World Cup Diary: Music to the batsmen's ears (22 May 1999)
After the soggy-chips-on-damp-stony-beach essence of the opening ceremony, the World Cup finally ignited on the South Coast
22-May-1999
22 May 1999
World Cup Diary: Music to the batsmen's ears
The Electronic Telegraph
Saturday: Hove
After the soggy-chips-on-damp-stony-beach essence of the opening
ceremony, the World Cup finally ignited on the South Coast. Tickets
changed hands for £550 a pair outside the gates as Indian supporters
clamoured to see their saviour, Sachin Tendulkar, take on the
confident South Africans. Over £100 million of illegal bets had been
placed on the match in India.
The South Africans controlled the game with their fitness, teamwork
and scientific appreciation. I had a look at the tiny earpieces worn
by Hansie Cronje and Allan Donald to receive messages on the field
from their coach, and visualised how widespread their use could
become.
Not just for the coach to make tactical suggestions or wake up dozy
fielders wandering out of position. Batsmen could also have them
switched to a music channel to block out Glenn McGrath's sledging or
the Indian wicketkeeper's incessant appealing. If he'd still been
playing, Mike Brearley would have had it tuned to a Schubert symphony
instead of having to whistle it himself while batting.
Scientists in Pretoria are working on a miniature two-way device to
enable players to speak to the coach or even each other. This would
save a lot of time and effort. It could be used to congratulate or
commiserate with the bowler or tell him about the gorgeous blonde in
the fourth row without having to run all the way in from the boundary
to join the huddle. Those purists demanding better over-rates and
less rabbit on the field should campaign for their universal approval.
Monday: Chelmsford
Bangladesh, with 125 million people the second most populous
cricketing country, made their World Cup debut against the least
densely populated, New Zealand (three million). In spite of their
considerable human resources, and their esteemed coach Gordon
Greenidge, Bangladesh can't find an opening pair, and lost a wicket
third ball. It underlines their driver's assertion that before the
match they had been "crapping themselves".
They were soon 40 for four but their 1,500 supporters were in fine
voice, and banged anything they were allowed to bring in. Since many
were employees or owners of curry houses (95 per cent of the UK's Taj
Mahals and Raj Palaces are run by Bangladeshis), the most common
instrument was a pan and ladle.
Glasgow has 5,600 curry houses, the most in Britain. The Bangladeshi
support for their match in Scotland on Monday will be huge and
deafening. These will be infiltrated by a number of plain-clothes
police since the Bangladesh team have already received two bomb
threats.
Wednesday: Leicester
India took the field without Tendulkar, who was on his way home to
his father's funeral. Tendulkar wears the No 10 shirt so coveted by
other playmakers like France's Zinedine Zidane, though the Indian
willow prince chose it purely because it fits his name. As it happens
the match was turned on its head by a tenor.
Zambian-born Henry Olonga, Zimbabwe's first black player, preferred
sport to a place at the Royal College of Music ("My repertoire ranges
from Handel to Gilbert and Sullivan," he said). Apart from his
musicality and fast bowling, he is also a champion 100 metres
sprinter. He only needs to be offered the kingdom of Nkongsamba to
become a modern-day C B Fry. Come to think of it, he could be useful
supplying the sledging-blocking ditties in the batsmen's earpieces.
Olonga, a devout man who is rarely seen without the Bible, said he
felt before the match that he had "a date with destiny". His final
three-wicket over certainly seemed fuelled by some immortal force.
Not for the first time either. "In Pakistan everyone agreed he was as
quick as Shoaib Akhtar," his wicketkeeper, Andy Flower, said.
We won't ever know who is the fastest of them all at this World Cup,
because no sponsor would stump up £500,000 to install speed guns
everywhere. Still, If Shoaib bowls at 96mph and Olonga at 92, as has
been recorded, their balls, if released simultaneously, would arrive
at the batsman's end 0.02 sec apart, Shoaib's 33 inches ahead. If
you've ever wondered what is meant by "an extra yard of pace" now you
know.
Friday: Dublin
The wind-assisted waywardness of the West Indians pushed the World
Cup wide tally well into the 300s. Are mobile phones or laptops at
matches corrupting bowler's radars? I think red balls are to blame.
Those in use in World cricket have become so unpolishable they were
impossible to swing. But the heavily lacquered white ball bananas
round corners, forcing bowlers to rapidly reacquaint themselves with
a fragile art. It's one of life's minor mysteries that an out-
swinger directed outside off stump will curve away dramatically, but
one bowled at middle will veer stubbornly towards the leg side. The
white ball just exacerbates these perversions. And then the umpires
do their scarecrow impressions.
Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)