When you think about the ODI World Cup, you can’t help but think about some of the iconic moments. “Dhoni finishes off in style…” Martin Guptill’s 273 against West Indies, Sachin Tendulkar being carried around the Wankhede Stadium after the 2011 World Cup win and many more. But slowly, along the way, the ODI World Cup has lost its charm. And this time around, it seems like there’s not much hype around the tournament that is taking place in a cricket-worshipping nation like India.
In the ongoing World Cup, there seems to be a scarcity of thrillers and down-to-the-wire matches. Instead, we’re looking at more dominant affairs, though fans did get to witness a few upsets, two of them caused by Afghanistan so far. None of the matches seem to have pushed cricket lovers to the edge of their seats. It also doesn’t help that the teams are bowling with unacceptable over rates, making an already long match longer.
Boring Structure to Blame?
In this edition of the World Cup, a round-robin stage will decide the semi-finalists. Each team plays the others once before the top four are picked based on their performances. That means 45 games spanning more than a month will be played until the final 4 are confirmed. Boring much?
We’re almost 25 matches deep into the tournament with no clear idea of who will qualify for the semis. Although there are a handful of teams who have separated themselves from the pack – India, South Africa and New Zealand. Australia too have rebounded strongly after a horror start.
We know ODIs resonate more with the older generation. Considering that the format is already dying and the ICC is catering to a generation with a minute-long attention span, we’re not doing any favours to the format. The World Cup still doesn’t seem to be shifting gears and turning into a thrilling tournament. In fact, as a fan, one feels if one misses a few matches, not much will be skipped since the knockout stage of the tournament is yet to arrive. And that’s precisely why even the crowds are not worried about missing the first leg of the tournament.
Half-empty Stadiums
Let’s clear this up before we move on with the discussion – No stadium in India is going to be empty when the Indian team is playing. Indian players will sell out a music tour even if they were singing without microphones. Indian cricketers are superstars, and no one in cricket has the kind of effect that Indian players have on the crowds.
But if you were to sit down and really think about what it is about this World Cup that isn’t producing any butterflies in the crowds, is it the one-sided, almost predictable, matches? Is it the absence of thrillers? Sure, we had a few upsets, but is it enough?
What does the World Cup need?
The World Cup right now needs to justify the format. There needs to be neck-and-neck competition and a reminder of why it used to be a hit among the crowds. Maybe England making a comeback from their sorry state would do it, and maybe South Africa disproving the “chokers” theory would. At this point, more than anything else, the World Cup needs to be entertaining.