AllOut!

[NYC-Kaiser]

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AllOut!
9.17.04

No surprises! That not only is a great radio head song, but also a great way to lead into my AllOut! For this week.

-The no surprise is in regards to the first 9 games of the ICC Champs Trophy. Honestly, the first nine were al predictable. As for those who think NZ is ranked 2 in ODI’s, I think you might have hard time convincing people.

-The Aussie Kiwi match has been the most anticipated game yet, with some out there thinking NZ would pull off a shocker that never happened- we now look to tomorrow, and what I think will a much more competitive match. Sri Lanka plays the hosts, England. Will it be a close match, especially with England wishing their ODI squad playing not up to form of late? Well let me say I hope so, because I have them winning in the all-important BigCricket prediction challenge.

-This perfectly brings me into my next comment- the BigCricket ICC Champions Trophy Challenge. If England wins tomorrow, I move into a tie for first place. Am I being foolish to think England will pull off the win in front of their fans?

-Hey USA cricket we hardly knew ya! Seriously, I was happy to see USA included in the tourney, but class level between teams in this tourney show some major problems. It reminds me of the recent Rugby world cup, where it seemed like only the last 7 games were of any relevance.

These minnow countries need to keep playing though if they ever plan to get better. Something I suggest, without even one second of a thought if it is financially feasible, is why not have all these minnow teams play in a tourney similar to this one twice a year? One of the tournaments could be 50 overs, while the other is Twenty/20 format? Heck, start off the first year or two with just the Twenty/20 format and maybe even a little money could be made.

-Going back to the easy victory the Aussies had over NZ makes me wonder if there is any chance of game three of their ODI series later this year at the gabba will have any significance. Before you say where the heck this comment is coming from let me tell you a famous internet cricket columnist has ticket to that very match------, ok maybe not famous, it’s me. just for sh**s and giggles, if I applied for a press pass for myself/BigCricket, what are the chances of me getting one?

-Over at cricinfo, there is an interview on Gary Hopkins, the new savior/chief executive of USA cricket. What really caught my attention, and surprised Tony Munro didn’t press further on, is when Mr. Hopkins replied to the question of what is his immediate focus- Right now, it's finding suitable venues. The first week I visited 10-12 locations .... and I'm very heartened by what I've seen. With a bit of understanding and a bit of creativity we can create a true cricket environment.”
I would love to know which venues he thinks are cricket worthy- are these baseball stadiums, football stadiums, soccer stadiums?

-So that’s all for now, hopefully next time my column appears I will be able to say I have first place, go England!
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read this and the archives at www.bigcricket.com , comments always welcome!

[NYC-Kaiser]

here's my latest column, mostly on usa cricket but also mentions the news regarding the second tier teams and their 'ODI' status, enjoy

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click the link too, give me the shameless 'hits' and too see the logo, opinions always welcome.
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http://bigcricket.com/
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Old Glory or Old Geezers
http://www.1sangha.com/oldglorycricket1.gif
A recent thread at USCricket.com stated a need for a nickname for the USA cricket team. i professed the silliness of such a 'need', and then of course sat long and hard (ten minutes) and came up with the idea of Old Glory. The name has the perfect blend of sweet comedy, rich history, and a splash of cheesy-ness.

Comedy is the play on the fact that the team's average age is 40+, the oldest in the history of ODI's. Rich History is the term 'old glory' is a name for the American Flag, first was "coined by Captain William Driver, a shipmaster of Salem, Massachusetts, in 1831. As he was leaving on one of his many voyages aboard the brig CHARLES DOGGETT - and this one would climax with the rescue of the mutineers of the BOUNTY - some friends presented him with a beautiful flag of twenty four stars. As the banner opened to the ocean breeze for the first time, he exclaimed "Old Glory!". The Splash of cheesy-ness is of course me taking the time to come up with one. Ha! i can just see it now, Cricinfo, BBC, Cricket365 and all the other sites referring them as the Old Glory... or not.

Stats Don't Lie

Stats don't lie, but women who I bought a drink at the pub and then promises to return in a moment but doesn't, does lie. Anyway, as for the stats- two practice matches down, two loses.

Captain Oh Captain

USA Captain Richard Staple went for ducks in the first two practice matches. Not good for the team leader. Hopefully since these were just warm-up matches, he will get his kinks out before the real matches start. His words seem to be speaking louder than his actions, with him recently taking a jab at Aussie captain Ricky Ponting after his remarks on the old age and terrible play USA had last year. Too bad his big comments were not followed up with some big cricket playing.

Exciting Times

It was announced that the ICC decided to make the upcoming tournament not just qualifiers for the WC, but also the top five teams plus Kenya " will be able to play full one-day internationals against each other, or any of the Full Members..." as reported by Martin Williamson here. this is great news as the tournament in Ireland now has a lasting impact, well beyond the World Cup. Hopefully with this new status, and the money that comes with it, there will be some genuine and frequent competitions for these second tier countries.

USA Schedule

ok, the key matches for USA are, well all of the matches. they open July 1st vs UAE, then 2nd vs Denmark, 4th of July (a super-must win for the Old Glory) vs Uganda, 5th vs Ireland, and close out the opening round vs Bermuda on the 7th. SO in a matter of 7 days will decide basically the future of American cricket for the next 4 years. A win on day one i think will be a huge boost for the Old Glory as UAE is a tourny favorite.

Twenty20 + ProCricket USA=?

well, it equals nothing, at least for 2005 it seems. No mention of the upcoming season, and since it is already 2 days from july, I'd say its safe to say there will be no 'pro' (pro being used very loosely) cricket this year domestically here. All well, i guess i will settle for the ICC Trophy, the NatWest Series and Challenge, the Ashes and the Twenty20 English domestic competitions. not too bad i guess after all (but come'on, am i the only one who wanted to see the NY Sixers take the field this year?).

The Winner?

no not for the ICC Trophy, but for best website coverage of the tournament? Odds out favorite would be www.ICCTrophy2005.org but are there any other sites that are expected to give good coverage?

My Predictions?

Honestly, my predictions don't matter, but what does and will be exciting is to see USA qualify for many reasons. First you have a team in the WC but with no voice at the ICC meetings, and no board that is officially recognized by the ICC. If they do make it to the WC and gain that new ODI type status, what happens to the money thats suppose to come with it since the ICC put a hold on money given to USA until the warring sides results in a winner (with no end in sight since one side is taking the other to New York court).

Also, if Old Glory make it, will the same players who qualify for the WC still be on the team that actually plays in it? Not likely if the 'rebel' group gains control of the board.

Finally, if USA gets this new status and the right to hold ODI's, where will they actually play the games in this country? Where's our version of Lords, or the MCG? What's the status of the great stadium that's suppose to be built in Fort Lauderdale?

Thats it, i'm AllOut!

[jagx00]

Good stuff. US cricket needs all the help and coverage it can get.

I spy a chance for shameless promotion here, so I'll refer to the cricket column at http://www.onoffswitch.com/

It isn't supposed to be taken too seriously.

[- PC -]

Nice read Kaiser... I would have thought 20/20 would have been an excellent fit for the US market and mindset. Someone needs to address the ICC and sort this out.