The captains toss at King City
On Tuesday (August 2nd), Canada’s ICC Intercontinental Cup match with Afghanistan began at the Maple Leaf Cricket Club. Possibly the game began a bit later than some in attendance had expected, so when arriving at the ground around 10.15 am it transpired I had not missed the opening minutes of play.
Canada won the toss, elected to bowl, or field, depending on your preference in stating such a fact, on a rather warm day. But there have been hotter days recently in the Greater Toronto Area. The publicity machine for Cricket Canada did not seem to have inspired too much pre-game attention in the mainstream print media as I reviewed six newspapers on my way to the ground.
Cricketing coverage was highlighted by a lead photograph in one daily newspaper of England’s Test Match win over England. The scorecard for the complete game was provided in another of the main daily newspapers and there was a brief mention of the Under-19 Canadian cricketers win against Vanuatu at cricket,
Greater Under-19 international coverage was provided elsewhere of the Canadian women placing fifth in the (U19 World Basketball championships). One of the better performances at this level, although not quite the Canadian peak of fourth place in the 2009 championships.
The Maple Leaf Cricket Club grounds were in quite good condition. There was some kind of problem with one of the rollers, so it sounded like it would not be available for the four day game, on grounds of fairness – equity – to both teams. Canada won the toss, fielded and, as far as I am aware, the first day media release on the day’s play has yet to emerge from Cricket Canada. Or, indeed, the ICC, if any commitment to providing such information had been made by the competition’s owners.
One might reasonably expect Cricket Canada to take ownership and pump out information to the mainstream media in time for daily cutoff times. But, there has been a media release about the U19’s win against Nepal in Ireland.
Missing links in communications
The communications and marketing aspects on Tuesday left, as is often the case, at least a few things to the imagination or for personal investigation and follow-up. But, as was the case a couple of years ago when Scotland visited for an Intercontinental Cup match, such arrangements, which also seemed to lack any refreshment facilities for the casual spectator, may result in some people venturing by and leaving fairly quickly. As did four people who stayed for an hour or so on the first day of the Scotland match.
The elder of a group of four was wearing Yorkshire County Cricket Club colours. Traditionally, Yorkshire folk treat the game with respect and expect a lot, both on and off the field. His group were provided some useful background information by some of the standby officials and some of the other faithful band of spectators. But, the game did not have the supporting “big time cricket look” that might have been expected for a sport recently described by the Cricket Canada’s incumbent President as the nation’s sport.
The missing millions
This Tuesday there was a bare smidgeon of the 6 million of so of the country’s cricketing enthusiasts in evidence at the ground; unless, to be fair, they turned up after lunch. There was at least one person from the remaining 27 million or so population of Canada in attendance with no previous experience of the sport. The souvenir event programs, cricket development and background literature and media handouts will not have addressed any educational needs this person may have had. But he seemed to be getting along fine. At least the scorers were given photocopies of the team lists before the game got underway.
The announcement system seemed a trifle quiet, unless my ears were having a worse day than usual, and the video recording for analysis of player performances seemed to get off to a late start. The camera did not seem to reach any lofty perch by the time I left.
Missing flags….missing spectator provisions .
There were no issues of imbalance with respect to the flying of national flags, unlike at the previously mentioned game with Scotland. Equity existed, as neither national flag had been hoisted up the masts. By contrast, both the yellow rampant Lion and the cross of St Andrew flew in support of the Scots. The Maple Leaf was conspicuously absent.
There were some sponsorship boards, some of which blew over at times, when the Scots visited, but that sponsorship deal, from Scotiabank, was not extended. Some may point to a lack of reciprocal promotion provided, indeed barely provided by Cricket Canada or, indeed, the predecessor Canadian Cricket Association, as a contributing reason.
There were four or so tents on Tuesday. One for the scorers; one for Cricket Canada, one for the media and one for whoever. And if a substantive number of the country’s six million cricket lovers did appear on Tuesday afternoon, then there not a lot of chairs available. Although the grass was dry, which would not have been the case on Wednesday.
But, as much as things do not change, the wheel of change has unfurled with an early Thursday morning media release. It proclaims: “Etihad Summer Festival Gets Bigger and Better”.
Four Team Tournament August 11-13, 2011
If you ignore a story that due to funding issues, the relatively recently announced three-team T20 tournament, due after two ODIs between Canada and Afghanistan, might be lacking Trinidad & Tobago, the event has grown rather than contracted to involve four teams. The line-up involves Canada, Afghanistan, Trinidad & Tobago and the USA.
The notice comes a bit late for some of the weekly ethnic-based newspapers that circulate in the Greater Toronto Area, as well as across Canada to reach out to the cricketing faithful. But that is, sadly, nothing unusual.
Some brief comments from the incumbent President of Cricket Canada about the Ethihad Summer Festival are provided in the media release. “Part of the mandate of the festival is to assist with the development of cricket in the region.”
The current ICC Intercontinental Cup match is part of the Etihad Festival, although there were no signs around the ground on Tuesday providing any possible payback for whatever sponsorship deal exists with Etihad.
There seems to be a total separation, in a Canadian context, between the “playing of cricket”, “the executive management of cricket” and the “administrative or operational management of cricket”. This almost reflects the political philosophy of separation of the executive, judiciary, etc. The microcosmic world of the “executive management” provides the spectators, based on de facto observations. (The overseas playing activities of the national Under-19 team in Ireland, and the CIMA/Toronto Mayor’s XI in London, England reduces the number of spectators at this time.)
There is minimal cohesion and barely enough vision to have tunnel. There is no concept of promoting and marketing the game as the “already riveting schedule” is taking place. There is precious little time to promote and market these other games. Perish the thought, but some cricket enthusiasts might have other commitments or other interests.
It was by no means a matter of chance that on Tuesday I wore an “ICC Trophy Canada 2001″ shirt. During that event I made my first trek to the Maple Leaf Cricket Club. There had been a map in a mainstream newspaper showing the location of the grounds used for that event. Previously I had seen reference to cricket at “King City” but this was effectively “inside information” – “insider trading”. Perhaps some folk only want a small group to know or have half an idea what is going on in cricket at all levels in Canada. Self-preservation, just like the dinosaurs.
Still, at least the latest release, timed around 1.30 am on Thursday cites the starting times for the various games on this latest schedule. It has a bit of a glitch as the two-day game with the USA seems to state Trinidad & Tobago as the opposition. Those thinking of attending Sunday’s ODI with Afghanistan should bear in mind the lack of a Sunday bus service to the Maple Leaf ground, King City (North-east corner of Dufferin St and 15th Sideroad). So car pool, or use your roller blades or skateboard to complete the journey.
By some quirk, I believe I was present for day one of the last two-day game with the USA. A match played at the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club. I was silly enough to phone the club after seeing a write-up in the Saturday newspaper and ask what time the game started. Which makes it around 17 years and no realistic change in Canadian cricket. Although someone did produce a program for that game.
Plenty of climbing remains for Canadian Cricket
How appropriate that “The Toronto Star” featured rock climbing as a centre-pages spread in the Sports section on Tuesday. A ladder to nowhere was at the north-end of the ground, awaiting the mounting of a video camera at that end, perhaps.
A hydro (electricity) pole with wires cut a few days before the Canadian Thanksgiving tournament in October 2008 still stands. It is, indeed, a monument to some of the thinking in modern-era executive .thinking and planning in Canadian cricket. The “Weekly Canada Express” carried a four page special outer cover about that event. The two sets of media and communications specialists hired to promote the event failed to note the start times of games in an original media release. They did not seem to know Canada had played in the 2007 version of the Cricket World Cup.
One of the results of that Thanksgiving tournament is that a net is now in place at the north end of the ODI ground to try and minimize the balls that go into the adjacent property. Perhaps it also provides all the trappings the cricketing executive in Canada think is necessary. If so, they should resign. They are wasting their time and the players, coaches and cricket lovers time; not to mention money. There must be some vacancies in the Canadian political circus.
It is, I believe, no coincidence that the official CIMA logo has the M for Management in italics. Dial M for missing management? Dial M for others to make up for the deficiencies in ,missing management. Dial M for missing video analyst, or should it be L for late? Mark well for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for thee!
Except there was no bell to ring on Tuesday at the customary five minutes before play is scheduled to begin or resume. Dial M for the mental side of cricket management. If cricket’s leaders lack the necessary mental ingredients of management how can they understand the mental side of the playing of cricket? The answer is they do not. Which is a major problem that a couple of dog biscuits, sorry cookies, and a drink will not resolve.
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