These are strange times in international sport. When Scotland’s cricketers are beating England’s finest in the same week their rugby counterparts are losing to the United States, it’s safe to conclude that barriers exist solely to be knocked down.
And yet, for those of us who love cricket, the same old controversies and contretemps seem to keep rearing their head, irrespective of whatever efforts have been taken by the ICC to propel the sport forward.
In recent days, for instance, another case of alleged ball-tampering has dragged Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal under the spotlight on his side’s tour of the Caribbean. He denies the charge but could be facing a similar sanction to the hefty suspension imposed on Australian trio, Stephen Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft.
In India, meanwhile, Afghanistan’s inaugural Test fixture turned into a nightmarish experience with the debutants thrashed inside two days by an innings and 260-plus runs. The Afghans’ rise to prominence has rightly been praised but the fashion in which they were skittled by their understrength hosts highlighted the problems which can materialise when teams are thrust prematurely into the long form of the game.
All of this poses the ICC with serious questions. Barely had the dust settled on the Scots’ fantastic one-day international success against England at the Grange than their officials were talking about their ambition of joining Ireland and Afghanistan as full members of the governing body.
It is a laudable objective but one which appears totally pointless in terms of the Scots seeking to participate in Tests in the future. Instead, they should be striving to work with other European countries to establish a more coherent fixture schedule, comprising a series of one-day international and Twenty20 contests.
Scotland captain Kyle Coetzer realises that opportunities to meet England, Australia and India are becoming increasingly rare as the big three carve up the global game. From that perspective, the emerging nations need to think outside the box and they require assistance.
How much would it benefit the Scots, the Dutch and the Irish next summer, for instance, if the ECB allowed the England Lions – the next generation of stars – to take part in a quadrangular event, spread throughout a month of action? Yes, it might be a disgrace that the three aforementioned sides will not be at the 2019 World Cup but there’s no point moaning about that any more. The ICC isn’t going to change its mind.
Better, surely, for Coetzer and his compatriots to gain admission to a meaningful structure which offers them a true development path. I believe Scotland are right to concentrate on one-day cricket, especially when one surveys the funereal atmosphere at the ongoing Windies Test, where Lord Lucan and Banksy could be sitting in the crowd and no one would spot him – because there is no one there!
As it stands, the Scots effectively complete their international commitments for 2018 this week with two T20s against the Netherlands. That is before we have even reached the longest day on June 21, as if to emphasise the absurdity of the situation in which they’ve been put.
Ultimately, though, that success against England has been followed in the last week by three T20 defeats and a tie, two of them against Pakistan and the latter pair against the Irish, who themselves were defeated twice by the Dutch. It proves there is scarcely a cigarette paper between all these competitors but we have passed the stage where we can expect any favours from the ICC. So, it’s vital the Scots and the rest blaze their own trail. Not with occasional showpiece occasions but with a plan and a genuine vision.
The sport is crying out for that. And for expansion and missionary work rather than narrow self-interest.
