Minnows threaten march of Champions

West End – This has been the week of the minnow in the ICC Champions Trophy, and the debate rages over whether it should mark the last time smaller countries are allowed to compete with the big boys.

There have been some spectacular blow-outs, like New Zealand compiling the highest total ever in the tournament against USA, Australia bowling the same opponent out for 65 and Bangladesh collapsing for 93 to South Africa. One reporter noted that at £25 per ticket, the few supporters who bothered to turn up were shelling out almost £1 per over!

But there have also been some interminable matches – especially on the south coast – when the result has never been in doubt but arriving at it has taken most of the day. Twelve thousand India fans seemed to enjoy a 98-run demolition of Kenya but this is one neutral who struggled for much of the match. Likewise West Indies win over Bangladesh.

The argument in favour of letting these sides play with the big boys has merit – it provides a target for the teams to aim at and exposure for the game in their home countries. Whether they learn from being thrashed or just go home shell-shocked is up for debate.

Unfortunately for the International Cricket Council, the number of minnows has actually grown since the World Cup last year. Boycott-hit Zimbabwe were beaten by the US in a warm-up match – Ssh! the ICC would rather that one didn’t get out – and Kenya are voluble in their annoyance at not playing more matches in between major tournaments, despite their one-day international status.

Rather than there just being a couple of teams out of their depth – a novelty addition to the established powers – the minnows are reaching critical mass, and threaten to destabilise major tournaments like this.

Solutions are plentiful but not necessarily comprehensive. The ICC is planning a World Cup Qualifying Series in 2006, before an unprecedented five non-ODI nations play on the big stage, but the details so far are sketchy. The inclusion of smaller sides in domestic tournaments requires extra cash, as does appending quick trips and triangular tournament invites on the end of major tours, but it is this sort of regular competition that is desperately needed.

Don’t forget that this tournament was conceived to make money for the ICC’s development programme to help spread the cricketing word in non-traditional nations. If the Champions Trophy really were a tournament of Champions – 10 Test-playing nations playing more games – it would bring in far more revenue than these mis-matches watched by less than 1,000 people each.

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Stat of the week

10/28 – proportion of tosses won to one-day matches as captain for England’s Michael Vaughan, including 2/10 this summer.

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Spotted

A former England captain of recent vintage trying to haggle a 20p reduction in the price of a cup of coffee at a Rose Bowl concession stand.

A current West Indies captain at a loss having missed the team bus from Portsmouth to London on Thursday.

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Quotes of the week

“I played a four-day game which was washed out for three and Wasim Akram bowled me for one on the last day – fond memories.”
- Michael Vaughan on his experience of the Rose Bowl.

“At least me and Sachin have got something in common.”
- Nasser Hussain when told both he and Tendulkar sign autographs left-handed. He was, erm, waiting in the queue for coffee at the time.

"It was painful for everyone connected to Bangladesh cricket".
- Dav Whatmore on the defeat to West Indies. Why stop there Dav?

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Six sense

1. Those who carp about Kenya not playing enough top-level one-day cricket forget that the ICC gave their national association a stiff talking too about exactly what is required to play with the big boys, namely proper corporate governance including a bit more transparency.

2. Sourav Ganguly said India could easily have beaten Kenya in less than 50 overs but that he chose to give his slow bowlers a go. He might forget that famous line - “Have a net” - that saw England creep to victory over the same opponent and miss out on the second round of the 1999 World Cup on the run rate tie-breaker. Forty overs must be possible at Edgbaston on Sunday and Monday for the Prince of Calcutta to avoid appearing foolish.

3. The USA talked about learning a lot from playing against New Zealand and Australia but the average age of their side is in the upper 30s, and there is little prospect of a new generation to reap the benefit of their experience. Captain Richard Staple admits that until – perhaps he should say unless – cricket is played in schools it will continue to be dominated by expats, who have to serve a minimum five-year residency to qualify.

4. Dav Whatmore spoke before Bangladesh’s meeting with West Indies about other sides feeling “a foot taller” when they play the Tigers. It isn’t easy if the first person they see is captain Rajin Saleh, who must stand a full 5ft 4ins tall and in whose presence Whatmore, a cricketer of the Chappell school of hard knocks – appears like a mother hen.

5. On the subject of young captains, though, I’m throwing my weight behind the “Elect Sarwan” campaign. Having seen his captaincy when he has stood in for Brian Lara in the past and heard his manifesto – communication, communication, communication – at first hand I reckon he is the man to lead Caribbean cricket back to respectability. Gus Logie is unlikely to stick around and the trend for foreign coaches is likely to continue, although it would have begun a year ago had Aussie Bennett King’s appointment been managed properly. I only hope Lara sticks around as a gnarly old pro to dispense batting wisdom and start scoring runs again.

6. After a wet Friday at the Rose Bowl, I can’t help but feel there must be a compromise between fitting a match into a single day and using a reserve day. Even when the rain had been falling for just an hour, England’s match against Sri Lanka was certain to slip into a second day (although it kept on raining and there wasn’t a choice). Maybe there could be a minimum for day one – 35 overs? – reduced to 20 on day two to make sure they get a result. It would have been a shame to lose 90 minutes and play 10 overs on day two.