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| April 14, 2007 | Saturday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 25, 1428 |
Ponting joins chorus for shortened World Cup
BRIDGETOWN, April 13: Australia captain Ricky Ponting has added his voice to those demanding that the World Cup be shortened from its current 47-day marathon. “I am sure that some positive things have been said about this event this time around,” said Ponting.
“In the future it can be compressed a little bit and make a better World Cup next time.”
Ponting's call comes just two days after team-mate Matthew Hayden also called for the World Cup to be trimmed and on the same day that Chris Dehring, the chief executive of the World Cup in the Caribbean, recognised that the event was too drawn out.
Ponting admitted, however, that finding a solution to the problem would not be easy.
“Trying to programme the World Cup and make it as short as possible must be a logistical nightmare, especially in a place like the West Indies where we are travelling all around nine different countries,” said the Australian skipper.
“So if you look at it from that point of view, I wouldn't like to be in the shoes of the people who are trying to organise this type of event.”
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has been criticised for the duration of the event. The current World Cup, which started on March 13 and ends with the final on April 28, covers 47 days and takes in 51 matches.
Huge gaps between matches have also annoyed some teams.
Hosts West Indies are playing just one game in the space of 18 days during the second round Super Eights.
Ponting admitted the gaps, which saw Australia play England after an eight-day break and then face another four days rest before facing Ireland on Friday, were unusual.
“It is unusual in a one-day event that you might be spending six and seven days between games, but somehow professional sportsmen learn how to cope with it the best you can and make sure when the games come around you are right and ready to go.
“There is no doubt it is a long event.”
Earlier on Thursday, Dehring conceded the seven-week tournament is too long but said shortening it would have risked important matches being washed out.
He said the next World Cup, to be held on the subcontinent in 2011, might be abridged.
“One of the shortfalls of the last World Cup in South Africa was that rain played such an important factor,” Dehring told the Courier-Mail in Australia.
“We decided this time to make sure you had adequate rain days so there is a rain day for every game.”
Last week, ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed defended the length of the World Cup.
“We are criticised sometimes because there is too much cricket and we are criticised here because some of the breaks between two matches are too long,” said Speed.
“The team that wins this tournament will play 11 matches in 47 days – something like a match every four days – so there are generally healthy breaks between matches.”—AFP
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