Top 5: Ways to improve the Cricket World Cup

I'd like to make one thing clear right now: The Cricket World Cup has been pretty great so far.  There have been some great games, close games and upsets. 

After an Australian summer of Test Cricket with a disinterested opponent, some meaningless ODIs and the empty-big hits of the Big Bash, it has been a real (local) success at least.

Now that has been said, there are obvious ways to improve it, improve the image of ODI cricket and bring more people to the sport (as players and spectators).

Here are my Top 5:

5. More games
This may seem obvious, but while there is (at least) one game on every day, there could certainly be a lot more.  More games that are more accessible will bring in more fans.

Australia, one of the host countries, played Saturday night against New Zealand in what was  its first game since the 14th of February (two weeks).  In defence of the organisers, one game was washed out, but there is an existing precedent for teams to play an ODI every 2 to 3 days.  Why are fans being denied?  It is only dragging out the tournament & reducing interest in it.

This Monday there was no game at all played.

An empty MCG.  Normally only seen on Melbourne Football Club match days.

The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), arguably the best sports stadium in the most sports-mad city in the country, has a 21-day break between games.  Further, the MCG is the only ground in the State of Victoria that is hosting games. 

The last time the World Cup was in Australia there were regional games held throughout Victoria that created interest in the game and brought international games to regional areas.  It was a win-win.

There are many people sitting around wanting to go to games, not least those in Queensland, but there is simply no option to go.

4. More teams
This follows on from the previous point, particularly if the ICC want to ensure that the competition goes for 6 weeks.

Some of the best games of the tournament so far have involved the non-Test playing teams (disparingly referred to as 'minnows'), including; Ireland upsetting the West Indies, war-torn Afghanistan winning their first ever World Cup game (against Scotland), Ireland beating the UAE in a nail-biter, Zimbabwe pipping the UAE, and England being smashed by everyone.

These games may not have shown the best talent in the world, but they have been played with passion by players who wan't to do well.  Similarly, cricket fans want them to do well, the players are representing the sport they love.

By creating more games with more teams, the competition will attract more fans.   There are only 14 teams playing in this World Cup, and there are several more that could be there including; Kenya, Holland and Hong Kong.

Some may scoff at the attractiveness of Holland v Kenya as an event, but given that some of the best games have involved the 'minnows' & there is genuine interest in the tournament, all games become relevant.

3. Change the opening ceremony
This goes without saying, but the opening ceremony to the World Cup was really terrible. Really.

Little wonder it wasn't promoted, it was reminiscent of a Rock Eisteddfod or other similar poor presentation.  Darryl Braithwaite played and without taking anything away from the creator of 'Horses', I last saw him play at the Melbourne Show.

I also saw this.  It was better.

The World Cup Captains all had to walk through picnickers along tarpaulin onto the stage while being stalked by bizarre dancers.  It was weird and uncomfortable.  Also, it didn't precede a game.  It was a stand alone night of nothing that meant nothing and just left everyone confused and a little embarrassed. 

2. Get rid of fielding restrictions
When Australia first hit 400 runs in an ODI match (back in 2006), I thought the world was about to end as a score that big was surely a sign of the apocolypse.

Since then, scores of 400+ have become a regular feature in this World Cup, reducing the level of competition between bat and ball and the contest overall.  A 6-hitting competition maybe adequate for T20 games as they only last a few hours, but 8 hours of it gets very tiresome.

And his team just hit 300+

My first thought around evening up the competition was to remove boundary scores and simply make batsmen run 4s and 6s (balls hit into the crowd would also increase spectator interest if they were suddenly part of the game), though this would be difficult to police.

The most obvious other approach would be to get rid of the fielding restrictions in ODI games, as well as the 'power plays'.  Batsmen don't need any help any more.

1. Improve the telecast
Again, fans will only go to or tune into something that is interesting.  For this World Cup, Australian fans have only had Australian games broadcast on free-to-air television.  All of the other games are only available on Pay TV. 

If administrators are serious about making the event something that attracts fans, make it accessible to them and put it on TV.