ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2009 - Columns

The next two years

Friday, April 10, 2009 10:39:08 AM

The Super Eight stage at this ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier will sort out the men from the boys. The top four go on to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 while the fifth and sixth places will hold ODI status for the next four years. 

Amid all of this pressure is the reality that qualification ensures more funding from the ICC. The top 10 countries all qualify for an annual US$350,000 high performance grant, while extra Cricket World Cup preparation grants provide fifth and sixth with another US$150,000 and first to fourth with another US$300,000 annually. 

But qualification is just a part of the story. The real challenge lies ahead with less than two years left to ensure that the top Associate teams are as well prepared as possible to take on and compete with the 10 Full Members at the next World Cup. Improving performance to narrow the gap with the top teams is the main priority of the ICC High Performance Programme (HPP). What can be done to achieve this priority? 

In the mainly amateur Associate world, there is no doubt that time is the enemy. Players currently give up family holidays, take leave without pay and in some cases even give up their day jobs to be able to train and play in pursuit of their dream. The added funding will help to ease some of this time constraint by allowing, in particular, the top four countries to professionalise a number of their squads so they have the best opportunity to improve. 
Not all players, but it is a start. 

To be competitive, all cricketers need to be challenged consistently at higher levels. Being able to understand and then cope with the increase in standard only comes from exposure to top opposition. The support of those countries higher up the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Championship table by including the best four Associates in their plans is critical. Of course, there will also be continued efforts to find higher standard opposition through linking with Full Member domestic first-class teams and competitions and a complete schedule of ICC Intercontinental Cup and Associate v Associate ODIs. 

In preparing and training to meet these challenges there are some factors which are fully in the Associates’ control and others which can be managed. All will be part of the HPP over the next two years. Already, plans are in place to deal with the controllables through engaging the best consultants to take on specific roles. 

Work has begun with the new ICC Global Cricket Academy to set benchmarks and to assess progress in both the physical conditioning and fielding areas. There is no excuse for these standards not to improve. 

Knowing the opposition and reviewing our own performances will be critical and SportsMechanics, from India, will continue to up-skill and provide services in match analysis. Using this information, bowlers will know exactly what to expect and where to bowl to their opposition batsmen but more importantly will work with specific skills and drills to ensure they can execute what they need to on the day. 

The less controllable, but still manageable, factors will also get plenty of attention to ensure we have done all possible to be competitive. 

The mental side of the game will get plenty of attention with the continued involvement of Jeremy Snape who, after working closely with the Associates prior to the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup, has been seen lately working with the successful South Africa team at international level and the Rajasthan Royals in Indian domestic cricket. 

Our ability to put good scores on the board is probably the most important of all the tasks over the next two years. Again, with the expert input of the ICC Global Cricket Academy, our Associate batsmen will have every chance to hone their technique and think more strategically about their batting through a series of elite batting camps. 

There is a big task ahead, but with all of the above well on the radar, we will have provided our top Associates with the very best chance to perform at the pinnacle of the one-day game when they arrive at the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup.