Why I am looking forward to the 1999 Cricket World Cup (1 May 1999)
There are so many reasons that I look forward to the 1999 Cricket World Cup tournament
01-May-1999
1 May 1999
Why I am looking forward to the 1999 Cricket World Cup
By Colin Croft
There are so many reasons that I look forward to the 1999 Cricket World Cup
tournament. Advanced technology, new spirit in cricket, all teams more
or less on the same level with regards to performance and personnel and just
being involved with the greatest cricket show there could be are just a few
of them.
The 1999 Cricket World Cup will be like no other before. Even before we
even think about the players and the teams, we must appreciate the
technology which is now available.
The 1996 Cricket World Cup, only three or so years ago, is really ancient
when it comes to recent technological advances. This 1999 tournament will
be seen and heard by more than two thirds of the world's population because
of the blanket coverage and availability of television and radio and the
Internet.
Outside of the fact that many of the countries interested would be those with
past British influences, like India or the Caribbean countries, even countries
with an American influence, including the United States itself, (through Cable
News Network - CNN), are becoming fully involved because of the explosion of
cricket world-wide over the last two years or so. At least, when the
tournament is held in the more developed part of the world, there is no
problem with communication. Tremendous exposure.
The teams themselves are in tremendous mood and spirit. However, it must be
noted that for the first time ever, in my opinion, this premier one day
competition would actually be benefiting from the close and absolutely
enthralling encounters we have recently had, over the last two years or so,
in the longer version of the game.
The West Indies rebounded well to draw a wonderfully even series, (2-2 for
Tests; 3-3-1 for ODI, cannot be more even), with Australia, after being
destroyed by the South Africans. The South Africans, in turn, struggled to
come to grips with New Zealand. Just before the Australians came to the
Caribbean, they managed to beat the English in another great series of Tests
matches.
The Indians and Pakistanis cricket teams, playing proper Tests series
against each other for the first time in eons, brought a new and gloriously
appropriate understanding to their long-standing political differences on
the cricket field. If politicians cannot learn from that, something I very
much doubt, then they would learn from nothing.
Even the supposed minions of the competition, Zimbabwe, Scotland and
Bangladesh have had their say in international cricket recently. Sri Lanka,
the defending champions, are always dangerous.
I tell you, there is so much parity in the teams these days that it is very
difficult to even pick a final four, much less a winner.
The most potentially intriguing and exciting thing expected of the 1999
Cricket World Cup, however, must be the individual star players who would be
on show for this Mecca of One-Day cricket. Any event which can feature
players such as the following must be special.
Glen McGrath, the Waugh Brothers and Michael Bevan from Australia; Brian Lara,
Jimmy Adams, Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh from the West Indies;
Alex Stewart, Graeme Thorpe, Nasser Hossein and Darren Gough from England;
Muttiah Muralitherran, Aravinda Da Silva, Sanath Jayasuriya, Arjuna Ranatunga
and Romesh Kaluwitherana from Sri Lanka; Mohammed Azzaruddin, Sachin Tendulkar
and Raoul Dravid of India; Wasim Ackram, Izimam Ul Haq and Shaheed Alfreedi
of Pakistan; Alan Donald, Hanse Cronje, Herschell Gibbs, Jonty Rhodes, Jacques
Kallis and Shaun Pollock of South Africa; Greg Larsen and Chris Cairns of
New Zealand; the Flower Brothers of Zimbabwe plus others waiting to star,
would light up the 1999 Cricket World Cup as never been done before.
I can tell you that there would be nothing, barring death or very serious
injury or illness, to prevent me from experiencing, fully, this smorgasbord
of international one day cricket. Luckily, I will be on commentary, print
journalism and electronic media teams for this feast. I would have been there
anyway!!
For the last full one day competition of the millenium, no-one could ask
for more. Oh, for winners, I believe that the final four will be (1) South
Africa, (2) Pakistan, (3) England, New Zealand or Australia and (4) West
Indies, as a final surprise qualifier.
Any team, though, can win. That, folks, is really a wonderful thought!!