World Cup 2023: Afghanistan, Netherlands make a case for cricket to belong to all and never only a choose few

Most of the world smirks when Americans seek advice from the NBA winner because the ‘world champion’. The basketball league, in any case, is just a group of 30 groups — 29 from the United States and one from Canada. The argument goes that the fanfare is restricted to only North America, and there may be nothing international about it.

There is a few advantage to this argument, however staunch NBA followers are fast to level out that the league contains of gamers from all corners of the planet. The numbers help this — there have been 120 worldwide gamers from 40 international locations and 6 continents on opening-night rosters for the 2022-23 NBA season. On the courtroom, there may be actually a world really feel.

Compare this to the continuing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. The competitors is restricted to 10 nations — an occasion that reeks of exclusion. A World Cup, in any sport, ought to really feel like a grand celebration with an open invitation. The cricket equal is a decent group of mates elevating a toast behind closed doorways.

And it’s not that expertise is confined solely to conventional powerhouses. The latest victories registered by Afghanistan and Netherlands — over fancied England and South Africa respectively amongst a number of others — is proof that tough diamonds are in plain view.

As if to bolster the strict entry standards, this World Cup doesn’t even accommodate all of the Test enjoying full-member nations. There are solely 12 full-member nations, which ideally ought to assure spots for all on this mega occasion. But as an alternative, West Indies, Ireland and Zimbabwe exited the scene after a gruelling qualification match.

For the Dutch cricket crew, each win is a giant step taken in direction of selling the sport again dwelling. 

The case of two-time World Cup champion West Indies is especially upsetting to their many followers who yearn for a little bit of Calypso aptitude. For West Indies, Ireland and Zimbabwe, the place curiosity in cricket in on the wane, to be shut out of the World Cup will solely take the game utterly out of public consciousness.

Dwindling motivation

For a teenager in these international locations with a bat and ball in hand, what motivation stays to stay to the game? There aren’t any rewards in sight, so it could be higher to maneuver to greener sporting fields.

The exploits of Afghanistan and Netherlands has come as a boon to these with a penchant for telling good tales. There could be no higher script than that of the underdog rising to the highest. Three years in the past, Dutch quick bowler Paul van Meekeren labored as a meals supply agent for Uber Eats. After the England triumph, van Meekeren is on prime of the world, having picked up two essential wickets in his facet’s well-known win. This might be his springboard to gaining contracts in personal leagues and eventually incomes his simply due.

For van Meekeren and his teammates, each win is a giant step taken in direction of selling the sport again dwelling. The cricket group in Netherlands is small but passionate, and performances like this on the large stage brings nice publicity. Incidentally, that is Netherlands’ second win over South Africa in latest occasions, having posted an identical upset in a T20 World Cup fixture at Adelaide final 12 months.

In an interplay with Sportstar earlier than the World Cup commenced, Netherlands all-rounder Bas de Leede spoke concerning the challenges of being an expert cricketer again dwelling.

ALSO READ: ODI World Cup 2023: De Leede a key determine for optimistic Netherlands, aiming to make a mark

“I think it (cricket) has got a chance to catch on. Hopefully, with our performances in the past year and a half, we can get some more attention. It’s still a very small sport. There’s no highlights and there’s no live games on television. We have to try and keep performing and hopefully get more and more attention. Some people will say let’s get the rights to broadcast these Dutch games. But at the moment, it’s not happening. It’s not growing at the moment, but I think there’s a real possibility for it to grow,” de Leede mentioned.

Afghanistan followers celebrating their facet’s efficiency in opposition to Sri Lanka throughout the match between Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan on the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune
| Photo Credit:
VEDHAN M / THE HINDU

Can there be a greater instance of tiding over the chances than the Afghanistan unit? Years of battle and unrest has not dampened their spirit, as seen of their 69-run win over defending champion England a couple of days in the past. The crowd at Delhi bought behind Afghanistan, as was the case in Dharamshala when Netherlands might have felt they have been enjoying a sport at Rotterdam.

The victory got here within the wake of a lethal earthquake in Western Afghanistan which left lots of lifeless. Former England batter Jonathan Trott, now the Afghanistan coach, said that his boys are enjoying with a better function.

Members of the Afghan cricket crew taking a victory lap on the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai after beating Pakistan for the primary time within the format

“It’s not just cricket that the guys are playing for. The guys are very knowledgeable of the things and the hardship that some people are going through because of the natural disaster and for various other reasons. If this can give a smile to people’s faces anywhere in the world, and also encourage boys and girls to pick up a cricket bat or a cricket ball wherever they are in Afghanistan, then our goal has been achieved,” Trott mentioned.

These are simply a few inspiring tales from the “minnow” nations, and extra could be anticipated because the match progresses. For the International Cricket Council (ICC), it ought to function a reminder that cricket belongs to all, not simply the popular few.