(Image courtesy: New Indian Express)No minnows? Sorry Mr. Ponting, they’ve made all the difference so far, says L Suresh.
What’s common to carps, goldfish, daces, Bermuda, Netherlands, Canada and Scotland? Ask Ricky Ponting or Michael Holding and they’ll tell you that all of the above happen to be minnows. While present and former greats have questioned the presence of such lesser-known teams in a tournament as prominent as the World Cup, saying that they had 'little or nothing to offer', good-hearted Dravid spoke in support of them, saying that they brought a lot of charm and character to the tournament. What he failed to mention was that they also succeeded in bringing nightmares to Asian countries that, not too long back, were considered serious contenders for the final eight.
Ponting of course, will now take a break from taking potshots at Gavaskar and look for those reams of newsprint that carried his caustic remarks over the participation of second-rung teams – the time has come for him to eat them all, considering the fact that the biggest upset of the tournament has been caused by Ireland.
A week ago, the Super Eights format seemed to divide the teams into two sets of eight, the top eight playing for the trophy and the rookies, playing for exposure and all those nice-sounding non-competitive words that meant 'we're here for the party, but sorry, we can't dance.'
But ever since Bangladesh shocked New Zealand in one of the earlier warm-up matches, the alarm bells have been pealing across the Caribbean islands - only none of the top teams heard it. It only reinforced what history had to say - the minnow have always been there for shock effect, not for comic relief.
Ever since Sri Lanka caused the first major upset in World Cup history when they beat a not-so-hot one day prospect like India back in 1979, there have always been tables being overturned and rugs being yanked to spoil a party or two. In 1983, Zimbabwe beat a stunned Australia and were on their way to give India a hiding - until one man decided to stop the nonsense and played the innings of his life when his team was tottering at 17 for 5. Almost a decade later, Zimbabwe took on the Queen’s men who were having a dream run in the 1992 World Cup and surprised them and the world at large by defending a paltry total of 134. England were beaten by nine runs in a match that produced some funny tales of reverse-sledging – apparently, the Zimbabwean tailenders were talked into staying on and not getting out by English fielders so that they wouldn’t have to come in and bat before lunch. What they didn't know was that the menu for the rest of the day would have just one item on it - humble pie.
Four years later, Kenya surprised Lara's men with a shocking 73 run defeat in an 'ouch' match that hurt Lara enough for him to come out all guns blazing and take on South Africa single-handedly in the quarterfinals. Chasing a miniscule total of 166 by the Kenyans, the Calypso kings found out what it felt like to be paupers for a day as the runs dried up, the wickets fell and they collapsed to 93 all out at the end of 35 overs.
1999 was Zimbabwe's glory year. Australia may have won the World Cup and Pakistan may have beaten several other teams to the final, but Zimbabwe - with the Flower brothers and the likes of Neil Johnson, Murray Goodwin and Alistair Campbell - reached the Super Sixes with emphatic wins over India and South Africa. Meanwhile, Bangladesh decided to steal some glory for themselves and pounced on a dozing Pakistan, routing them by 62 runs before one could say Inzamam-ul-Haq.
In the next edition of the tournament, Zimbabwe and Kenya raced ahead of giants like South Africa, Pakistan, West Indies and England to make it to the Super Sixes. Of course, England giving a walkover to Zimbabwe for political reasons and Kenya getting bonus points because the Kiwis didn’t want to fly there for security reasons did help, but there were upsets too, like Kenya's 53-run defeat of Sri Lanka. And then the unthinkable happened - Kenya found itself in the semi-finals. It was the situation every marketer and television channel would dread. John McEnroe vs Chris Lewis, Australia vs American Samoa, Mike Tyson vs Michael Sphinx - who would want to watch a no-contest three-setter, a 31-0 football match or a 91-second boxing bout? But there would always be a first time and for a minnow, it would always be unforgettable. Ask Ireland.
For a team that was playing its first World Cup tournament to have its first big win and to make it happen on St. Patrick's day - Ireland must be running out of the finest single malt that it is known for. The wrong team in green has come out on top, leaving Inzy and his boys heading back home just 96 hours after the World Cup began.
In 1999, Australia and South Africa had played one of the most thrilling matches in World Cup history - one that ended in a heart-stopping tie and heartbreak for the Proteas. Eight years later, it was time for history to be repeated and it would take two lesser-known teams to do it. Eleven men from the land of the Leprechauns ran circles around Zimbabwe - a team that had completed its u-turn in 1999 and has been on its way down ever since – and produced a game that changed the complexion of this World Cup. Minnows and Ireland? Not likely. No team that can play two stupendous back-to-back matches would fit that description.
Barely days after their sizzling tie against Zimbabwe - a match that they won, lost and won again – the Irish were ready for more action. Pakistan suddenly felt as if they were fighting the IRA on alien territory. Jeremy Bray, Rankin and Botha were names they probably had never heard of before they reached the West Indies. Now they would never forget them.
In another group, a different set of men in green were rewriting the script to suit their fancy. Just as Zimbabwe found the English conditions to their liking in earlier World Cups, just as Kenya found form in 2003, Bangladesh seem to be having just the kind of players who could take advantage of the Caribbean conditions. Disciplined medium pace, on-the-stumps spin attack, fearless batting and above all, electric fielding made possible by young guns from the under-19 team - Bangladesh could well be the team to look out for, considering the fact that two of their three wins came against New Zealand and India.
While Bangladesh and Ireland have been covering themselves with glory, other smaller teams have also been prominently featuring in the thick of the action, even if it is at the receiving end. The Dutch team has figured in so many records in one week of World Cup action that its entries in the records column outnumber the total number of matches it has played in the tournament thus far.
In his autobiography, Gary Sobers has mentioned how Malcolm Nash - the bowler he hit for six sixes in an over - garnered more mileage and made more money out of the incident than he ever did. One wonders if Daan Van Bunge will be smart enough to do something similar. Against a juggernaut that even mighty teams like India and Pakistan have failed in recent times, Netherlands had little chance taking out any positives from the game. But in a truncated match, they managed to find a backdoor entry into the record books as Van Bunge slipped into a nightmarish rendition of Groundhog Day. Every ball he bowled brought in a sense of déjà vu as he scratched his head and walked back to his bowling mark with one question in his mind – didn’t the same thing happen to the previous delivery? At the end of the over, Netherlands became the first team to concede 36 runs in an over in international cricket.
If the number of sixes were not enough, Netherlands also went on to become the first team to offer three century partnerships in one match. While such major incidents were happening, a few other minor records were also set. South Africa scored 18 sixes in all, the most by any team in the World Cup. Then Boucher scored the fastest 50 - off 21 balls - in World Cup cricket. And these individual performances added up to yet another record - South Africa blazed away to the highest score in a 40-over match.
Not the ones to be left out of a party, the jolly team from Bermuda decided to pitch in with their own contributions. Taking on a choking India that desperately needed some oxygen to stay alive, they not only gave a whiff of life-saving fresh air, but also added a sunny beach, a live band and a rocking party as compliments. And for the first time India entered alien territory – the 400-plus mark. India posted the highest total of the World Cup – 413 – and won by 257 runs, the largest margin of victory ever in one day cricket history. In all, the men in blue scored 18 sixes and equalled South Africa’s record of the most sixes in an innings.
So that’s how the story goes as the tournament progresses into the Super Eights – it’s been a tale filled with twists and turns, loot and arson, emotions and tragedy, mourning and celebrations. And five Sundays from today, the world will wake up to a World Champion who has outclassed the rest. But years from now, the stories of the underdog will be folklore as lesser-known teams will take heart from the exploits of men who played with their heart and soul.
What’s common to carps, goldfish, daces, Bermuda, Netherlands, Canada and Scotland? Ask Ricky Ponting or Michael Holding and they’ll tell you that all of the above happen to be minnows. While present and former greats have questioned the presence of such lesser-known teams in a tournament as prominent as the World Cup, saying that they had 'little or nothing to offer', good-hearted Dravid spoke in support of them, saying that they brought a lot of charm and character to the tournament. What he failed to mention was that they also succeeded in bringing nightmares to Asian countries that, not too long back, were considered serious contenders for the final eight.
Ponting of course, will now take a break from taking potshots at Gavaskar and look for those reams of newsprint that carried his caustic remarks over the participation of second-rung teams – the time has come for him to eat them all, considering the fact that the biggest upset of the tournament has been caused by Ireland.
A week ago, the Super Eights format seemed to divide the teams into two sets of eight, the top eight playing for the trophy and the rookies, playing for exposure and all those nice-sounding non-competitive words that meant 'we're here for the party, but sorry, we can't dance.'
But ever since Bangladesh shocked New Zealand in one of the earlier warm-up matches, the alarm bells have been pealing across the Caribbean islands - only none of the top teams heard it. It only reinforced what history had to say - the minnow have always been there for shock effect, not for comic relief.
Ever since Sri Lanka caused the first major upset in World Cup history when they beat a not-so-hot one day prospect like India back in 1979, there have always been tables being overturned and rugs being yanked to spoil a party or two. In 1983, Zimbabwe beat a stunned Australia and were on their way to give India a hiding - until one man decided to stop the nonsense and played the innings of his life when his team was tottering at 17 for 5. Almost a decade later, Zimbabwe took on the Queen’s men who were having a dream run in the 1992 World Cup and surprised them and the world at large by defending a paltry total of 134. England were beaten by nine runs in a match that produced some funny tales of reverse-sledging – apparently, the Zimbabwean tailenders were talked into staying on and not getting out by English fielders so that they wouldn’t have to come in and bat before lunch. What they didn't know was that the menu for the rest of the day would have just one item on it - humble pie.
Four years later, Kenya surprised Lara's men with a shocking 73 run defeat in an 'ouch' match that hurt Lara enough for him to come out all guns blazing and take on South Africa single-handedly in the quarterfinals. Chasing a miniscule total of 166 by the Kenyans, the Calypso kings found out what it felt like to be paupers for a day as the runs dried up, the wickets fell and they collapsed to 93 all out at the end of 35 overs.
1999 was Zimbabwe's glory year. Australia may have won the World Cup and Pakistan may have beaten several other teams to the final, but Zimbabwe - with the Flower brothers and the likes of Neil Johnson, Murray Goodwin and Alistair Campbell - reached the Super Sixes with emphatic wins over India and South Africa. Meanwhile, Bangladesh decided to steal some glory for themselves and pounced on a dozing Pakistan, routing them by 62 runs before one could say Inzamam-ul-Haq.
In the next edition of the tournament, Zimbabwe and Kenya raced ahead of giants like South Africa, Pakistan, West Indies and England to make it to the Super Sixes. Of course, England giving a walkover to Zimbabwe for political reasons and Kenya getting bonus points because the Kiwis didn’t want to fly there for security reasons did help, but there were upsets too, like Kenya's 53-run defeat of Sri Lanka. And then the unthinkable happened - Kenya found itself in the semi-finals. It was the situation every marketer and television channel would dread. John McEnroe vs Chris Lewis, Australia vs American Samoa, Mike Tyson vs Michael Sphinx - who would want to watch a no-contest three-setter, a 31-0 football match or a 91-second boxing bout? But there would always be a first time and for a minnow, it would always be unforgettable. Ask Ireland.
For a team that was playing its first World Cup tournament to have its first big win and to make it happen on St. Patrick's day - Ireland must be running out of the finest single malt that it is known for. The wrong team in green has come out on top, leaving Inzy and his boys heading back home just 96 hours after the World Cup began.
In 1999, Australia and South Africa had played one of the most thrilling matches in World Cup history - one that ended in a heart-stopping tie and heartbreak for the Proteas. Eight years later, it was time for history to be repeated and it would take two lesser-known teams to do it. Eleven men from the land of the Leprechauns ran circles around Zimbabwe - a team that had completed its u-turn in 1999 and has been on its way down ever since – and produced a game that changed the complexion of this World Cup. Minnows and Ireland? Not likely. No team that can play two stupendous back-to-back matches would fit that description.
Barely days after their sizzling tie against Zimbabwe - a match that they won, lost and won again – the Irish were ready for more action. Pakistan suddenly felt as if they were fighting the IRA on alien territory. Jeremy Bray, Rankin and Botha were names they probably had never heard of before they reached the West Indies. Now they would never forget them.
In another group, a different set of men in green were rewriting the script to suit their fancy. Just as Zimbabwe found the English conditions to their liking in earlier World Cups, just as Kenya found form in 2003, Bangladesh seem to be having just the kind of players who could take advantage of the Caribbean conditions. Disciplined medium pace, on-the-stumps spin attack, fearless batting and above all, electric fielding made possible by young guns from the under-19 team - Bangladesh could well be the team to look out for, considering the fact that two of their three wins came against New Zealand and India.
While Bangladesh and Ireland have been covering themselves with glory, other smaller teams have also been prominently featuring in the thick of the action, even if it is at the receiving end. The Dutch team has figured in so many records in one week of World Cup action that its entries in the records column outnumber the total number of matches it has played in the tournament thus far.
In his autobiography, Gary Sobers has mentioned how Malcolm Nash - the bowler he hit for six sixes in an over - garnered more mileage and made more money out of the incident than he ever did. One wonders if Daan Van Bunge will be smart enough to do something similar. Against a juggernaut that even mighty teams like India and Pakistan have failed in recent times, Netherlands had little chance taking out any positives from the game. But in a truncated match, they managed to find a backdoor entry into the record books as Van Bunge slipped into a nightmarish rendition of Groundhog Day. Every ball he bowled brought in a sense of déjà vu as he scratched his head and walked back to his bowling mark with one question in his mind – didn’t the same thing happen to the previous delivery? At the end of the over, Netherlands became the first team to concede 36 runs in an over in international cricket.
If the number of sixes were not enough, Netherlands also went on to become the first team to offer three century partnerships in one match. While such major incidents were happening, a few other minor records were also set. South Africa scored 18 sixes in all, the most by any team in the World Cup. Then Boucher scored the fastest 50 - off 21 balls - in World Cup cricket. And these individual performances added up to yet another record - South Africa blazed away to the highest score in a 40-over match.
Not the ones to be left out of a party, the jolly team from Bermuda decided to pitch in with their own contributions. Taking on a choking India that desperately needed some oxygen to stay alive, they not only gave a whiff of life-saving fresh air, but also added a sunny beach, a live band and a rocking party as compliments. And for the first time India entered alien territory – the 400-plus mark. India posted the highest total of the World Cup – 413 – and won by 257 runs, the largest margin of victory ever in one day cricket history. In all, the men in blue scored 18 sixes and equalled South Africa’s record of the most sixes in an innings.
So that’s how the story goes as the tournament progresses into the Super Eights – it’s been a tale filled with twists and turns, loot and arson, emotions and tragedy, mourning and celebrations. And five Sundays from today, the world will wake up to a World Champion who has outclassed the rest. But years from now, the stories of the underdog will be folklore as lesser-known teams will take heart from the exploits of men who played with their heart and soul.
(Appeared in the New Indian Express Sunday Supplement on 25 March, 2007)
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