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A fitting way to end farcical World Cup

One-day internationals

by Oliver Brett - BBC Sport (U1779520) 29 April 2007

The five officials who failed in the heat of the World Cup final

The word “farce” has been used a lot in reflections of the climax of the Cricket World Cup in Barbados on Saturday.

The trouble is, farces are meant to be funny, and this one was anything but.

For those of you who spent your Saturday evening more gainfully entertained than in following coverage of Australia’s march to victory, let me explain how it all unravelled.

It rained for three hours before Adam Gilchrist smoked a majestic 149 in Australia’s 281-4 from 38 overs.

Sri Lanka initially also had 38 overs to try to score one more than that. All straightforward so far.

But the rain returned in the 25th over, and didn’t really go away.

The players went off for a bit, carried on for a bit, and then, chasing a new target of 269 off 36 overs, lost their way completely in quite horrible conditions.

The umpires did their best to keep the players on the field – this was a big match after all – but it wasn’t really possible.

With 33 overs gone, the umpires decided cricket was no longer viable.

The disconsolate batsmen sloped off, resigned to defeat.

Australia celebrated their "victory" – being well ahead on
Duckworth-Lewis calculations – and an International Cricket Council official walked into the press box to confirm the World Cup had finished.

That’s when the five officials – yes FIVE of them – involved in running the match lost the plot completely.

The dramatis personae were the two on-field umpires, Aleem Dar and Steve Bucknor, the match referee Jeff Crowe, and the third and fourth umpires, Rudi Koertzen and Billy Bowden.

For some reason, Koertzen, whose principal role was to make umpiring adjudications based on television replays, decided to take a more elevated role.

He decided that unless the last three overs were bowled there and then, the whole circus would have to resume on Sunday.

Thus, Sri Lanka and Australia – who had to keep the beer chilled for a few more tortuous minutes – faced the indignity of playing out three more overs in the witching hour.

I don't think it's Rudi's mistake. I think it's a collective mistake. Maybe Rudi might have suggested it early but that doesn't mean the two on-field umpires couldn't have overruled himJeff Crowe, Match referee

Koertzen was wrong, but Dar and Bucknor meekly accepted his word, and Crowe failed to act.

Meanwhile, Bowden flitted about the outfield with a box of replacement balls and a headset on.

This tournament had been criticised for many things, but most of all for the opinionated bureaucracy of the ICC.

The game’s ruling body had pandered to TV companies by dragging the tournament through nearly seven weeks and 51 matches.

It had failed to market the event to the locals, and largely stripped it of its Caribbean identity by banning unregistered musical instruments.

Now, five of its personnel – though you needed infra-red cameras to identify them – were rudely exposed at the defining denouement of this exhausting event.

The collective meltdown of logic was neatly symbolic of the ICC’s generally ill-planned handling of the World Cup.

There was much talk of how the ill-fated tournament desperately needed a closely-contested final to rescue some pride.

But then again, an exciting contest played in good light, was the last thing it actually deserved.

Cricket is a complex enough game without such ridiculous antics going on when the rain hits and the skies darken.

England’s Ashes triumph in 2005 was finally celebrated after similarly unsatisfactory circumstances.

Of course, 12 months later officialdom ruined a Test match between England and Pakistan at The Oval – and it was nothing to do with the weather.

The infamous Darrell Hair persuaded himself that Pakistan had been cheating. The ICC found no evidence to prove Hair's case and his career came to an inglorious end.

If that was one of international cricket’s lowest points, the events of Saturday 28 April showed that its recovery has, sadly, not yet started.

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comment by Iron Bottom (U1946557)

posted Apr 30, 2007

jockriley

are u an attention seeker or just a plain idiot? the majority of posts on here are not whineing at the aussies winning the tournament. they are complaining at the incompetence of the icc, organising commitee, & the match officials on the day of the final. if u read all the newspapers a number of well respected journos (ex players amongst them) are saying the same thing. we can't all be wrong!

p.s. congrats to australia. they played exceptional cricket.

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comment by skippybigoz (U7555549)

posted Apr 30, 2007

Nice one JockRiley,

It's rants like yours on these boards that give us the reputation for being smug, arrogant and disrespectful fans.

Most Sri Lankans have been extremely graceful in defeat, the Kiwi's were especially complementary, even Smiddy came out and held his hands up after we did the Saffers. Vaughan was his usual diplomatic self as always.

As far as the boards go, I'd not seen too many nutters screaming nonsense, until I read your post that is.

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comment by Boshboy (U6557965)

posted Apr 30, 2007

The Aussie's played an excellent tournament.

Yes they were the superior team but don't knock the other countries trying to compete.

Woolmers death is tragic

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comment by RoopJindal (U8235595)

posted Apr 30, 2007

THE WORLD CUP FINAL SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN PLAYED ON SATURDAY. WE PAID TO GET LIVE BROADCAST AND DID NOT KNOW WHEN THE PLAY WILL START FOR SRI LANKA. WITH THREE HOURS OF RAIN AND SRI LANK PLAYING IN DARK, IT WAS A FARCE. ICC SHOULD HAVE POSTPONED THE MATCH TO SUNDAY.

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comment by My_name_is_Jon (U8183064)

posted Apr 30, 2007

Here's my rule of thumb for a World Cup - in any sport - it's too long if I can't remember when it actually started - this World Cup has, more than anything, just gone on for too long.

And, yes, it is time to find a way to play important matches out more fully. Imagine a football World Cup final being played for 45 minutes, then decided on penalties?

And in response to Jock Riley, this World Cup will be remembered for the murder of Bob Woolmer more than anything. (And let's wait to see if poor event security is named as a factor in his death)

No-one is trying to take anything away from Australia - in fact, if Australia really want to exploit the prestige of being World Champions it is in their interest to see a professional, smoothly-run World Cup.

In fact, come to think of it, maybe a few of the Australian management team could be drafted in to make the next World Cup run better.

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comment by GUCCIO (U7812600)

posted Apr 30, 2007

I'm all for a cup spread out over a period of time, best of 3 semifinals and best of 5 final.
But are we sure most of the people cherish such a sensible format? Sure they don't prefer a gambling-like chance-affected the winner-takes-it-all-single affair?
I'm not even bringing the ICC's old wigs into the decisional equation, for they live on another planet.

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comment by Superlongjumperjay (U8236175)

posted Apr 30, 2007

After the WC final farce and the universal agreement that it was Rudi's fault, isn't it time the ICC give Rudi "the slow left hand....?!" He was useless during the ashes in Australia and he was equally useless during the WC...

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comment by Audierne (U7854128)

posted May 1, 2007

It wasn't perfect but it was there. We had lots of cricket and the best team won! Thanks!

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comment by maninthewhitecoat (U8239341)

posted May 1, 2007

The unfortunate & sad occurences about the Cricket World Cup were the outpricing of match tickets & outlawing of musical instruments. We were promised a carnival of cricket by the organisers ! However their obscene greed & ignorance of running such an event, left them with a hell of a lot to be desired.
I would argue that the on field issues concerning the officials only masks what was a poorly run competition.

PS Well played Australia you were brilliant

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comment by quartz21 (U6708377)

posted May 1, 2007

Is there any more to be said ? Let us just forget this world cup and get back to the game of cricket for all teams

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