Alviro Patterson wrote:Like it or not, it is about money because tournaments are not cheap to host and especially in a huge country like Australia. Say if the T20 Final got moved back to Monday and the ICC are forced to issue refunds approaching seven figures (emember 50k tickets already sold), chances are prize money would be slashed to recover the shortfall, *cue faux outrage that women are not getting equal prize money to men*
Could you blame women observers for questioning the ICCs commitment to women's cricket when they scheduled a marquee double header at a venue which turns into a rainforest in the month of March. When is the last time the Australian cricket board scheduled an international in Sydney in March?
1985.
If the reasons why Australia dont play cricket in Sydney after February dont instantly become obvious, then the fact all four matches scheduled in this tournament in its second week (or March) in Sydney were subject to terrible weather might illuminate it. Two called off without a ball bowled, a third called off with no run chase taking place, and a fourth only 9 minutes from being called off. South Africa got a point for their washout, it knocked out England because their game was washed out. Thailand scored the highest women's T20 score made in a match in Sydney, then the rain came and they now no longer qualify for the 2022 tournament automatically because they were unable to defend it.
How does this look for the sport? Of course, I doubt the ICC care because they made some money. Not that the reputation hit will lead to less of it in the future, none of these people can see past tomorrow with their decision making. But its a sham still. It makes the sport look incompetent, and no short term profit can make that up. As a fan, I am now left wondering if I can fully invest in the T20 World Men's cup knowing this sham can replayed with no reserve days. I certainly wouldnt make plans to go to a tournament again, knowing the ICC would put their bottom line over my interests. Could you imagine traveling to watch the semi at massive cost, and being served up that? I'd never pay to watch a match again.
The ICC's opinion was that scheduling was too tight to make this tournament more than two weeks. The men play more than the women, so why is their tournament over double the length and double the matches when they have less time? This is pretty much saying the women arent worth the extra time and effort, which is a puzzling conclusion to make. They had the time to get this right and slot in the right tolerance for the weather, added to everything its absence is telling.
Im not obliged to give a sport my time, and you are perfectly entitled to make whatever decisions you want, as am I. But I wont be investing my time in sports that are so badly administered, it renders marquee tournaments a joke.