Second Time Around

Written by Jonathan Cumberbatch

Tuesday, 19 February 2008

As if no time had passed, Alan Stanford's home grown regional 20/20 tournament has continued over the past two weeks to cheering, flag-waving, capacity crowds, improved performances from the minnow teams (St. Kitt's, BVI) that growing tournament tension as the big dogs (TT, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica) start squaring up for semi-final showdowns.

All that's missing is an upset and that may yet happen in this strange game that no sane man would bet on regardless of the stripe of your patriotism.

Still, after the party passes once more, what's left to ponder:

Pros:

1. Cricket remains popular in the Caribbean. The crowds flock and TV ratings soar in an increasingly pessimistic climate that saw no electronic coverage of the recent Zimbabwe tour. The West Indies Test team remains an embarrassment that the current tournament seems to provide the perfect distraction.

2. The legacy is maintained. Stanford has made it a point to have the living resident legends (e.g. Richards, Hall, Ambrose, Walsh, Garner) ever present and stylishly coiffed at all games, as well as vocal in their commentary stints and 'around the ground chats'. Their visibility keeps their name and records alive and viable to an increasingly shallow and indifferent young generation.

3. The money. Hit the pavilion clock, get US$100,000.00, Win the trophy, get a million. Simple as that. Stanford, like Packer, has his personal agenda of course but he is also delivering a quality product on his end. He is present at every game, ever smiling and pressing the flesh with Prime Ministers and peons alike. His is the new way.

Cons:

1. We're fucked now. With technical batting skills already in short supply, many purists believe that this new format shall serve as the last rites for Windies cricket. The former kings of every traditional format now exiled to troll the fringes of the game providing cheap thrills to a global audience that reduces their expectations every time we visit.

2. Star power? What is a star in this game anyway. No one seems to perform extraordinarily game over game in any 20/20 tournament making one wonder if the days of the batting and bowling star (forget legend) are numbered.

3. The money. We may from time to time have our mind on our money and our money on our mind but must it be all the time? Maybe I'm losing step with these commercialised times but rewarding every freak big hit or freak wicket stands to skew an already skewed game further as tactics are thrown out the window to pocket some more personal booty.

I'm open to comments from everyone on where they see this format taking the global game.

(Click here to know more about Jonathan)

Comments

Add New

RSS