The World Cup's Identity Crisis (8 May 1999)
London One question being asked about this year's World Cup is not so much whether it is suffering from an identity crisis but whether in fact it has an identity at all
08-May-1999
8 May 1999
The World Cup's Identity Crisis
Trevor Chesterfield
London One question being asked about this year's World Cup is
not so much whether it is suffering from an identity crisis but
whether in fact it has an identity at all.
It is a sad reflection of sporting life in the British capital
that with only eight days to go before the event starts at
Lord's tomorrow week where hosts England play title-holders Sri
Lanka, it is only one of three matches sold out for England's
games.
The others are those against South Africa at The Oval and
against India at Trent Bridge in Nottingham. All of South
Africa's games have been sold out; well all except that against
Kenya, at Amstelveen, in Holland on May 26.. We'll find out about
that one when we get there.
Between Paddington and Victoria stations the taxi driver, when
asked what he thought of England's chances of winning the World
Cup (1999 version) thought we were in a time warp and had in fact
asked about last year's jamboree in France. In terms of South
Africa we know what happened to that side.
While South Africa train in the relative quiet of the Saffrons at
Hove on the Sussex coast, where they play their first training
match tomorrow, the PR surrounding the event has so far carried
as much hype as would a pamphlet on a bird watching exercise in a
nearby park. Meeting at 3 am to catch the first warble of the
cuckoo.
It may even get back page treatment in the tabloids in the event
of England qualifying for the final on June 20: also at Lord's.
As it is there have already been the odd salvoes of malcontent:
England's Alec Stewart and his Sri Lanka opposite, Arjuna
Ranatunga, involved more at cross purposes than cross words. At
Lord's the captains and managers met to sort out the tournament's
playing conditions and one of the event the question of stump
microphones surfaced.
It was this device which caused a rumpus at Adelaide Oval during
the bad-tempered match between England and Sri Lanka during the
slogs circus Down Under last southern summer. Stewart grizzled to
Ranatunga about his "sportsmanship' and "behavourial attitude'.
"You are aware they are on but we have been told there is an
agreement that the stump mike should only go on during
deliveries,' said the England captain and likely to lead the side
to South Africa next summer.
The rotund Rantunga, and a bit cheeky with it , sniffed and
snorted at what he thought was Stewart's put down.
"That's nonsense. It is up to the authorities to decide. If they
want it on during the whole match then that's the way it should
be,' he grumbled in gruff response.
"The whole world should be able to hear, not just the players.'
As the tournament director Terry Blake has yet to make a comment
most likely the bluff will be called when the tournament starts
and final decisions have been made.
Apart from that small tiff, the captains meeting was the usual
run of the mill stuff about playing conditions and sorting out
the worry of players security provisions.
At the Saffrons, South Africa's training schedule has been going
well and so far the promised showers have stayed away with the
weather more like early May on the highveld than summer in
England.