It's Their Own Fault

E-mail this Article

Print this Article

Subscribe to RSS Feed

A slice of steak-and-Guinness humble pie please.

By Dave Tickner

So, that's the end of the boring bit of this World Cup.

My earlier rants about the presence of so many minnows have been entirely vindicated by the thumping-great defeats suffered by Scotland, Holland and Bermuda, and yet simultaneously look as steady as an England player coming to terms with defeat thanks to the presence of two outsiders in the Super Eight.

Almost exactly a month ago, I sneered: "Bermuda, Ireland, Canada and Holland have a lot to do in the Caribbean to convince me they are there for anything other than an extra 20 games' revenue in the ICC coffers."

While three of those sides predictably did precisely nothing to merit their involvement (sorry Dutch fans, stuffing a hugely disappointing Scotland doesn't count I'm afraid), one of them has left me facing a healthy portion of steak-and-Guinness humble pie.

Not only have Ireland deservedly taken a place in the Super Eight, they were involved in two of the most exciting games of this or any other tournament.

And while Bangladesh's presence in the latter stages is hardly a shock on the Ireland scale, their emergence from a group featuring India and Sri Lanka does them enormous credit.

I fear there may be a great many people with tickets for the Kensington Oval on April 15 who will be a touch disappointed when Bangladesh and Ireland rather than India and Pakistan do battle at the famous old ground.

For the ICC, a huge problem - but one entirely of their own making. They've tried to have their cake and eat it at this World Cup, inviting a host of smaller teams to come and boost the number of games and swell the ICC coffers, but in a format clearly designed to ensure that only the eight major players were involved towards the business end. But those Irish and Bangladeshi upstarts have cheekily ensured themselves another six games apiece while two of the best-supported sides head home with tails between their legs.

A quick look at the advertising hoardings around the grounds and emblazoned on the turf itself reveals the importance of the Indian market, and their early departure will undoubtedly be causing furrowed brows for the money men.

While England v Ireland in Guyana should be a cracking affair, with the Barmy Army taking on the Blarney Army in the stands, it hardly makes up for the absence of two teams considered genuine challengers a few short weeks ago.

But of course, despite the excitement and shocks on the field, the whole tournament has been dominated and overshadowed by the murder of Bob Woolmer, a story that seems to get so increasingly unbelievable with each passing day that no-one would now be surprised if Lord Lucan and Shergar were arrested and charged shortly after Andrew Flintoff hits the winning runs in the final. Whilst naked. And drunk. And using an oar as a makeshift bat.