Of opening day, ear bugs and unruly crowds (May 17 1999)

May 17 1999

Of opening day, ear bugs and unruly crowds

Trevor Chesterfield

Attending the World Cup opening at Lord's was an interesting, if predictably contrived event.

We had Tony Blair, the British Prime Minister, whose views on the game are predictable for a country where the sporting culture is now heavily tainted with the sort of yobbo muddied oaf image which goes hand in hand with his style of politics. Then what can you expect of a politician? And one who has the charisma of having to explaining the punchline of a shaggy dog story because he lost the plot.

Whoever it was among the event organisers who decided dish out the invitations for the opening ceremony must have got his wires not so much crossed as fused. It would have made more sense to invite MCC president Tony Lewis to do the honours. Or perhaps one of the sub-continental leaders. At least they would have had a sense for the occasion and would not have mouthed inane comments such as "a common theme binding the teams" when his pioneering efforts have been to encourage the dismantling of cricket's traditions. It's the sort of view which should earn him the wooden spoon of the year award.

In Tony's view the genteel sport of flannelled fools with its village green image and afternoon teas is the sort of anachronism which is out of keeping with the millennium and the era of 2000.

Ah well each to his own. England are welcome to keep him.

Is it a converted submarine? Perhaps a misplaced wind tunnel? Or an out-moded space shuttle which Nasa decided to donate the MCC? Whatever: the new media centre, planted between the Compton-Edrich and Mound stands certainly livens up the Lord's skyline. And if you have a print of what the ground looked like 150 years ago, the difference will be noticeable. What Thomas Lord, Dr W G Grace and Sir Neville Cardus make of it from their pavilion seats in the sky would be worth noting. David Frith, the former editor of Wisden Cricket Monthly, like a number of overseas and local press, was not given a place on honour.

Why grumble? We got a view of the game overlooking the shoulder of third man or fine leg. Qamar Ahmed, the veteran Pakistan writer, with more than 220 tests to credit, thought the view from the shuttle box is the "best in the world". Which is an interesting view.

Okay, so how do we all feel about the new bit of South African gadgetry . . . the earphone?

Apart from confirming their status as World Cup favourites, South Africa on Saturday also had the international hierarchy more than a little hot under the collar on Saturday with the use of ear bugs, in the form of radio technology, in their Group A match against India.

While Hansie Cronje, the South Africa skipper, is hopeful the International Cricket Council will clear the way to make allowances to use the new technology at a later stage, the United Cricket Board may make representation at the ICC's June meeting to examine its affects on the sport.

So day two into the tournament and the first controversy, if it can be called such, was beamed onto the field at the county ground, although the thousands who watched at the packed to overflowing venue were unaware of the rumpus until they turned on the telly on Saturday night. With South Africa already the leaders with such innovations as fixed line cameras for run out and stumping decisions, the use of radio ear plugs seemed to be a logical progressive step, especially with the millennium just around the corner.

As it is American gridiron coaches have made use of the facility for more than a decade and men and women's field hockey has also made wide use of it since last year's World Cup.

India's captain, Mohammad Azharuddin shrugged off the episode as a "small matter" and concentrated his thoughts on winning the remaining games. "For me it is something which I am sure would have happened," he said. "It is up to the ICC to form an opinion, but it really did not bother me."

Cronje had a more aggressive view than the coach, Bob Woolmer, over the use of the ear bugs which were banned by the ICC after consultation between match referee Talit Ali and, although it has not been confirmed, ICC chief executive, Dave Richards.

"I see nothing at all wrong with the idea," Cronje told a media conference. "There is nothing in the (playing) rules or regulations that says you can't use them. We have used them before in South Africa, but it was the first time in an international match."

As expected the South Africa captain was grilled over the issue by English and Indian media, most of whom were hostile over the ethics of the using electronic devices to pass on information.

"Look, it is a quick way to get a message out and the coach was watching the game from another angle," he confided. "But it is not going to make me a better player. It is good to hear a helpful voice in your ear." It was also Cronje's view that if it made for a faster game and helped the standard of play then it could only been considered beneficial also for the people who paid to watch.

Two former great Test captains had differing views with India's Sunil Gavaskar opposed while Allan Border, of Australia, felt it helped the game.

Others are also divided. Does it take away some of the great mystery of the game? Or is it, as Christopher Martin Jenkins suggests 'bright thinking rather than sharp practice'? So one day, when it is accepted as everyday practice, there are going to be those who ask 'what has the hullabaloo been about?'

It was Cronje who was quite strongly of the opinion that 'if other sports are doing it why not us?' shows how the South African captain has a strong belief in where the sport is heading, and asking why should the game be slipping behind others. Just the sort of point today's administrators should closely examine.

After the crowds despoiling the image of the game in places such as Calcutta, Georgetown, Guyana and normally conservative Bridgetown, Barbados in the West Indies, we have the new wave hooligans (no doubt Tony Blair's buddies) defacing the World Cup.

On Saturday at Hove, India's captain Mohammad Azharuddin was punched by a drunk spectator and Rahul Dravid jostled by an India fan, who seemed to have spent time watching the events at Eden Gardens in the last World Cup and again in February and making notes.

At New Road in Worcester, Steve Waugh, almost a head case victim of a flying bottle in Bridgetown, complained about the lack of security during their Group B opening game against Scotland. We had streakers (do they have carte blanche to be allowed to do such things?) jiggling about on the boundary for about three minutes. It was an unsightly exhibition of how not to behave. Waugh let the security know what he thought of their arrangements: inept and inadequate. There were too few marshals and what there were could not handle the crowd and as at Hove on Saturday the players were jostled

It was boorish, it was ugly, it was an unnecessary intrusion and players are starting to worry about their safety as the spectators bring an unruly element with them and their charge to bag souvenirs: stumps, players kit, plant an unfriendly punch on the back.

Waugh had been given assurances at the captains' meeting at Lord's two weeks ago that security would be improved for all World Cup games.

"After what has happened (at New Road) it is definitely not the top priority," he said. "I do not know what I have to say to get anything done. It is not so much feeling threatened, I was jostled as I went off and it should not happen. I am sick of saying there is a danger of serious injury."

Azharuddin, critical of the Hove security, dismissed the man's actions as being those of a 'foolish drunk' was more worried about the safety of his players. 'Someone will get injured, then what?'

Now the organisers are to ask the host counties to review the security arrangements; something they should have heeded in the first place.