Tomorrow marks the day that no one in the cricket world has really been waiting for outside of India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. Even then, one of the countries is so bothered by the upcoming tournament that they’ve decided the showpiece stadium doesn’t even need to be finished.
We’re of course talking about the Cricket World Cup, played over the 50-over format that is so castigated by anyone who watches the game and is thought to be an unwanted distraction by those who play it. In the end though, it’s still a world cup and the winners will be recognized as the “World Champions” of cricket.
Anyone unfamiliar with the tournament should know that it consists of two groups of seven. Each has five full member and two associate members, among them Ireland, Canada, Kenya, and the Netherlands.
It might be true that most in those four countries didn’t know they had a cricket team but the entertainment value of Canada winning the Cricket World Cup might just be the sporting story of the century. Just get them into the mindset that it’s actually an ice hockey tournament and the nation will feel very let down if they lose. Then watch as they beat Australia on their way to claiming a victory over former colonial masters, England, in the final.
Back here in the real world it’s likely to be one of either India, Sri Lanka, or Australia that lift the trophy come April 2. It’s not so much of a lucky format at Twenty20 meaning that experience really can be valuable in this format of the game and that the Canadians and Dutch really do have little chance of winning it all.
