The recently concluded World Cup Qualifying Series was a wonderful advert for the associates game. It’s nail-biting tension, fever pitch excitement and clash and contrasts of style made compelling and breathless viewing even for those without a national allegiance.
But it was significant as well as scintillating. To a casual observer weaned on a diet of test cricket it may have appeared a fun but fruitless affair but for the teams, players and coaches the stakes could not have been higher. With qualification worth $5,000,000 in direct ICC revenue over a four year cycle just one innings, or a superlative catch could make the difference between securing a professional future for the game or condemning a generation of players to amateur status. For Ireland, Canada, Kenya and the Netherlands momentum has been maintained and plans for development programmes, professional contracts and lucrative ODI series can be set in motion. However, the real winners were perhaps Afghanistan whose fairy tale rise through the World Cricket League has culminated in ODI status and first class cricket in the Intercontinental Cup. The rest will have to lick their wounds and set their sights on 2015.
Even a fleeting glance at the tournament averages demonstrates the importance of professional players. English county stars Will Porterfield, Eoin Morgan, Alexie Kervezee and Ryan Ten Doeschate all demonstrated their class and calibre in crucial performances for their respective sides. Meanwhile the amateurism demonstrated in pressure situations by Uganda and the UAE condemned them as also rans. There is a common misconception that talent is everything. The truth is that all teams showed glimpses of talent and moments of brilliance but it was consistency under pressure that set apart the top four. The UAE provides a classic example of how a talented group of players were let down by the lack of a professional set up and approach. While the leading teams had an intensive six week build up the UAE could only spare a fortnight for players to acclimatise to alien pitches and conditions. And coach Colin Wells was given a paltry six week contract to bond with his players and prepare them for world cup glory. Given these limitations their failure must be seen as inevitable rather than unfortunate.
With any international tournament it is imperative for the credibility of non test cricket that country’s are free to select their best XI’s. The absence of Ireland’s Ed Joyce, Denmark’s Amjad Khan and Kenya’s Ragheb Aga is regrettable. It would be chirlish to criticise any player for taking the opportunity of playing test cricket but a solution must be found. How can the quality of associate cricket be showcased if its best players are not on display? Although seemingly obtuse one such solution could be for players to qualify for a test nation through residency but retain an ODI registration for their native country.
Copyright: Cover Point
