Aftermath of 2019 World Cup Cricket: the flip side

Cricket is a game of uncertain, but the amount and nature of uncertainty level which gives us the thrill, excitement and euphoria made the game most unique among all other sports. The recent concluded quadrennial extravaganza of World cup 2019 is definitely one of those events where each game gives us such feeling especially the D-day or finale stands out among the all other the matches.

Though the event is marred by certain criticisms and controversies it has something to cheer for the crowd at the end of the day. Be it the game of host nation England or India or mercurial Pakistan, each cricket nation gives their best till the last league match between South Africa Vs Australia where a below average South Africa overpowered another tournament favourite Australia in a cliff-hanger. Apart from minnow Afghanistan, all the cricket nations give their best to reach the Semi-Final though it had given tough time India in their league encounter.

The team which impressed me as a cricket aficionado most that are team Bangladesh. They have played out of their skin and probably their best in the world cup so far to surprise and supersede others. If they maintain and sustain their level of performance, who knows  2023 world cup can be knocking their door.

Probably the important X- factor and the limiting one is the English weather. It is more than unpredictable than the Pakistan team. As a number of matches abandoned and highest any word cup, could not get the best team for the semis.

Another interesting factor is the condition and nature of the pitches used for matches. In a cricket match the 22 yard matters the most but in an unpredictable and uncertain way. But this trend reversed as in 90 per cent matches won by the team playing by winning the toss and opting for batting first. Going by this trend, runner up New Zealand the team who all most won the final but due to some interesting rules by ICC, they are deprived of the glory by a whisker.

Coming back to peculiar and controversial rules of ICC has raised the eyebrows of cricket pundits. Especially in the final match the super over concept after the tie between the two teams quite ludicrous.  Similarly, it won’t be ridiculous to say that a getting a six for an overthrow and which should be a five-run as admitted by the officiating field Umpire Kumara Dharmasena. The most hilarious part is deciding the winner on the base of a number of boundaries in the innings by each team. As some of the players of the NewZealand team had already spoken about the unaware of this boundary information after the match. In Football the winner is decided by extra time or penalty, same kind logic must be implemented here also with any doubt as strongly advocated by the great Sachin Tendulkar.

In the last but not least the failure of India in the semis has shattered and broken the heart of cricket fans all over the world. After topping at the group stage and playing some superb, adventurous and exciting cricket it is difficult to digest the defeat and elimination. But fans all over the world must repose and reinstate faith and hope in team India. As the test championship and world twenty-twenty is round the corner the team India should not lose their focus. This is the team who has performed all over the world in alien conditions like Australia, South Africa and NewZealand has a long way to go. Certainly, the form is temporary but class is permanent.