Cricket: ICC acting to prevent World Cup farce

By STEPHEN BRENKLEY

Before the next World Cup, four sides are receiving official guidance to try to ensure they are not marginalised at every turn by the big one-day guns.

This group does not, it should be emphasised, include Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, the West Indies or England. They are being left to their own devices.

Instead, the quartet of associate member nations who have qualified for South Africa in 2003 will benefit from the advice of the International Cricket Council's high-performance manager, Bob Woolmer.

Kenya, Holland, Namibia and Canada obviously need it because it is hardly in the game's wider interests of globalisation to see them overwhelmed every time they take the field.

Woolmer is something of a guru, who views his work in the coming few months as "an exciting crusade," but the extent of his task became obvious in Colombo 10 days ago.

It is not only the less traditional cricketing nations who are lagging behind. When Zimbabwe were bowled out for 38 by Sri Lanka, they demonstrated that the gap between experienced countries is becoming a chasm.

Fitness, technique and fielding have all found out the weaker brethren and the next World Cup threatens quickly to become little more than a four-sided contest.

The ICC's official line is that all is well and the quest to make cricket a world game continues.

"New Zealand didn't win a test match for 30 years," said the council's spokesman, Mark Harrison.

But they did draw the odd one, he might have added.

For all the insistence on the old mantra that any side can win a one-dayer on their day, the evidence against is mounting.

Australia have won 64 per cent of their one-day matches since the turn of the century, 63 out of 98. South Africa have won 67 per cent, 42 out of 62.

These are records which border on the phenomenal. In the same period, Bangladesh have lost all their matches.

Zimbabwe's horrible run of defeats ended only because they played Bangladesh, whom they beat 3-0, and their record in the 2000s shows a 38 per cent win ratio, 19 from 49.

Likewise, England improved their present status only by playing Zimbabwe. Until they won 5-0 in that country in October, they had won just 11 of 30 matches this century, 36 per cent.

The West Indies do, indeed, win the odd one-dayer. Equally, it is obvious that their steep decline is not restricted only to test cricket.

In this century they have managed 18 wins, a 40 per cent success rate, but that compares with 74 per cent and 72 per cent, respectively, in the 1970s and 80s.

Given that level of failure, the chances of the minnows must be minimal.

"Actually, I'm full of optimism," Woolmer said. "It isn't for me to say what has gone wrong, if anything, in the full member countries, but those who are pulling away have changed the face of the game.

"They have realised the crucial importance of fitness levels, especially in the one-day game and what they can mean when games get tight.

"For the sides who have fallen behind, that will be a very difficult gap to make up in little more than a year."

Woolmer is certain he can help the teams who came through the ICC qualifying tournament. He has visited all four and outlined a strategy.

"Organisation can go a long way, as the full member countries have probably found out, especially those who are losing, but the enthusiasm I have found among the amateurs is boundless."

In playing terms, compared to the least competent professional international sides, Woolmer gives Kenya seven marks out of 10, Holland 5.5 and Canada and Namibia four each.

He aims to be able to help to increase those by at least two points in each case in the next 15 months.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for the game," he said.

"We know that for it to spread properly we have to have sufficient teams competing ferociously and it's a crusade that can be won, if not overnight, then in time.

"It is the lack of bowling which will be the hardest aspect to overcome.

"None of the qualifiers have any pace at all and while medium pacers have their place, they can be slaughtered by the type of batsmen they are likely to face in the World Cup."

The trouble for the ICC is that Australia and South Africa - with Pakistan and India hanging on to their coat-tails - have burst away from the pack in the limited-overs game with greater alacrity than they have in test cricket.

As Zimbabwe have demonstrated, the chasm will still be yawning 15 months hence.

- INDEPENDENT