The timing of the tri-series in WI is not right

Australia beat the hosts West Indies in the eighth match to claim a place in the finals of the tri-series. The ninth match of the series will be a do-or-die for West Indies and South Africa. The winner will meet Australia in the finals on Sunday.

So far, the tri-series in West Indies has been worth watching. In an era, when a group of people is pessimistic about the existence of the 50-over format, this series has lived up to the expectations and kept on conveying the message that the future of 50-over format is still secured. There is still life in this format which is largely responsible to keep cricket alive.

The tri-series has offered some exciting matches to remember and the story has not been all the about ball-bashing only. Fans could enjoy some high quality bowling display. The Australian pacers unleashed the reverse swing while the South African and West Indian fast bowlers’ li vely pace and nagging-and-incisive line-and-length were a treat to watch. Meanwhile, the spinners also enjoyed a lot and grabbed plenty of wickets. The tracks tested the technique and temperament of the batsmen and thus, most of the contests were simmering like the 80s and 90s.

But sadly, such an exciting tournament failed to generate enough excitement among the fans. Perhaps, the timing of the series was not the ideal one. When mega events like Copa America and Euro are going on, it’s obvious that cricket will be overshadowed. This tri-series should have been in action either in March, April or May. In fact, in the mid 80s and 90s, most of the tri-series were held during March and April and we all know, how stupendous such tournaments were!

Above all, the Caribbean cricket season used to kick off during March and April and the Calypso beat kept the world moving for almost two months.

But time has changed. These days, March, April and May are booked by the cash-rich Twenty20 Leagues, where cricket gets sold, but pathetically fails to provide the same amount of pleasure like a Sharjah Cup, World Series Cricket or the tri-nation tournaments which used to enrich the game once upon a time.

Had this tri-series been held in March or April, it surely would have created a huge buzz. For the existence of the 50-over format, such tri-series are needed more and there is no need to prolong those Twnety20 Leagues which only delivers shame.

Note: this article is published at Wr8sports on 23/06/2016 The timing of the tri-series in WI is not right

Thank You

Faisal Caesar