Cricket World Cup is too long

The Football World Cup is amazing. The whole world gets excited and starts imagining that their country will win, no matter how unrealistic. In the end, The Germans or the Brazilians are in the final, and you can watch the closing stages without the need to worry about your own team. Its a true World Cup.

The Cricket World cup, just started is different. Mostly because not enough countries play at a high enough level.

There are only 10 Test playing countries, but two at least are not good enough. SO, the ICC really wants to encourage more countries to play at a high level.

Consequently there are many small nations in the World Cup, who do not have a chance, but are there to help grow the sport in their countries. Admirable and necessary, but it produces too many one sided unattractive games. There is much less chance of an upset than in Soccer.

So, for the next World Cup, the ICC have decided that the number of smaller countries allowed will reduce to only 2. That will make the World Cup much better entertainment, but still leaves an absolute necessity to bring on more countries to the top table.

So, I suggest an associated tournament, before the World Cup, as a qualifier to the main event. the small countries play a B World Cup for the right to play in the Main event. It provides excitement, interesting games, and a really big prize.

Any more suggestions on how to boost Cricket?

Sports Performance of The Week

As the first winner of Sports Performance of the Week, it has to be the English Cricket Team. Winning the Ashes in Australia was a tremendous performance, and has made British, well English anyway, Sports fans extremely proud.

What made the team play so well? According to Andrew Strauss, it was all about preparation and organisation. Careful thought about what would make a difference, and total focus on the detail. Thinking about the things that make a tiny improvement in performance, gives a confidence that you have thought of everything, and that you can not fail.

I remember a training course some years ago, where sales people where asked to negotiate a deal. A half of the room were told that their company was amazingly successful, and the other half were told that their company was desperate and needed this deal to survive. All the salesmen in the first group got a better a deal than than all of the people in second group.

Similarly, when the cricket team feel that they are in control, and everything has been done right, then the good performances follow.

Well done England. Superb.