DOTA
wants Amber Rudd to call him a naughty boy
They are very poor, these days. Time was (not that long back) they were one of the better associate nations.
They are very poor, these days. Time was (not that long back) they were one of the better associate nations.
They seem to lose to the latter pretty consistently, from what I've seen.They did finish top of their qualifying group to be fair (admittedly losing to the Netherlands and Afghanistan).
Seven. Only one I was confident of was the women's cricket question....How well do you know India vs Pakistan? http://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/35...bc_sport&ns_source=facebook&ns_linkname=sport
I did rather shithouse but I'm not Indian or Pakistani so no obligation to know all this.
It needs India, Australia, England and South Africa. It also needs Pakistan, to keep the Indians interested.ICC are cnuts. I knew next to nothing about cricket prior to the 96 WC...and am still not a massive fan.
But, no world sporting body does more to hurt itself than the ICC. While the IRB does all it can to spread the game - the ICC in the same of 'competition' continues to deny access to nations.
It's all good though...the game doesn't need anyone other than India and Australia
FIFA is corrupt and obviously the bidding for World Cups highlights that...but in terms of spreading the game, it does a ton of work. It spends an absolute fortune on grassroots and trying to develop the game across the globe.It needs India, Australia, England and South Africa. It also needs Pakistan, to keep the Indians interested.
Also, FIFA are worse than the ICC.
You're entirely right, on your general point, though. Time and time again cricket just seems to assume no one outside the test nations cares and acts as if that is the case. That is not how you grow a sport, that is currently more marketable than it's ever been, thanks to how watchable to an outsider T20 is.
On the first point - FIFA gives a lot of money to smaller nations because of its fecked up voting structure, that means tiny uninterested countries have the same power as large football mad ones... but you'll know this as well as I do. The ideal leadership is a healthy balance.FIFA is corrupt and obviously the bidding for World Cups highlights that...but in terms of spreading the game, it does a ton of work. It spends an absolute fortune on grassroots and trying to develop the game across the globe.
Looking from the outside in - Obviously India-Pakistan is still an incredible rivalry and neither nation wants to lose to the other...but, I'd say Indians look forward to their team playing Australia more than Pakistan now.
We (English county cricket) had Ireland, Scotland and Netherlands play in our one day tournament. It didn't work, largely because their best players were already playing for other counties.ICC seems to be the only administrative global sports body who's not interested in widening it's game. Incorporating these associate teams even in the local cricketing leagues with help a lot but not anything has been done.
Heck I'm sure even if they invite these associate countries to play the A or B teams that'd prolly help a lot too.
We (English county cricket) had Ireland, Scotland and Netherlands play in our one day tournament. It didn't work, largely because their best players were already playing for other counties.
Whatever happened to Kenya?!? Not even in the qualifiers these days.