What goes around comes around

Editorial Comment
EVENTS at the ongoing Twenty20 (T20) World Cup get more bizarre by the moment, but the biggest shock of all is that two of the big three are out of the tournament at the first stage.

EVENTS at the ongoing Twenty20 (T20) World Cup get more bizarre by the moment, but the biggest shock of all is that two of the big three are out of the tournament at the first stage.

England were hammered by an associate and at the time of going to print the Aussies were still winless. It’s funny how Karma works.

Regulars will know about the new structure and the big three calling the shots in the world of cricket. India are looking really strong, but the other two have played below par and barring fulfilling fixtures will be on their flights home really soon.

England has shown a lot of fight and lost some cliff hangers, but the Australians coming into the competition as one of the favourites just have not turned up. The Australians have not won a single game and snatched defeat from the jaws of victory against the West Indies with some ordinary depth bowling.

The Netherlands have excited a lot with their power hitting and have been a breath of fresh air at the tourney proving they were not there by accident. After their amazing chase to knock the Irish out and their disastrous showing against the Sri Lankans they were written off with contempt.

They bounced back with a serious showing against the South Africans, in a game they lost because of inexperience at the end. They ran the New Zealanders close before having their moment in the sun beating the much-fancied English on Monday morning.

The English have had their pride dented and after their poor showing in the ashes, expect more heads to roll. However, before we get all excited about the prospects of the Netherlands side, let me point out many of their better players are from other countries and played first-class cricket elsewhere before settling in Holland.

Who is to bet against explosive South Africa-born opener Stephan Myburgh getting an IPL contract ahead of more established household names? The bowling exploits of Ashan Malik cannot go unnoticed as well. It is no mean feat to take five wickets in a T20 match, imagine doing it against a power house like South Africa.

He has bowled consistently and is the leading wicket taker in the tournament so far. He might have the slight edge as he played in the pre-tournament matches, but rest assured batsmen have taken notice of him.

 There are performances that separate the great from the good. Dale Steyn’s last over against New Zealand is one such performance and has put him on a very high pedestal. To defend seven runs in the last over of a T20 match is unheard off. Steyn’s over was so good only one of the six deliveries went for runs. The rest were dots and wickets. Anyone who doubts who the best quick in the world is, has been answered, fully.

 I would like to get your thought on players playing for different countries. I have always been of the school of thought that one must represent their country of birth except in seriously mitigating circumstances.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has very relaxed laws on this as players like Ed Joyce, played for Ireland, then England then back to Ireland again. This doesn’t give a true reflection of the country and their ability to develop top performers. Imagine if all the players that don’t make the grade in Brazil played for another soccer country.

Having said that, England might struggle to raise a playing eleven should the laws be tightened.

The new ICC format was not welcomed by many of the smaller countries, but it has made for a really exciting tournament in which every match is truly a big one. The ICC must stick to their guns and make sure every country is there on merit and nothing else.

I was taken aback as I followed one of the matches on line. There were stats popping up on the screen and one of them was the best strike rates of all time. Number seven on the list was none other than Elton Chigumbura with a career strike rate of 156 ahead of players like Chris Gayle and Virat Kholi. He averages above 22 which is very acceptable in this format. Chigumbura is probably one big score away from the IPL (Indian Premier League).

Zimbabwe Cricket is in another restructuring exercise with further cuts expected in personnel. Reports reaching On the Crease are that the new plan has been necessitated to keep the company afloat amidst dwindling income. Low television rights and lack of sponsorship have meant the company has to downscale seriously the way it does business.

The main details are still sketchy, but it is believed the number of franchises will be cut down. It appears the post of chief executive officer will be abolished and the number of contracted players will also come down. A source said this will happen for the foreseeable future until teams performances turn around and attract more viewership, hence money.

The atmosphere is quite tense as employees and players alike wait to see if they will get new contracts. I will update you as more details become available.

“P” is for Point, an attacking fielding position in line with batting crease on the batsman’s offside.