ECB leave England in 50-over mire

By Scyld Berry
Last Updated: 12:23am BST 20/07/2008

Successful England teams: this is the objective of our governing body, the England and Wales Cricket Board. They used to want England to be No 1 in Test and one-day cricket by 2007, then by 2009; but those honourable intentions have been revised downwards to plain 'successful'. Still, that is no reason why England followers should be forced to accept second best. Or rather fifth best, which is what England were at the last World Cup.

Not since 1992, indeed, have England been one of the top four countries at a World Cup. Successful? A team who aren't an international embarrassment at 50-over cricket would be a start, and there is still no sign of that, England having been whopped 3-1 by New Zealand home and away.

Last week, when the ECB decided on a new domestic structure, the county chairmen last week had the opportunity to do something about the abysmal state of 50-over cricket in England - and did absolutely nothing. England are the only one of the eight major cricket-playing countries never to have won a global tournament (the World Cup or Champions Trophy) and the ECB, by their actions, are manifestly happy for it to stay that way. They want to line their pockets with two 20-over competitions. A successful England team at 50-over cricket? Empty words.

The first-class counties are free to play 20-over cricket until hell freezes over, and then to play 20-over cricket on the ice - provided they pay their own way. But they don't: even if/when new money pours in to the English Premier League, the counties will still rely for half their revenue on the £30?million generated by the England team. Yet the county chairmen call the tune.

A conscientious government would haul up the governing body of an under-performing sport who react to four World Cup embarrassments in a row by maintaining the status quo. It's no use arguing that 50-over is going to be wiped out by Twenty20. India will play 50-over internationals as long as there are a hundred advertisement breaks in every game.

England will play seven one-dayers in India in November, and you can already hear the breast-beating that will take place when England are overwhelmed, but now is the time to do something about it. World Cups until 2015 are integral to the International Cricket Council's broadcasting deal; and the 2019 tournament has been promised to England, so the ECB aren't going to look that gift horse in the mouth.

If the ECB staged a domestic 50-over competition in July and August, with time for the players to practise, England might have a chance of winning a World Cup. As it is, they don't.
Exploiting the 20 overs of powerplay is essential to a 'successful' 50-over team. But how can that be done on early-season pitches when survival has to be the aim, not power?

Match-winning spin is another essential if a World Cup is to be won, especially the next one in Asia. In this year's Friends Provident Trophy only two spinners have taken four wickets in an innings: both modest off-spinners born several thousand miles from Britain, Gareth Breese and Greg Lamb.

Was complacency the correct response last week? Or a 50-over competition played in high season on hard pitches, in place of the second 20-over competition, which could have unforeseen consequences. Younger players could get into bad habits by playing so much 20-over cricket. Spectators, too, could get hacked off.

The county chairmen have not done what is in the best interests of English cricket. The ECB should change their wording to read: "successful England teams - except in one-day internationals". By their fruit we shall know them - and it is fruit which has been designed, by self-interest, never to ripen. source: telegraph.co.uk

’83 Cup magic

’83 Cup magic

— The summer of 1983 not only transformed the face of Indian cricket but instilled in the minds of its followers the belief that its team can win against the best. The World Cup squad under Kapil Dev which had landed on English shores as rank underdogs went on to script a golden piece of history when it humbled and shocked two-time Cup winners, defending champions and then the most-feared side – the mighty West Indies in the final at Lords to return home as heroes. A relatively low score of 183 proved to be more than enough in the end when Mohinder Amarnath trapped last man Michael Holding in front of the wicket for the maiden title. Given India’s dismal track record in the previous two editions, little did anyone know then that a resourceful team of sedate and aggressive batsmen like Sunil Gavaskar, Krish Srikkanth, Sandeep Patil as well as genuine all-rounders like the captain Kapil himself, Amarnath, Ravi Shastri and Roger Binny would conjure up an unbelievable feat against the formidable favourites. Twenty-five years hence as the country gears up to honour these gentlemen – some of whom are now legends in their own right while some have literally become forgotten entities – and celebrate ‘the greatest triumph till date’, the euphoria may not be as intense as it was then but the legacy continues to inspire the current crop of cricketers and the upcoming talents. While the older generation recalls and relives the magical feat of ‘Kapil’s Devils’ in nostalgia, the next generation has the luxury of a complete team to look up to and emulate.The 1983 Cup triumph set a new trend. The world started respecting and recognising India as a force to reckon with. Another major feat was achieved two years later in Australia when it won the World Championship of Cricket under the able leadership of Sunil Gavaskar, which only bore testimony that the ’83 feat was no fluke but a superlative performance when it mattered. Winning soon became a habit albeit there were inconsistencies to follow later in the decade. Nevertheless, India acquired its rightful status, thanks to the ’83 feat. The bottomline of the famous triumph at the ‘Mecca of Cricket’ was that cricket which already was a game for the masses in the Indian context became a passion – an infectious craze that led people to the stadiums in large numbers while keeping millions glued in front of the television. With over a billion people, India today is a hub of the game which has acquired the status of a flourishing industry. Cricketers are no less than demi gods while the brands they endorse earn the loyalties of the consumer. The concept of T20 cricket and professional leagues like the IPL and ICL have become instant hits. In a way, cricket which has become a money-spinner is invariably playing the catalyst’s role in the Indian economy, thanks largely to its passionate followers who still regard the ’83 feat as the magic mantra behind the game’s elevation to a religion. SourcE: ASSAMTRIBUNE EDITORIAL

Kapil's Devils relive 1983 triumph

June 18, 2008 Nostalgic moments of a historic victory were relived by members of 'Kapils Devils' as BCCI felicitated the 1983 World Cup heroes in New Delhi on Sunday night.

The Indian team, then considered underdog in international cricket, created history when they shocked two-time World Champions West Indies in the final at Lord's in June 25, 1983 to lift the Prudential World Cup Cup which is till date considered one of the greatest moment in Indian sports.

After 25 years of that triumph, the day was once again relived when the 14 cricketers along with then manager P R Mansing were felicitated by the BCCI

Source:www.rediff.com