Greed threatens to make long-winded World Cup a tedious tournament
 

Greed threatens to make long-winded World Cup a tedious tournament - Telegraph

Thoughts ?

Yeah I read this......I do believe the author has a point.....most of the league games really do lack any excitement because the groups are so big and more than half of them will go through

I like that we have quarterfinals, so I can't make an unbiased comment on this. I do think World Cups could be scheduled better with 2 concurrent matches every day in the league phase, which the terms of TV rights sale by the ICC don't seem to allow for. The '96 WC was the first one I followed with any seriousness, and part of the festive charm was the concept of being able to switch over to watching another match if one wasn't interesting enough.

The group stages have the potential for tedium, but at least the rest of the tournament follows a knockout format, rather than the mind numbing boredom of the "Super Eights".

Plus, I like the fact that the associates who have qualified get 6 games. Makes the competition far more worthwhile for them, and gets their players a bit of exposure.

True enough, but given the group stages amount to 42 games and the KOs only 7, I really don't like those filler/meaningful games odds one bit.

Agree with the part about WC1996. It was great fun to watch 2 games at a time. Any time you are bored check on the other match.

About the league stages being long, I do not care as I think that gives slow starters like India a chance to play themselves in. Wouldn't want a cold start meaning the end of the world cup.

It seems like it's just a big warm up for the quarter finals tbh. Hopefully Zimbabwe and Bangladesh step up and make the race to the quarters an interesting one.

Yeah, I'd love a nation from outside of the "big 8" to qualify for the quarters but just can't see it. Even if (say) Bangladesh knock over (say) England and the two other minnows there's a sporting chance that they could still go out on RR if England beat one of the other proper test nations and the minnows.

Hope it'll be a better tournament than 2007 but if it is I think it'll be in spite of the format rather than because of it.

I love cricket, holding it close as I do to my bossom.

However, having been through the schedule, I will only be watching 14 of the 42 pool games.

It's meant to be cricket's showpiece, but only one-third of the games are worth a look.

I would put good money on Bangladesh making it, especially as they're playing in conditions they're used to.

Zimbabwe are too e to do much though IMO.

How many more matches are played in this world cup as compared to previous ones?

This

What are those 14 matches?

test nations playing against each other

The Super six would have been better for my liking,but then the groups would have to be shortened and there would be more room for one bad game and your out.