Another NO-BALL?
Manoj Madhavan -
Monday, August 18, 2008 1:22 PM
It is in human nature. Talk of taming a raging bull, and we don't mind playing the patience card, waiting for the beast to tire and die a natural death. Now, at one level, wise people say it's the best policy.
I beg to differ, even if it is at the risk of being ousted from this rapidly swelling wise men's club. I say, avoiding controversies may stand you in good stead only at a personal level. As we go higher, you should know when to strike and close the deal.
Now take the latest split in cricket's governing body over ICC's flip-flop over the Champions Trophy venue in Pakistan. If we were to refresh our memories even marginally, it is clear that countries like Australia, England and South Africa have always had reservations about touring Pakistan. Remember, this is not a new problem, but one that has been simmering for a very long time. So why did you, at the first place, even think of an all-nation tournament in Pakistan? And now that you have fixed the venue, why stoke more fire by thinking of changing it?
On the face of it, there is a simple solution: if two teams refuse to play in Pakistan, you can easily fill in the vacant spots by inviting Bangladesh and Ireland, ranked 9th and 10th one-day international teams respectively, to the party. But can you imagine what a loss it would be for the fans? Of course, we are not even talking here of the huge compensation package the International Cricket Council needs to dish out to ESPN Star Sports (ESS) in the event of a change in venue.
And all this, just because the ICC didn't have the courage to tame the bull when they realised it could go out of control. Avoid confrontation, by all means, but not at the cost of millions of fans across the cricketing world.