David EdwardsHas the World Cup Lost Its Sting?
April 16th 2007 02:03
Last night the Super Eights’ match between the minnows Ireland and Bangladesh was the 42nd Match of the World Cup. The competition has gone for one month and three days, and with still two weeks to go there seems to be a dramatic loss of interest from fans, supporters and even the players have displayed a sense of boredom of the entire competition.
It is interesting that the cricket World Cup has the format which goes on for so long. What is considered the ‘world game’, the soccer World Cup, has double the teams competing in the finals, and yet is still able to keep the entire series going for under a month.
There has been some serious flaws in the format of the cricket World Cup. The initial group stage was set up fine, but it hit a stumbling block when it went into the Super Eights stage. They have insisted in dragging out the contest, having every side play each other once.
Whilst this was originally thought as a money making scheme, in the end it as just become a snooze fest. There has been four sides who have dominated the entire series (Australia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and South Africa), and have made the rest of the competition lacklustre.
And the reason for that is not the lack of quality from the other sides, whilst that is not far from the truth, but rather how it has played out. The format is completely drawn out, and all it results in making sure the top sides are able to coast into the semi-finals, and makes sure that there are no upset going into the tail end of the competition.
What is the better option, and what should have been done, is the Super Eights would have gone into the two separate groups, and had each team in the group play each other once, like the first stage format. This would have made the World Cup stay interesting, and even better would have made sure that the best side on the day would have the chance of advancing to the finals.
At this stage, it has become an overpriced, long, drawn out yawn of the competition. And whilst it has proven on the world stage who is indeed the best players and sides at the moment, it has done it with the minimum of excitement and fanfare.
I, like many other cricket supporters, was very excited at the prospect of the World Cup earlier in the year. But after the competition has become such an drawn out process, I can only hope that the interest will rise again once we reach the semi-final stage. But at the moment it will have to take a lot to get the attention of cricket fans around the world. Lets hope that they can bring back the interest of the world stage.
Until next time, sports minds.
It is interesting that the cricket World Cup has the format which goes on for so long. What is considered the ‘world game’, the soccer World Cup, has double the teams competing in the finals, and yet is still able to keep the entire series going for under a month.
There has been some serious flaws in the format of the cricket World Cup. The initial group stage was set up fine, but it hit a stumbling block when it went into the Super Eights stage. They have insisted in dragging out the contest, having every side play each other once.
Whilst this was originally thought as a money making scheme, in the end it as just become a snooze fest. There has been four sides who have dominated the entire series (Australia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and South Africa), and have made the rest of the competition lacklustre.
And the reason for that is not the lack of quality from the other sides, whilst that is not far from the truth, but rather how it has played out. The format is completely drawn out, and all it results in making sure the top sides are able to coast into the semi-finals, and makes sure that there are no upset going into the tail end of the competition.
What is the better option, and what should have been done, is the Super Eights would have gone into the two separate groups, and had each team in the group play each other once, like the first stage format. This would have made the World Cup stay interesting, and even better would have made sure that the best side on the day would have the chance of advancing to the finals.
At this stage, it has become an overpriced, long, drawn out yawn of the competition. And whilst it has proven on the world stage who is indeed the best players and sides at the moment, it has done it with the minimum of excitement and fanfare.
I, like many other cricket supporters, was very excited at the prospect of the World Cup earlier in the year. But after the competition has become such an drawn out process, I can only hope that the interest will rise again once we reach the semi-final stage. But at the moment it will have to take a lot to get the attention of cricket fans around the world. Lets hope that they can bring back the interest of the world stage.
Until next time, sports minds.
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Comment by Julie Keast
World Where You Live
Just let me say the Cricket World Cup has cured a lot of insomniacs...including me