Irish Eyes are Smiling

They weren’t laughing but they were smiling. It may be St Patrick’s Day on Saturday but Ireland started the celebrations early by not losing their very first World Cup game. Somehow, Zimbabwe managed not to win an unlosable match. But how exciting for Ireland to feature in only the third tie in World Cup history. For a combination of reasons, I’ve been doing some private research on cricket in Ireland.

Firstly, I was a intrigued about the Irishman, Ed Joyce being selected for England. Then it was announced that Australia would play a three game One Day series against India, in Ireland, in June 2007. Cricket appears to be on the up in Ireland. But do the Irish people really care about cricket? Around the same time, a new colleague joined us at work – a young lady from Ireland. As is traditional, as she was introduced to staff, I asked “Do you like cricket?”. I can’t remember the answer. Perhaps there was none. But a week or so later, Karen told me that she doesn’t like to watch cricket but she does like to play cricket. I said “What! Do you mean to tell me that you play cricket in the backyard in down town Dublin?”, and the answer was “yes”. There you have it, Ireland may not be about to become cricket’s next super power but cricket holds a place in the heart of the people.

It’s just a darn shame that Ireland couldn’t take that final wicket a few balls earlier. I needed that point to get back into the tipping comp after the Windies dramatic form reversal.

In other news, a new award has been announced. The ICC has decided to formalise the “most hated personality in world cricket” award. Since 1996, Arjuna Ranatunga has so dominated this area that it was thought to be a waste of time having an annual event. However, recent happenings have shown that some others have some form. The award will simply known as “The Sunny Award for Miserable Cricket Personalities”. No guesses who the inaugural recipient will be.

And finally we have the new “spotted” section.

Spotted (while watching a replay on my mobile phone on the way home): Anderson Cummins opening the bowling for Canada. Previously last spotted playing his fifth and last Test for the West Indies in December 1994. Anderson is 41 in May this year. He’s older than me for crying out loud. Although I have to admit he looks pretty fantastic.

Let the Games Begin

I know it’s only the Cricket World Cup but the dramatic lead up to this particular World Cup seems to require a grand announcement. The World Cup officially starts this week with host nation, the West Indies (well, I guess you can’t really call it nation) taking on Pakistan (the last team known to have thrown a World Cup final) at Sabina Park, Jamaica, on Tuesday. Thinking caps on now for Australian and New Zealand readers: If a match is on Tuesday (local time) and is a day night match, it is played on Wednesday our time, starting around 2:00 a.m. (Sydney time) and finishing after we get to work.

This World Cup seems to have had more dramas in the lead up, than most. It’s been a fine balance between comedy, farce and things of a more serious nature. Here’s a brief summary:

The champions, favourites and number one ranked team, Australia, lost 5 matches in a row at home and abroad. They also lost their number one ranking.
With that back drop, Sunny (not Sonny Bono) gave it to Australia basically for being scum bags for the past 10 years and wow, weren’t we all enjoying the suffering now. Ponting, being Ponting, returned fire and that is before they have even come face to face. Somebody hide the bar stools.
Key players have fallen like flies. For Australia, Hayden, Lee and Symonds suffered major injuries. For England, Pietersen was injured in Australia. For New Zealand, Jacob Oram was in trouble. The race is on to see who can come back and when.
The juice brothers (Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif), having flown to London on route to the West Indies suddenly discovered that they were injured and had to pull out of the biggest cricket show on earth. Goodness me, London is a dangerous place. Mohammad Asif is out with an elbow injury of all things. Now, I could believe that of an Australian cricketer on a flight to London but I’m not too sure about a Pakistani. This incident leads me to think about the Olympics more than any other because it is comedy, farce and very serious all at once. I recall the star Greek athletes in Athens (Kostas Kenteris and Ekaterini Thanou) who had a motor bike accident on the way to their drugs test immediately before the 2004 Games. The parallels are pitiful.
Jacob Oram was so determined to play that he announced he would have his injured finger amputated rather than miss the Cup. At first I thought this was a little over the top. You’d expect that sort of thinking from an All Black but not a Black Cap. But then I realised that it was this level of commitment and desperation that had driven the Kiwis to smash the Aussies and be in the running for the big prize.
On the other hand, and the other side of the World, young Liam Plunkett had vowed to miss the World Cup to have his kidney amputated (you could called it transplanted) to save his ailing father. His father, of course, was having none of that.
Once everyone arrived in the Caribbean, suddenly, order seemed to be restored. Australia started winning. Gilchrist arrived late and smashed a quick 72. Clark, belatedly included for the injured Brett Lee, demolished England. The West Indies were all out for 85 against India. And South Africa started the choking process even earlier than normal, all but losing to Ireland and then being smashed by Pakistan. But of course, warm up matches count for nothing. Just ask anyone who loses one.

I hope you’ve all got plenty of sleep in the bank because a few all nighters might be coming up. Let the games begin. Set the pigeons free.