World Cup rage

Is anyone else as angry as I am about the World Cup? It has been building for a while but spilt over this evening while watching West Indies make a pig's ear of their run chase against Sri Lanka, who were watched by hardly any spectators in a brand new but not fully complete stadium that is covered with more sponsors' logos than a Formula One car, commentated on by the biggest collection of vapid "talent" since Celebrity Big Brother, and yet again a World Cup match, the 30th of this unending tournament, is heading for a dull finish. I make it 27 dull games out of 30 and coming after the least competitive Ashes series for 80-odd years, it is capping off a thoroughly miserable winter.

Meanwhile, Duncan Fletcher, the England coach, says that the reason why his side have struggled so far (apart from the game against New Zealand when they weren't good enough to struggle) is because they are complacent. Does anyone else just want this tournament to end now so we can get back to some proper cricket? Or at least skip straight on to semi-finals between Australia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and South Africa, the only teams with talent and balls.

I'm angry that there have not been more close matches. I'm angry that Pakistan and India barely showed up. I'm angry that England look so clueless. I'm angry that Australia look so good. I'm angry that Brian Lara and Chris Gayle have barely made an impact and don't seem to care. I'm angry that Bob Woolmer's death will be used as an excuse for why this has been a damp squib of a tournament.

Above all, I'm angry at the ICC who are killing the game with their miserabilist, money-grabbing approach to administration. This should have been a carnival of cricket, instead it is just one long advertising break with the odd over or two of cricket thrown in. And as well as overcharging for tickets and plastering logos over everything, the ICC or their goons are trying to kill every small pleasure. No instruments, no waves, no colour. Did you see the story yesterday about the Australia players who, during the lengthy rain delay in their match with Bangladesh, wandered out to the boundary to meet some of their fans and had a bit of a throwaround with them until stewards told them not to mix with spectators? The game is no longer about those who play or watch it.

If this continues, cricket will wither. I will no longer go to watch international matches at the Oval in South London after watching their heavy-handed, thuggish stewards attempt to stifle any joy during the Tests last year. The Oval has become a miserable place to watch cricket, not helped by the apalling view of play from side on. It is typical of Blair's Britain, where everything must be regulated and conducted within strict guidelines, where fun is banned and where everything comes with a price.

Oh for someone with the imagination and gumption to remove the game from the clutches of bureaucrats and accountants and give it back to those of us who love it. We need an alternative World Cup, one run for cricket rather than profit. What we need (while acknowledging that in the long run he caused much of the money-grabbing now in the game) is another Kerry Packer to allow the game to become fun again.

Comments

[Peter McGuinness]

Steve's right.

But the problem in Australia (don't know about elsewhere), is that the typical person who goes to a One Day Game is not the same as a Test Match patron.

Unfortunately, many blokes who go to the One Dayers like nothing more than to do ridiculous things like tossing cups of urine, meat pies and all sorts of other crap into the air and onto other patrons. Alas, that's why everyone else (including the Barmy Army and other 'normal' fans) were penalised with crazy restrictions and mid strength beer during the last Test Series.

It's a pity.

But it's hard to blame the authorities under the circumstances. Luckily, I couldn't give a stuff about hit and giggle, but - if I did - I wouldn't bother going to games based on 'fun' being taken to stupid, purile, prankish levels. You don't see this appalling behaviour even at football in Australia because there's too much going on in the game, and morons haven't got all day to get legless and ruin it for everyone else.

Maybe these draconian measures should only be in place for One Dayers. I don't know the answer, but I do know for sure that are people who will not take their kids to One Dayers because of the dangerous and disgusting antics that have become a typical part of the day out.

It seems that ostensibly boring sports bring out the worst elements in crowds. If ODIs were as engrossing and interesting as Tests, it's possible that d**kheads would not have to throw scalding hot food, or excrement onto women and children; or compete to throw the dumbest item onto the playing surface, for entertainment.

I don't like the autocrats either. I also don't like our stadiums being hijacked by a minority of selfish wankers. No easy answers it seems...

[Arun]

Hey Patrick...your wish for a Kerry Packer style series has come true!!! The Indian Media Group called Zee is going to sponsor a parallel cricket league of 6 teams where each team will have 2 Indian players, 4 internationals and 8 juniors. It will expand to 16 teams over 3 yrs, and will start off as a 20/20 competition and grow into an ODI format. They claim they have already started negotiations with international cricketers....

Dont know how much good it will do...Zee wants this league to improve Indian cricket...am not sure if it will...

[steve wardle]

How can Blair take the rap for what is happening everywhere in world cricket? The last Australian summer was held hostage to the same autocratic morons, banning everything that had a slight suggestion of crowd enthusiasm, waves, beach balls, singing, musical instruments, coupled with the p*ss weak beer they sell. Has the last traditional cricket fan within the cricketing councils just died and been buried?

[Peter McGuinness]

Patrick.

One Day Cricket is usually boring.

You may have noticed this theme coming through in some of my comments.

Boring. Predictable. Diluted. Formulaic. Commercialised Crap.

I share your rage. Have done for a long time.

Strange that I'm still compelled to watch it despite my abhorrance of it. I suppose ODIs beat my other past-time, which was more interesting, but sending me blind.