Comments on: Opinion: Off the grid http://nasirkhan.wordpress.com/2006/03/16/off-the-grid/ Just another Wordpress.com weblog Wed, 30 Dec 2009 13:35:56 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Nasir M. Khan http://nasirkhan.wordpress.com/2006/03/16/off-the-grid/#comment-47 Nasir M. Khan Thu, 23 Mar 2006 19:37:22 +0000 https://nasirkhan.wordpress.com/2006/03/16/off-the-grid/#comment-47 Japan may not be #2 in their region. I think Fiji may be #2. The problem is that Japan (population of 124 mil) has to compete with Cook Islands (population of 20K people) for ICC funds. That is fine if the world cup spot is at stake, you want to ensure that the best team gets to the world cup. But development overall should not be based on performance alone. ICC knows that, which is why they were coming into a very weak country, USA, with virtually no mainstream americans playing the game, with $9 mil 2 years back. But it seems that this display of common sense was only limited to US for the ICC, which is strange. Japan will surpass both Fiji and PNG eventually. These 2 countries have been playing cricket for a 100 years, and if they were seriously interested in the game, they would have done something by now. It seems that they are more interested in Rugby, which is fine. Japan may not be #2 in their region. I think Fiji may be #2. The problem is that Japan (population of 124 mil) has to compete with Cook Islands (population of 20K people) for ICC funds. That is fine if the world cup spot is at stake, you want to ensure that the best team gets to the world cup. But development overall should not be based on performance alone. ICC knows that, which is why they were coming into a very weak country, USA, with virtually no mainstream americans playing the game, with $9 mil 2 years back. But it seems that this display of common sense was only limited to US for the ICC, which is strange.

Japan will surpass both Fiji and PNG eventually. These 2 countries have been playing cricket for a 100 years, and if they were seriously interested in the game, they would have done something by now. It seems that they are more interested in Rugby, which is fine.

]]> By: Cuen Lucas http://nasirkhan.wordpress.com/2006/03/16/off-the-grid/#comment-46 Cuen Lucas Thu, 23 Mar 2006 00:11:07 +0000 https://nasirkhan.wordpress.com/2006/03/16/off-the-grid/#comment-46 There's no doubt that these countries are making great strides in the development of cricket and the ICC would get great returns on it's investment, but why no cash? The only pattern I can see is relatively weak, and if the ICC is thinking along thse lines I would be thoroughly disappointed. It seems that these countries are "out of the spotlight" on the intl. front. Japan are at best #2 in their region behind Papua New Guinea (Though frankly I see Japan as having more potential) Italy and Hellas find themselves competing for money with the likes of The Netherlands, Scotland, Ireland and Denmark, and even Turks and Caicos islands as you pointed out. Chile are still quite young, having only been on the cricketing scene for about 4 years, but it the eyes of the ICC are clearly looking mostly towards North America, even Argentina appears to have fallen by the wayside. And Malaysia are in the Asia development region where even if you take India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh out of the picture, you still have the likes of Nepal and China, so Malaysia have a lot to do in order to get extra investment from the ICC. There’s no doubt that these countries are making great strides in the development of cricket and the ICC would get great returns on it’s investment, but why no cash? The only pattern I can see is relatively weak, and if the ICC is thinking along thse lines I would be thoroughly disappointed.
It seems that these countries are “out of the spotlight” on the intl. front.

Japan are at best #2 in their region behind Papua New Guinea (Though frankly I see Japan as having more potential)

Italy and Hellas find themselves competing for money with the likes of The Netherlands, Scotland, Ireland and Denmark, and even Turks and Caicos islands as you pointed out.

Chile are still quite young, having only been on the cricketing scene for about 4 years, but it the eyes of the ICC are clearly looking mostly towards North America, even Argentina appears to have fallen by the wayside.

And Malaysia are in the Asia development region where even if you take India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh out of the picture, you still have
the likes of Nepal and China, so Malaysia have a lot to do in order to get extra investment from the ICC.

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