the few lasting memories of this dismal tournament will be Ireland's success - and you can't have it both ways.
Complain about this postHaving thought about it a bit more, Aggers, I have a suggestion for future tournament structure.
Complain about this postHave a "Swiss" style competition: After the first game (random or seeded), each game is a semi-random draw of the teams at the top to play each other i.e. first will play second (or third, or fourth etc). You can only play each team once, but the top teams play each other (mostly) and the bottom teams play each other (mostly).
Chess tournaments have been played this way for years when there are too many competitors for every one to play everybody else. It makes for quite a dynamic table of results. If TV demands it, you could still have a final of 1st vs 2nd (or semi finals too).
In many ways this poorly organised tournament was deserving of a farcical finish. Still feel that after Bob Woolmer's murder it should have been called off. On the field the 2 best teams by far reached the final and nobody can deny the finest team in the world lifted the trophy. Listened to the game on the radio and when the teams went off shaking hands assuming it was over I did likewise and went to bed. Absolutely furious this morning to find that because of Jeff Crowe's incompetence I actually missed the end. By the way while listening on the radio I was constantly disturbed by the sound of text messages arriving, if these can't be accepted silently then must be email only for correspondents in future. Was very annoying. This tournament went on so long it seems almost time for the next one to start.
Complain about this postThe only thing is certen in life is death,but murder is ashame for all of us. i feel like we all lost the world cup, the day we will find the killer of great man Bob woolmer that day we will all win the world cup2007.Faisal
Complain about this postFirst of all Congrats to Aussies, they are brilliant and deserve to win the WC.
Second, JA should cool down,(come on you are in the WI) and congratulate Aussies at least before slamming and ranting the WC and organisers so unprofessionally.
Lessons must be learnt in this WC:
Complain about this post1. Just have 2 groups,play most games with minnows and the big ones. Play 2 matches a day at least.
2. Top 2 from each group will qualify for the semis.
ICC - Just for the sake of money thru Television rights do not spoil the game.
The question we have to ask is 'how has this tournament advanced world cricket?' After all the WC is the pinnacle of the OD game; a showcase to attract attention to a game that needs more exposure.
The positives
1: Ireland - a teriffic example of how cricket can be a field of dreams. Probably the real highligh for me.
2: Bangladesh answered its critics who have said they are not ready for the world stage
3: australia - we have probably witnessed the greatest team ever to take to the cricket field.
4: Sri Lanka - a team that was a minnow not so long ago and the initial instigators of batting hard in the first 15 overs. A very positive force in world cricket, who I believe will take Australia's number one ranking in the next few years.
The negatives:
Bob Wollmer's murder, rain, poor crowds, England, India, Pakistan, dreadful TV coverage (here in Australia anyway), too long (should have had at least two games per day, poor pitches where winning the toss almost guaranteed the game, Michael Vaughan, the West Indies team, too much corporate control at the expense of cricket fans, a farcial final, and too many one-sided games and I'm not talking about the minnows here either. The south africans and the kiwis were badly beaten in both semis.
All in all, the negatives outweigh the positives. I don't think world cricket has expanded too much after this. Ho many people who were previously disinterested in cricket will now want to follow their national sides? Apart from perhaps the Irish, i wouldn't say too many. In that regard the tournament has been a failure.
Complain about this postI fully agree with Aggers.
The farce started and ended with the admin in chaos over trivialities. All trying to outdo each other on one upmanship and how much money they could make regardless of the cost to the game.
Fire the whole lot of them and hire people who care about the game because these guys only care about themselves.
I have never been to such sterile games ever in the Caribbean and may this never happen again.
Thanks
Stan
Complain about this postAfter a long seven weeks was it too much for the organisers to have a reserve day for the final?
Complain about this postI am in total agreement with JA. When someone told me how long the world cup was going on for, I nearly fell off my chair!
Cricket is suffering the same embarassing, arrogant, self absorbed and self interested mismanagement that blights football and atheletics.
It's time to get rid of the back slapping, self congratulatory old men who run sport and hand it over to a younger more dynmaic group of people. With a bigger say for the people who's money actually makes these events work; i.e the fans/supporters/spectators.
Complain about this postOne of the very few highlights of this World Cup has been listening to Agger's thoughts and criticism's on both the internet and the BBC highlights, and his rant at the end of the highlights show last night was spot on. Can anyone think of any other sport in the world which would have allowed its main tournaments final to have decended into such a farce as yesterday?
Complain about this postMemories of the utter confusion at the end of the final test against Pakistan last summer came to mind, where for about an hour no one inside the ground had a clue what was going on. Although I dissagree with Jonathan's point regarding pakistan and India getting knocked out early, he is right about one thing, the organisors of this world cup must never be allowed to organise another.
Thank god it was late night in India and I didn't bother to stay awake into the wee hours of the 'reserve day'. Mr.Speed and some some TV giants must have booked this 'reserve' day for the eve of the first day of the next World Cup.
The worst W/C ever could not have ended in a ended in a befitting manner. Probably, they could have placed the Cup mid-pitch to enable the bowler see the wickets in its glow!
As for 'injustice' to SL, how many fast bowlers are allowed to bowl in bad light?
Complain about this postA very poor world cup , when i was a kid my dad would take me to lords or the oval to watch viv richards and joel garner smash england all over the place , surronded by cousins and freinds with drums , and any thing that would make a loud noise , the icc should hold there heads they destroyed the world for , jamicans , bermudans and everyone from the islands , who out priced and sited stadiums miles from any were , it was to long , top 2 from each group 4 game quter final , sf , final , not all this super 8 rubbish , australia , sri lanka , new zealand , and south frica played good cricket , but what a poor tournement , they lost the atmosphere collis king hitting a huge 6 , steel drums fun
Complain about this postThe farcial end to the world cup displays an immense lack of understanding of administrators for the game of cricket. the fact that a torunament lasting 49 days could end with a botched finish because of bad weather almost defies belief. Why didn't the administrators allow for a second day in case of rain? If everyone knew from the start, then people can prepare with flights, etc.. As it was, Sri Lanka were totally up against it, playing not only the magnificent Australia team, but D/L as well.
Complain about this postThe farce began in the morning. It was absurd to reduce the most important one day match in four years to 38 overs. They could have postponed the game to the reserve day. What is more appalling is it took four experienced officials to concoct the silly end, when both captains had agreed to the result.seriously, school level umpires would have shown better judgment.
The next cup is to be played on the Indian subcontinent. Just wait and see how the matchfixers will take charge and run the show.
Complain about this posti believe windies can do much better they need to discipline there selves on and off field there biggest problem is they are confident in what they are doing am a true fan of windies and i would not stopp supporting them but mi want the guys to just beiieve in them selves
Complain about this postwhilst certainly pakistan and india getting knocked out did mean a lack of entertainment and competition having nothing games at the beginning such as pakistan vs ireland doesn't particulary bother me as it gives the minnows a chance to rate themselves against the best and to be honest it is just a chance for the big players to find form.
ps. I enjoyed Ireland's passion and fight
Complain about this postOh dear, how much easier can you make it for these teams then to play non-professional sides like Ireland?
If they aren't able for amateurs then are they ready for the Super 8s?
Perhaps you guys should kick us Irish and the other 'minnows' teams out so that next time you can all play each other with little or no surprises.
By the way, for such a 'brilliant' cricketing nation, you didn't so very well. Perhaps you should let some other better teams in next time, to keep the standard from falling.
And whoever said cricket wasn't watched in Ireland, it has been since the WC! Its on the news, in the papers and everyones been talking about it. This WC will do wonders for the sport here.
Well done Australia!
Complain about this postsome people have said 38 overs a side was not enough. actually in the circumstances it was too many. it removed any breathing space for delays/ bad light/ poor over rate, whereas a 35-over game would have still been a contest, and could have been concluded in half-decent light before 6pm local time...
Complain about this postGreat comments, Aggers! And great work from all the BBC folks.
As an Aussie, it's nice to see Australia continue to win.
But oh my goodness, what a joke this WC has been and what a disgrace to the game the ICC is.
I live in the USA now and actually got a couple of Yanks interested in 2005 Ashes. It was pretty easy... riveting cricket and live BBC commentary you could listen to from anywhere in the world.
I tried to encourage the same people to tune into both the 2006/07 Ashes and the WC only to find out that due to rights restrictions you couldn't listen to either from America. Can someone please explain the logic here? I don't want to start ranting so I'll stop here.
Ticket prices, the format and length of the tournament, the way the final was cut short (surely the elimination stage (finals and semis) should be played out in full if at all possible), and the way the Caribbean flavor was snuffed out was ludicrous.
I would actually like to see some of the players get involved. This mismanagement by the ICC is affecting their fans' ability to enjoy the game and see it grow.
I would also like to see some heads rolling at the ICC. They are an abominable organization more concerned with making money than growing the game.
It shouldn't be possible to muck up a tournament involving the best cricketers in the world. Somehow, these incompetent jokers have managed to do it.
For the next WC, let's not invite the ICC.
Complain about this post"it is clearly a dreadful error to devise a World Cup that can allow the remotest possibility of India and Pakistan being knocked out before it really gets going."
Allowing progression for anything other than performance on the field of play risks turning the world cup into a commerical exhibition rather than a tournament to find the best team in the world. India and Pakistan were beaten by teams that outperformed them over a series of three matches. Ireland and Bangladesh deserved their participation based on performances on the pitch, not the balance sheet.
If India and Pakistan are to be given free passes to the final stages of a tournament then who else?
Neither New Zealand nor Sri Lanka have the commerical clout to demand participation. South Africa probably can't afford a place at the top table, and the West Indies certainly can't.
In contrast, both England and Australia have enough clout to demand a spot. Why not just start with the semi finals between whichever teams Jonathan Agnew deems worthy of participating in a world cup.
After all, what's the point of a competition that you haven't fixed the result of beforehand - it might even give England a chance!
Complain about this postI disagree with the comment about the ICC 'protecting' Pakistan and India from an early exit, if Ireland and Bangladesh had gone, then this world cup would have been even worse. The Pakistan-Ireland match was probably the highlight of the world cup from me, and the Bangladesh-South Africa match was great also.
Apart from that Aggers, spot on!
Complain about this postThere are only (I think) 3 mentions of Bob Woolmers murder in all the comments below on Wc 2007.
That should have been the biggest and last story of the 2007 World Cup and that it isn't is a reflection of how far into the sporting gutter cricket has fallen.
From that point on the cricket was totally irrelevant and the failure of the ICC and the World Cup organisers to recognise this is horrifying.
Complain about this postJonathan, Kindly do not lament the early demise of India and Pakistan. They failed and failed miserably and were deservedly thrown out.
But it won't happen next time. The Dons and the matchfixers in charge of the cricket in Pakistan and India; nay. not only cricket but most of the politics and power , will see to it that commercial success is paramount.
Both will make it at least to the semi final stage. I hope you know that one of the most corrupt politician in India is in charge of the Cricket Control Board there.
Complain about this postI think the best way to improve the World Cup would be to make it a straight knockout competition.
16 "minnows" play each other in the first round, and then 8 seeds join them. Make every game a do-or-die thriller. Sure, there will be some shock exits, but at least we won't spend 7 weeks trundling towards an inevitable conclusion.
The current format is designed so that the best team is virtually guaranteed to win. The trouble with that is that any cricket fan in the world could sit down in the pub and tell you that it's Australia. Look at the football world cup final - are France and Italy the b