A Successful 2024 Cricket World Cup

Jul 12, 2024 Letters, Sports

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Dear Editor,

It was a fantastic finish of the World Cup in Barbados in the final. World cricket was brought to USA and after a decade to West Indies.  It also brought in a lot of revenues, the most financially rewarding for ICC in terms of sponsors and viewership. It brought in viewership from places that didn’t pay much attention to the game. Young guns made a mark on the international stage. The veterans were playing their last games. Some of the matches showcased top-notch cricketing skills and performances of newcomers and old timers. The final and a few other matches also were most unpredictable, mesmerizing and thrilling encounters in recent championship games.

India won the final and also put in superior performance over other teams throughout the tournament. India was loaded with a blockbuster batting line-up, comprising of three all-rounders and a bowling department comprising of five, three of who are top class batsmen with first class centuries. The composition of the team made a difference in being undefeated in the tournament.

The final was a great, nail-biting match. Spectators waited until the last ball was bowled. Viewers and listeners waited for the last delivery. It was a match for the ages. The spectators were very thrilled, excited and fortunate to have witnessed such a great match. Both teams — India and South Africa — played exceptionally well and were undefeated going into the final. It was a hard-fought match that could have gone either way. India played consistently well throughout the tournament.

One critique in an editorial on India’s victory is that matches were scheduled to give her an advantage with rest time ahead of big matches. Assuming that was the case, Australia and England had more rest time than India. Didn’t South Africa have a day more rest time over India? Clearly, India the advantage of more rest time did not apply to the final if indeed factual for other games.

Rest time does not favour any team; if anything, too much rest may disorient players, placing them off track from their game rendering them out of form. The schedulers don’t know who will play the last eight and remain among the last four or play in the semi-finals or final. When cricket is ongoing, no one can manipulate the result. Cricket is a game of skill and strategy and India applied themselves accordingly to make it to final and win the championship.

Sports today are played for prime-time audience. Organizers of leagues and global championships schedule timings to maximize income. Matches of all sports are not played in daytime in America except on weekends. Ditto all over Europe. And it is no different in Asia and Africa. The West Indies follow the same practice.

Matches are played in prime-time to attract spectators and TV audience as well as for radio listeners (yes people still listen to commentary in South Asia and Africa) and for social media. The biggest draw for cricket is India with a population of over 1.4 billion with Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Oman adding another half a billion. India is the main draw and most of cricket’s finances come from India; at one time, it used to be England, Australia, and New Zealand that had the big money. India overtook the big three a decade and a half ago and India calls the shots on timing of matches that India plays. And why not?

The 10:30 (8 PM India time) timing of Indian matches was to capture Indian TV viewership and not to give any undue advantage to the Indian players. Indian players were disadvantaged in starting the match at 10:30, giving them less time to loosen up and practice in the morning. Indian players also had less rest time than some others in between games. Teams that played in the late afternoon or evening had more rest time and the entire day to loosen up and practice. Also, India had less rest time than South Africa to prepare for the final. SA should have the advantage and win. Instead, India pulled off a victory from the jaws of defeat. India had players who have the ability to change the course of a game single-handedly. And that is what happened in the final.

India held their nerves. The tactical acumen and leadership skills of Rohit Sharma with advice from Kohli and guidance from the dressing room to bring on Bumrah at the right time changed the direction of the match. SA suffered collective agony; it was heart-breaking to come so close and lost because of a spectacular catch. That catch from Yadav was among the best ever taken and it shifted the game towards India.

In the end, it was the competitive spirit and cricketing prowess of both sides that played the final that made it a great game that no one who saw it will ever forget.

Hats off to all the cricketers for a month of sports entertainment.

Yours truly,

Dr. Vishnu Bisram

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• 2024 Cricket World Cup, Barbados, Dr. Vishnu Bisram, newcomers, West Indies

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