Big prize money on offer in Dhaka (14 October 1998)

14 October 1998

Big prize money on offer in Dhaka

By Elmo Rodrigopulle

Big prize money is on offer to all the participating teams in the Mini World Cup tournament to be held in Bangladesh, Dhaka from October 24 to November 1.

The winners will receive a staggering 100,000 dollars from a total prize money of 400,000 dollars while the runner-up will carry away 60,000 dollars.

The two losing semi-finalists will net 30,000 dollars, while teams winning a quarter-final will pocket 20,000 dollars. New Zealand and Zimbabwe who play the only pre-quarter final will take away 20,000 dollars. All teams will be paid 15,000 dollars participating money and 5,000 dollars has been put aside for eight man-of-the-match awards.

This is big money and all the teams will be determined to win and take away the prize money.

Today cricket is such a highly commercialised game that it is worth playing it. But playing it alone is not the bottom line. Performance and consistency is what matters and if one is to stay in the big income earning bracket then one must perform at peak.

When big prize money is being spoken about, a name that readily comes to mind who gave the cricketers a better and lucrative world to ply their business is that of Australian business tycoon Kerry Packer.

Cricketers before Packer upset the establishment, were earning measly sums. However well an individual or the team performed the money was not worth it. But when Packer took strike, he did so for the betterment of the player and today cricket is worth a game indulging in.

Cricketers today earn a good packet. There are contract payments, money to be earned from advertising, man-of-the-match awards, match winning money, money to be won by playing for foreign clubs and counties and much, much more.

That is one reason why every parent in the country is keen to see that their sons take to the game and become a Ranatunga, Aravinda de Silva or a Sanath Jayasuriya.

Back to the mini-world cup in Dhaka and this will be a forerunner to the mega event to be held in England next May. The conditions in Bangladesh and England are different. While the conditions in Bangladesh will be similar to those prevailing in Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan, conditions in England will be cold.

As for the reigning World Cup champions Sri Lanka, this will be the tournament that will get them on the rails to face up to the big event in England. From the 17-member pool that is in training, the selectors will pick the best combination of 14 and probably this 14 will carry Sri Lanka's WC challenge, unless another cricket of exceptional talent surfaces.

It will not be fair to expect our cricketers to win every match and tournament. Cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties. And we are sure those who think that Sri Lanka must always be on the victory podium will understand. But one thing is certain and that is that our cricketers will not lack for want of trying.

Zimbabwe turned the form book upside down when they shocked the Indians and beat them by 63 runs in Harare in a one-off Test. Zimbabwe are always a difficult team to beat in their back yards, as Sri Lanka realised when they toured there a few years back.

Under coach David Houghton and captain Alastair Campbell they are showing up well and if they continue in this form, who knows could be challenging to join the top bracket of Test playing nations soon.

As for India the saying goes that if Sachin Tendulkar fails then India buckles. This saying rang true with India losing. India will not be unduly worried, because they will argue that it is a one-off Test and that one game is not enough to judge the true potential of a team. That is sound reasoning and goes to challenge the validity of playing an odd Test match. At least three Tests could be a criterion.

In Pakistan Australia also gained a historic win when they beat Pakistan by innings in the first of three Tests in Rawalpindi. Pakistan cricket is at the moment in quicksand with the bribery and match fixing allegations still jolting their cricket establishment. The inquiry now on has gone to upset the rhythm of their play and if Australia's convincing victory is an indication then Mark Taylor's side can beat Pakistan in the Test series and emulate Richie Benaud's effort of the early sixties.

To the joker who thinks that Vaas had a back injury, staffers rang up to say that he is not only a joke to the cricketers, but a bigger one in the office as well, like the remaining one of the two Ronnies who give TV viewers a right royal laugh. Indeed, this side splitting character who has a habit of looking up and spitting on his own face, was sent all the way to South Africa to cover the Sri Lanka tour, but he was more conspicuous by his absence at matches. In fact, it was alleged that he was witnessing the games on TV and not from the grounds, taking his paltry readership for a ride.

And did he not go bumming for tickets for his pals from our cricketers and when rebuffed wrote piffling concocted tripe against our boys.

And was his sordid performance in South Africa, a reason for his being grounded?

As for Bill O'Reily, we met him on the '88 tour of Sri Lanka to Australia who was at that time doing a column for the 'Sydney Morning Herald'. That was long before his leg was amputated.

Source :: Daily News (https://www.lanka.net)