The recent ODI series saw a weakened England side beating a West Indies team that hadn't qualified for the Champions Trophy. The T20 series promised excitement with the West Indies' dynamic team facing an England squad boosted by the return of Jos Buttler and young talents like Jacob Bethell. Yet, it was marred by a fundamental administrative blunder: don't mess with match timings.
The 4pm start, aimed at accommodating UK TV audiences, backfired spectacularly. These timings disadvantaged the team batting first, as the afternoon sun dried out the pitch and evening dew made batting easier and bowling harder. No team won after losing the toss. Liam Livingstone even remarked he had never played in such drastically changing conditions within one match.
West Indies T20I captain Rovman Powell highlighted the issue from the start. After losing the first match, he stated, "The best case is for the games to start at 7pm. When we saw the 4pm start times, we knew it would be a problem." After winning the fourth match due to the toss, he reiterated, "Once you win the toss, you win the game. It's too skewed."
We understand that cricket bends to the broadcaster's will. This approach prioritizes viewers at home over those in the stadium. The ultimate example is Chevrolet's sponsorship of Manchester United from 2012 to 2019, despite not selling cars in the UK. The argument is that this brings in money, but it's short-sighted. If viewers see empty stands, the TV product loses value, and eventually, both the audience on the ground and at home diminish.
Manipulating start times compromises the integrity of the sport. In every T20I match, stands started empty and filled up as matches progressed into times when they should have originally begun. By the end of Saturday's match at Kensington Oval, the atmosphere was superb. Even in sparsely attended games, the atmosphere improved as matches progressed.
Cricket is genuinely enjoyed in the Caribbean. Schedule matches at times when locals can attend, and stop playing anthems like "Sweet Caroline" that don't resonate with the local culture. If it fails, fine. But give it a chance.
One match seemed immune to the toss factor. Ahead of the fifth T20I, Sherfane Rutherford suggested the pitch's quality would negate the toss advantage. Then it rained. Perfect.
The skewed nature of the contest hindered both teams' learning. The West Indies sought bowling depth but often defended inadequate totals. England, playing in favourable conditions, excelled. Saqib Mahmood was superb, Bethell lived up to the hype, Buttler was back in form, Salt shone, and Jamie Overton showed potential. However, when England bowled second, the West Indies reached 136 for one in nine overs.
At the end, England celebrated their T20 victory at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground as rain fell. Bethell held the cup, which, if you look closely, is engraved with "West Indies vs England T20 Series 2024: The Caveat Cup."
In conclusion, cricket administrators must prioritize ground realities over TV schedules to maintain the sport's integrity and appeal.
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