…get set, go! Domestic Twenty20 cricket is once again upon us in the shape of the Indian Premier League, with the first six scheduled for some time tomorrow! World class cricketers, Bollywood stars and more; the IPL continues to demonstrate how cricket can continue on its path to becoming global phenomenon with the twenty-overs-a-side brand.
Live sport is developing in to more than just a contest between two teams. It is now an experience, a day out full of varied entertainment and high quality. Twenty20 is three to four hours of fast, intense and high impact cricket. Runs, wickets, fours, sixes, music, dancing, fireworks, skill, pressure and many, many more adjectives demonstrate the nature of the shortened format. Batsmen have learnt to hit the ball harder and further than ever before. Bowlers have learnt to bowl different deliveries to counter the hard hitting batsmen. The batters then adjust themselves by developing flicks and scoops and reverse sweeps and switch hits, making the bowler refine the trade even more. Twenty20 has enhanced the development of all forms of cricket. Kevin Pietersen has used a switch hit in Test cricket. Evolution and development!
The IPL is also about money. Funded by wealthy business and Bollywood stars, the IPL franchises attract the best limited overs players in the world who are looking to not only improve their current skill set and play alongside other world greats, but secure themselves financially in the long term. Who wouldn’t want to take advantage of the money that is on offer? Many players now only play the shortened form of the game. Andrew Flintoff recently became a “freelance cricketer”, meaning he can play for who he wants to in the shortened formats and take advantage of the cash available. He is after all a family man, with a limited time left in the game, and having achieved two Ashes series wins, the time has come where the body can no longer live up to the rigours of Test cricket, and he is looking to cash in on the riches on offer. Shane Warne, a global star like Flintoff, only plays Twenty20 cricket now.
These riches don’t just come to any player though. If a player wants to earn the big bucks, he needs to have proved himself on the world stage already. The player needs to be marketable to draw in the crowds, and that is gained through success in International cricket. And success and money can come out of nowhere. Eoin Morgan of England has barely arrived on the international scene, but a number of impressive displays have led to a big money offer for him to join an IPL franchise. Of course to play in a competition that is broadcast around the world, with and against some of the best players around is beyond the dreams of some, but it doesn’t end there. Remember Ravi Bopara? After having a successful couple of months involving Test cricket and the IPL, Bopara was unceremoniously dropped from the England side during the Ashes for a string of failures with the bat, and he hasn’t been got his place back. A vital lesson for Eoin Morgan: this is just the start! There is always the example of Stuart Broad, who after breaking in to the England team was offered the chance of putting himself forward for the IPL auction, which he subsequently turned down so that he could train harder and continue to work on his game. There is no defined right or wrong way to do things, but what will hurt Bopara more? Not playing Test cricket, or not playing in the IPL?
One massive positive to come from the IPL this year is that it will be shown on free-to-air television in the UK on ITV4, and all the matches will be streamed live on YouTube. With a lot of controversy surrounding the lack of cricket on free-to-air television, this is a welcome change, take note ECB, and hopefully the IPL and the entertaining brand of cricket that it provides and the presence of many household names, including Tendulkar, Gilchrist, Warne, Gayle, Pietersen, and many more, can maintain the interest in cricket that there is here in the UK amongst those who do not have access to Sky, and even help with the outreach of cricket to new followers.
Test cricket still has, and in my opinion always will have, its place as the pinnacle of the game, but Twenty20 cricket is the key to that remaining the pinnacle in the future. Test cricket will continue to evolve and retain its supporter base because of the new customers Twenty20 will attract. Test cricket will be maintained because of Twenty20, but never be replaced by it. No matter how many new competitions can be won or how much money can be achieved through playing Twenty20 cricket, playing in the hardest, most gruelling and testing of conditions and circumstances over a five day period will always remain the ultimate desire, and this is what any cricketer will affirm.
Thursday, 11 March 2010
Sunday, 7 March 2010
Goal-line technology: in or out?
On Saturday, the International Football Association Board dismissed the possibility of bringing goal-line technology and video replays in to football. Fifa has come under increasing pressure to examine the possibility of introducing video replays and goal-line technology in a bid to prevent high profile errors, the most high profile of which recently came when Thierry Henry handled the ball in setting up France’s winning goal against Republic of Ireland in a World Cup playoff match, and then in Saturday’s FA Cup quarter final between Portsmouth and Birmingham City, there was an incident involving Liam Ridgewell where he claimed his header had crossed the line before being scrambled clear. The referee and assistant referee were both unsighted, but a quick replay from the camera placed along the goal line showed the ball had crossed the line before being scooped back out again. Another recent example is the FA Cup 5th round tie between Crystal Palace and Aston Villa at Selhurst Park, with Palace leading 2-1 and time running out, Villa were awarded a corner incorrectly, from which they equalised and subsequently won the replay. Offside decisions are of constant debate, and I am sure you could point many other incidences where some injustice has gone against, as well as in favour of, your club. As a Watford fan, I always remember the Reading goal that never was!
The IFAB has declared its reasons for not pursuing the technology ideas further; they include that introducing technology will create too many stop-start situations in the game, and that they want to retain the human side of the game. The IFAB statement mentions debate and controversy. I would have used the word error; not deliberate error, but human error, which the technology would be there to minimise. A lot of people say that the bad decisions even themselves out over the course of a season. If we take some of the examples used previously, where is the evening out for the Irish, who are out of the World Cup? Where is the evening out for Palace and Birmingham, who are out of the FA Cup now? Should the IFAB and Fifa instead be ironing out errors, rather than evening them out? The IFAB is apparently open to Fifas discussion on having an extra official positioned behind each goal, as has been experimented with in the Europa League this season.
So if technology were to be embraced, in what capacity would it be used and how would it affect the game? Well that will be a point for much debate, as the ruling boards would have been able to control how and when it is used in a game, whether it was for goal line incidents, corners, throw-ins, dives, etc, etc, etc. But it is quite obvious how much of a positive effect technology has had on other sports. Cricket uses technology for many aspects of its game now, a lot of which came about due to the innovative ideas of television companies, and the International Cricket Council recognised that it could not allow the decisions of umpires at the very highest level to continue to be undermined by technology. Originally starting with run out decisions, the IRC has been trialling the use of Hawk-Eye and Hot Spot. Tennis has also taken to using Hawk-Eye, although not in the predictive element it offers, but the mapping of the flight of a tennis ball and where it lands. Rugby union and rugby league both use a television match official to decide the awarding of tries where the referee is unsure of the decision.
There are issues with technology however. It is not always the wonder it is portrayed to be. In cricket especially, the two dimensional aspect of television makes it difficult to judge catches low to the ground, where a fielders hands are on top of the grass when the ball enters the hands, making it unclear as to whether a clean catch has been taken.
I am still firmly in favour of introducing technology in to football in some way however. There is a lot of money involved in the professional game today at the top level. Can the top clubs afford to miss out on the Champions League because of some bad decisions and all the money that goes with being in Europe’s elite? In the Championship play-off final, also known as the richest game in football, one decision could be the difference between a successful and failed promotion, a managers job, a club staying in business, etc. And finally, referees are constantly the source of barracking over poor decision making. Introducing some video technology at least would no doubt go some way to restoring the respect that they deserve by allowing them to come to the correct decision. Making sure football continues to have referees available is just as important as any other facet of the game. Remember, no referee, no game, and if technology can help preserve the respect of referees in some way, then it is surely a step worth taking.
The IFAB has declared its reasons for not pursuing the technology ideas further; they include that introducing technology will create too many stop-start situations in the game, and that they want to retain the human side of the game. The IFAB statement mentions debate and controversy. I would have used the word error; not deliberate error, but human error, which the technology would be there to minimise. A lot of people say that the bad decisions even themselves out over the course of a season. If we take some of the examples used previously, where is the evening out for the Irish, who are out of the World Cup? Where is the evening out for Palace and Birmingham, who are out of the FA Cup now? Should the IFAB and Fifa instead be ironing out errors, rather than evening them out? The IFAB is apparently open to Fifas discussion on having an extra official positioned behind each goal, as has been experimented with in the Europa League this season.
So if technology were to be embraced, in what capacity would it be used and how would it affect the game? Well that will be a point for much debate, as the ruling boards would have been able to control how and when it is used in a game, whether it was for goal line incidents, corners, throw-ins, dives, etc, etc, etc. But it is quite obvious how much of a positive effect technology has had on other sports. Cricket uses technology for many aspects of its game now, a lot of which came about due to the innovative ideas of television companies, and the International Cricket Council recognised that it could not allow the decisions of umpires at the very highest level to continue to be undermined by technology. Originally starting with run out decisions, the IRC has been trialling the use of Hawk-Eye and Hot Spot. Tennis has also taken to using Hawk-Eye, although not in the predictive element it offers, but the mapping of the flight of a tennis ball and where it lands. Rugby union and rugby league both use a television match official to decide the awarding of tries where the referee is unsure of the decision.
There are issues with technology however. It is not always the wonder it is portrayed to be. In cricket especially, the two dimensional aspect of television makes it difficult to judge catches low to the ground, where a fielders hands are on top of the grass when the ball enters the hands, making it unclear as to whether a clean catch has been taken.
I am still firmly in favour of introducing technology in to football in some way however. There is a lot of money involved in the professional game today at the top level. Can the top clubs afford to miss out on the Champions League because of some bad decisions and all the money that goes with being in Europe’s elite? In the Championship play-off final, also known as the richest game in football, one decision could be the difference between a successful and failed promotion, a managers job, a club staying in business, etc. And finally, referees are constantly the source of barracking over poor decision making. Introducing some video technology at least would no doubt go some way to restoring the respect that they deserve by allowing them to come to the correct decision. Making sure football continues to have referees available is just as important as any other facet of the game. Remember, no referee, no game, and if technology can help preserve the respect of referees in some way, then it is surely a step worth taking.
Saturday, 6 March 2010
Where does Capello go now?
Michael Owen has been ruled out for the rest of the season. It’s sad for him, but at least now he won’t keep on being mentioned every time a conversation drifts towards the World Cup and who might the great Fabio be taking with him. I always find it helpful when talking about selection issues, especially for a World Cup squad, that it is made clear whether discussions are based around personal preferences for the squad, or the realistic views of where the manager might go, as they tend to differ. Seeing as I have mentioned both avenues, I will share who I think Capello will be choosing, based on the latest friendly squad, and then look at other players who in my opinion should be going, but probably won’t be. The observant amongst you will be eager to point out that Capello is a world class football manager and coach, and I am neither (unless you go by Football Manager record) so my opinion doesn’t count for a great deal, but we all love to have our say on who should be in the England team, and I am no different. As an aside, I am going to assume Wayne Bridge will continue his self-imposed exile from the squad, and that Ashley Cole will be fit to take his place on the plane.
Capello has to announce a 28-man provisional squad on May 16th, a day after the FA Cup Final. This squad is then whittled down to 23 on June 1st, ahead of England’s opening group clash on June 12th against USA.
England’s possible 28 man squad:
Goalkeepers:
Green, James, Hart, Foster
Defenders:
Ferdinand (c), Terry, Glen Johnson, Upson, Ashley Cole, Baines, Warnock, Wes Brown, Lescott.
Midfielders:
Gerrard (vc), Lampard, Barry, Milner, Wright-Phillips, Carrick, Downing, Beckham, Walcott
Strikers:
Rooney, Crouch, Heskey, Defoe, Carlton Cole, Agbonlahor
From that list, the five players to be dropped from the squad would be Foster, Warnock, Agbonlahor, Wes Brown and Walcott. Controversial that Beckham will remain, but as he has been continually involved in the squads, I can’t see Capello leaving him out. Wes Brown is not playing consistently for Man Utd, and I think Milner could play right back if needed. Walcott is not in any sort of form, and SWP came off the bench to great effect against Egypt.
There are also a number of players who might consider themselves unlucky not to be in South Africa. Some names to mull over include Darren Bent, Michael Dawson, Bobby Zamora. Micah Richards and Ashley Young. Theo Walcott will be disappointed his form has deserted him after injury, but his time is yet to come. Aaron Lennon was in super form before injury disrupted his season. Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate have been in the treatment room most of the season and have never really got close to the squad. Jimmy Bullard and Owen Hargreaves will be hoping they get some game time towards the end of the season to off themselves up for selection, but Capello has probably already made his mind up, and his only concerns will now come from keeping his key personal fit and fresh.
And finally, to those who I think might get their opportunity post the World Cup include Man City’s Adam Johnson, and Ryan Shawcross is on the radar so he would hope for another call up. Many eyes will be on the development of a lot of the current under-21 set up, including Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere, who has been receiving rave reviews for some time now. Daniel Sturridge has scored a few goals for Chelsea, and the Everton duo of Gosling and Rodwell have been getting plenty of first team opportunities at Goodison Park.
Capello has plenty to arm himself with this summer, but perhaps more exciting to see is the promising talent that he will have to work with over the next couple of years in the build up to the European Championships.
Capello has to announce a 28-man provisional squad on May 16th, a day after the FA Cup Final. This squad is then whittled down to 23 on June 1st, ahead of England’s opening group clash on June 12th against USA.
England’s possible 28 man squad:
Goalkeepers:
Green, James, Hart, Foster
Defenders:
Ferdinand (c), Terry, Glen Johnson, Upson, Ashley Cole, Baines, Warnock, Wes Brown, Lescott.
Midfielders:
Gerrard (vc), Lampard, Barry, Milner, Wright-Phillips, Carrick, Downing, Beckham, Walcott
Strikers:
Rooney, Crouch, Heskey, Defoe, Carlton Cole, Agbonlahor
From that list, the five players to be dropped from the squad would be Foster, Warnock, Agbonlahor, Wes Brown and Walcott. Controversial that Beckham will remain, but as he has been continually involved in the squads, I can’t see Capello leaving him out. Wes Brown is not playing consistently for Man Utd, and I think Milner could play right back if needed. Walcott is not in any sort of form, and SWP came off the bench to great effect against Egypt.
There are also a number of players who might consider themselves unlucky not to be in South Africa. Some names to mull over include Darren Bent, Michael Dawson, Bobby Zamora. Micah Richards and Ashley Young. Theo Walcott will be disappointed his form has deserted him after injury, but his time is yet to come. Aaron Lennon was in super form before injury disrupted his season. Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate have been in the treatment room most of the season and have never really got close to the squad. Jimmy Bullard and Owen Hargreaves will be hoping they get some game time towards the end of the season to off themselves up for selection, but Capello has probably already made his mind up, and his only concerns will now come from keeping his key personal fit and fresh.
And finally, to those who I think might get their opportunity post the World Cup include Man City’s Adam Johnson, and Ryan Shawcross is on the radar so he would hope for another call up. Many eyes will be on the development of a lot of the current under-21 set up, including Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere, who has been receiving rave reviews for some time now. Daniel Sturridge has scored a few goals for Chelsea, and the Everton duo of Gosling and Rodwell have been getting plenty of first team opportunities at Goodison Park.
Capello has plenty to arm himself with this summer, but perhaps more exciting to see is the promising talent that he will have to work with over the next couple of years in the build up to the European Championships.
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