Eddie Norfolk
In an ICC Media Release issued in Dubai today (March 30, 2015), the current Chairman of ICC, Mr. Naraynaswami Srinivasa, concluded “The ICC had strived to deliver a fan-friendly spectacle, and it has achieved its target.” He went on to mention “…..A further positive development was the official tournament app, which has been downloaded more than 4.5 million times and has been the number one sport app in no fewer than 48 countries.”
The Chairman hit a big six or more – unless he later proves to be out bowled or hit wicket – in his belief “the legacy of this tournament will extend across the world, and the quality of cricket, enhanced by a strong sense of sportsmanship and fair play, can resonate for the next generation of cricket followers.”.

Praise and thanks – Scorers?
The ICC Chairman’s remarks seems to include an appropriate mixture of congratulations and thanks to champions Australia, the participating teams, match officials (umpires and referees), the sponsors, the tournament organizers and supporting volunteers as well as the fans plus the curators and ground-staff who produced quality pitches. Although, for whatever reason, there is no mention of the official scorers and scoreboard operators.
The designated media scorers who usually operate at major games and events also seem to have fallen onto the stony ground. But without scoring date all kinds of electronic gizmos and analysis features deemed a success at the 2015 CWC would be rather useless But at least the grounds had power supplies and other features, such as good sized dressing rooms with showers, that tend to be in short supply at various Canadian cricket grounds.
It can be useful to have scoring information available in a readily usable format, and often more than one format (printed and electronic) if one is seeking to gain publicity for a game or a tournament. Clearly, in the case of the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup the scoring information was readily available in more than one format. So, I think, a word or two of thanks to the scorers and scoreboard operators should be given. So thank you to the scorers and scoreboard operators.
Reserve Days for 2019 CWC Group Games?
The conclusion of the Chairman’s remarks are: “It is with confidence that we look forward to ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, which will be staged in the UK.” So less distance between host grounds than in 2011 and 2015 but what about possible rain?
I was last in the UK for the 2006 ICC Intercontinental Cup Final, played in May 2007 at Grace Road, Leicester. The weather was good for that game and for a trip to Trent Bridge, Nottingham after the I-Cup Final . But rain limited Canada’s preparations in England for the Final against Ireland.
Ireland cantered to an “I-Cup” win by an innings and 115 runs in two days. Some of Canada’s squad may not have played much cricket for a month or more – the Canadian batting had been quite good or better against England and New Zealand in St Lucia at the 2007 CWC after a dismal start against Kenya. Rain hit pre-game practice preparations.
Ireland had not been doing that well against some English counties in whatever domestic tournament when compared with some performances at the 2007 CWC. But Ireland and their squad had been playing a reasonable amount of cricket before the I-Cup final. In reality it was no real surprise that Ireland won, but disappointing for the Canadian players and coach, not forgetting the tour party that went to South Africa in November/December 2006. A squad that broke the 2006 ODI ducks with a win or two against Bermuda, and one close encounter with the Dutch.
The Trent Bridge “bonus” trip provided the chance to see a sometime England wicketkeeper, Chris Reed, take in a record fifth wicket stand with Aussie David Hussey for Nottinghamshire against Essex. Some experts reckoned Reed’s batting was not good enough for him to be in the England team, so when former New Zealand captain Steven Fleming for 32 was out soon after I arrived at the ground, things seemed to be improving for Essex, my home county.
Reed came out to join Australian David Hussey with Notts on 236/4. Hussey was out next, when bowled by Ravi Bopara for 275 and Notts had reached 595/5. Reed had scored 165* when Notts declared at 664/7. Notts won the game by an innings and 112 runs with one day to spare.
Hopefully a few folks at the ICC will decide to restore a reserve day for all group matches as, unlike some of the travel distances between games at the 2011 and 2015 CWCs, there will not be any travel of thousands of kilometers between games in the UK for the core squads.
Possibly a replacement or two may have to travel in from somewhere far beyond the UK. Although there may be some potential replacements playing at county or club levels who could be called-up if any injury replacements were needed by any of the…..ah!……now how many teams is it to be?
How many teams in the “Fair Play” 2019 CWC?
Possibly some 2019 CWC teams may need a replacement or two to travel to the UK from somewhere far beyond the UK. Although some teams may be draw from locally available replacements active at county or club levels. So we move on to the bigger question: how many teams will be in the 2019 CWC ?
The ICC Chairman is delighted that the ICC app for CWC 2015 has been the top sport app in 48 countries. Even if you work out how many countries are within the umbrella of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) you do not get close to 48 countries from the starting figure of ten (10) ICC Full Member countries.
The WICB, as one ICC Full Member includes the four “biggies” from the region (Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago) plus the countries affiliated to the two sub-boards of the Windward and the Leeward Islands. So a count of indpendent countries within the WICB countries moves us from 10 into 20’s. The WICB sub-membership number could change, but that is an unknown. .
Today’s pivotal comment from the ICC Chairman is, surely: “I believe that the legacy of this tournament will extend across the world, and the quality of cricket, enhanced by a strong sense of sportsmanship and fair play, can resonate for the next generation of cricket followers.”
So if we (as the ICC) wish to continue to develop and enhance the presence of cricket “across the world” with a strong sense of fair play….for the next generation of cricket players and officials (including scorers)…as well as those global cricket followers in at least 48 countries then, prresumably, we (the ICC) should seriously re-think the ten team plan for the 2019 CWC..
Potentially the achievements and figures from 2015 should be expected to improve in 2019, other things being equal. But if cricket gains a bigger footprint in some of the ICC Associate and Affiliate countries, as well as in “prospective” lower tier members, not currently within the ICC Ranks, things would continue to grow in 2019 and beyond into the 2023 CWC.
Today’s ICC Media release may produce an interesting test of fair play on and off the cricket field. Who has a vote or the votes will have a significant impact.
Those with votes on the ICC Executive Committee and Board can try to move the good ship cricket forward, but the CEO does not have tend to have a vote. So the CEO, at times, is generally obliged to stick to the ICC’s approved policies and decisions to steer the official course, rather than follow whatever proposal his personal boat would like to see happen. The ICC CEO is left with the jump ship option if sufficiently unhappy that his professional advice is not being valued, or to stick around and try to get the ship’s company to change course eventually.
So the odd barge or two may have to sit on the banks of the Grand Union Canal or the Regent’s Canal for a week, month or year or two in the journey towards fair play for all nations in global cricket.
But some of those who make decisions within some individual ICC Associate and Affiliate member countries should consider if they need to change course, improve or decide to park themselves away from the main canals and waterways for a while and allow others the chance to grow the game at regional and national levels. Possibly some could return after repainting or restoring their own barges and little ships during a spell parked away from the regional or national leadership scene.
Tthe current ICC Chairman has recognized the value of the “over one million spectators” who “passed through the turnstiles”, the “unprecedented 36 million unique visitors to (the ICC)
website” and the value of the ”supporters” who watched on TV as the tournament “produced excellent cricket…and thoroughly entertained the followers of the game worldwide.” Some of the excellent and promising cricket during CWC 2015, in my opinion, was provided by the participating ICC Associate countries, as agreed by some well known current and former leading cricketers.
Get the tournament moving
I left out the ICC Chairmn’s comment about the “seven weeks” it took to play the tournament, and must admit I have no idea if the one washed-out group game might have been able to take place if there had been a reserve day scheduled.
I, like, former West Indies pace bowler Colin Croft, favour the idea of keeping a tournament moving. Why not have all the teams in a particular group scheduled to play in the early round(s) rather than have one team “doing nothing” or preparing at a ground many moons away from where the scheduled opposition may be currently playing or watching rain?
An even number of teams in each group could add to the much desired aim for fair play in my opinion. Perhaps the current ICC Chairman may see that as a proper course to take in future ICC Cricket World Cup competitions?
Perhaps New Zealand would have won if the final between the co-hosts had been played in mid- March. It’s a bit late to beware the Ides of March, especially if you had been Julius Caesar, but doing some better thinking and detailed planning could help more cricketing partners walk closer together on the path of global progress. Two by two, as with the animals on Noah’s ark.
So, well said, to the ICC Chair (Chairperson) for his words in the ICC Media release. Fair play and recognition for all – including thanks to the scorers and scoreboard operators – is the worthy goal. So no use of elliptical billiard balls or elliptical cricket balls.
Any significant change for the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup will depend on how the top ten’s votes divide, sooner or later, and may be influenced by ongoing improvements in non-full member countries performances on and off the field.
Some good ideas were put forward in early December 2014 at the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce sports forum in Brampton, Ontario, about the potential for cricket in Canada. But will people with appropriate skills be elected at league, provincial and national levels to help cricket advance in Ontario and some other “established” Canadian cricketing provinces with potential to do better?
Certainly vacancies exist for scorers and scoreboard operators in many parts of Canada so spectators and players might be better aware of the state of each game. It would also be a good idea to review standards for getting “Elite” division games posted onto a league or event website or added to a scorecard database. Generate more publicity as a means to generate sponsorships and better sponsorships.
Elite? Fair? Equity (fairness) could surely embrace the differing needs between those in the high performance (elite) path and those seeking more social and recreational cricket. But it may require some thought and re-structuring of some current leagues in Canada and other places.
As for England? I’ll leave that to the Mikado, with or without elliptical cricket balls, to some brave souls who work together for progress…
Eddie Norfolk March 30, 2015