The ICC loves Americans (as long as they’re Indian)
Best Cricket Stories of the Week, 15th to 21st June 2024
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1
The ICC loves Americans (as long as they’re Indian)
The BBC’s Timothy Abraham asks the obvious question as the ICC pat themselves on the back for a job well done; did the World Cup actually attract any new fans?
“What does seem curious, though, is a lot of the marketing and publicity did not feel like an attempt to engage with anyone who was not already connected to the sport.
A full page advert in the New York Times of the Statue of Liberty holding a cricket bat? Neat. India legend Sachin Tendulkar hitting some balls in a baseball batting cage? Nicely done. Ireland captain Paul Stirling’s image beamed on to the Rockefeller Centre? Erm, yes…
Meanwhile, inside the stadiums there was nowhere for first-time cricket attendees and budding youngsters to swing a bat, or have a go at bowling.”
Columbia Journalism Review’s Jon Allsop has a related read about the lack of full-time cricket journalists in America; “The US is hosting a World Cup. You (probably) haven’t heard about it.”
2
Tali or Ban for Afghanistan?
(Tali means clap in Hindi for my monolingual readers)
ESPNcricinfo’s Sidharth Monga takes a stab at one of the most emotionally fraught topics in cricket; the desire to celebrate Afghanistan’s continued rise up the ranks, while wanting to punish the Taliban for their treatment of Afghani women.
“The ICC has probably thought about it a million times: does it want to ban Afghanistan for not following its charter and take away from the country that one small relief? Penalise the men who have fought unimaginable odds to make it this far?
That is probably why the action has not been swift and unequivocal as it was with the government interference in Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.”
Cricbuzz’s Amish Mulmi has a more definitive answer for Nepal’s insistence on playing Sandeep Lamicchane; “The responsibility of progress.”
3
Batters forced to stroke it without assistance
ESPNcricinfo’s Sambit Bal takes a stab at the IPL with his latest piece; cricket’s not half bad if the bowlers get a chance too.
“Strokeplay, long thought of as an entitlement in the format, became an occupational hazard on wickets that were two-paced and afforded uneven bounce and some seam movement and swing when the ball was new and there was moisture in the air or in the surface.
Hitting though the line became fatal, and setting up one's stall and muscling the ball away became impossible. Runs had to be earned, boundaries became rarer, and sixes became events.”
4
The best of the rest
The Cricket Monthly’s Nagraj Gollapudi talks to the man behind the biggest surprise of the World Cup; “USA coach Stuart Law: 'We're a family, and we fight hard for each other, which is what great teams do.”
Arrangements of White on Green’s Jon Hotten writes about how English fans finally have a worthy successor to the mercurial Ian Botham; “Reputations: Ben and Ian.”
Cricbuzz’s Bharat Sundaresan spends the day with Darren Sammy’s family in St Lucia; “Faith, Family, and Cricket: The Story of Daren Sammy.”
Crossbatted’s Eman T uses stats to decode the Pakistani Women’s kryptonite; “Pak-W’s Public Enemy No. 1: Leg Spin Bowling.”
NK News’ Shreyas Reddy explains how China introduced cricket to North Korea; “Bowling over Pyongyang: How a Chinese club brought cricket to North Korea.”
5
The best videos and podcasts
Humans of Bombay have an exclusive interview with Mandira Bedi. It goes into multiple aspects of her life, but luckily there are timestamps for the cricketing bits; becoming a high profile female anchor for the 2003 World Cup, the everyday sexism of the role that left her crying every night, & how she overcame those challenges.
Club Prairie Fire gives Mohammad Hafeez a platform to talk about his team as Pakistan team director, and remind us all about the stupidity of the Internet as they have a laugh about the social media “battle” between him and co-host Michael Vaughan.
Stump Mic’s Kaustubh Kumar & Sidharth Monga discuss the infrastructural issues of the World Cup; how much did USA get right, is there scope for growth, & what comes next? [Apple Podcasts]
Editor’s Note
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