Less glamour, more competition

It seems premature for current and former internationals to be pushing for cricket at the Olympics when the ninth-ranked side in the world wouldn't beat a good Australian club side.

Bangladesh are currently a poor team and the most disturbing aspect is the rapid deterioration of their standard. In 2005, they beat a strong Australian side in England and then seriously challenged them later in the tournament. At the 2007 World Cup they defeated India and South Africa to reach the Super Eights. However, their recent form suggests they have as much chance of beating a major side away from home as George Bush has of becoming Iraq's next President.

Bangladesh's slide into mediocrity highlights the ICC's glaring error of judgment in prematurely elevating them to a level way beyond their capacity. The constant thrashings are now gnawing away at the players' confidence and could easily lead to a freefall into oblivion.

To put their ineptitude into context: Sri Lanka won the World Cup 21 years after they played in their first tournament, while it is now 22 years since Bangladesh played their first ODI, in 1986. Bangladesh's inability to make progress on anywhere near the same scale as Sri Lanka did brings into sharp focus the way young cricketers are now being developed.

Currently there aren't enough good players in some of the major teams, let alone the developing sides. Australia, India, South Africa, Sri Lanka and England all have sufficient depth to withstand a few injuries. Pakistan would normally be on the list but their future is uncertain because of political turmoil. New Zealand has an alarmingly small player pool to choose from, and West Indies hasn't shown any signs of real improvement for almost a decade.

Ever since Australia appointed a coach in the mid-1980s and their results gradually improved, other teams have behaved like women in a shop full of diamonds - they just have to have one. Trouble is, there are a hell of a lot more affordable diamonds than there are coaches qualified to produce even the slightest improvement in an international cricket team.

The manic desire to have an international coach and then blame him when things go awry, and to build academies on every street corner, has shifted focus from what really builds a strong cricket nation. A system that produces good, combative young cricketers and then challenges them at progressively tougher levels of competition is the best way to ensure players are properly prepared for international cricket. There are no shortcuts, no quick fixes, just hard work and a good learning environment.

The obscene haste to obtain an ICC vote for Bangladesh has seen the issue of player development neglected. Consequently the standard of international cricket has been diluted and there's no system in place to ensure accountability from teams like Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. With no threat of demotion if standards don't improve, and no suitable second-tier competition to monitor the progress of other prospective Full Member nations, it's unlikely the situation will improve.

Despite Bangladesh's current lowly playing status, ironically they have a huge asset. Their vote at the ICC is coveted. If the ICL were to sign a Bangladesh team for their competition it would create an enormous dilemma for traditional administrators. Would they be prepared to let a Bangladesh third-string side flounder for the sake of the precious vote or would they see sense and come to the negotiating table with the ICL? Any show of common sense would only be beneficial to the game. It could serve as the conduit to bring the ICL into the official fold so that the player pool is boosted and the overall international standard improved. Such an outcome would be worth suffering a bit of short-term pain.

However, the real issue is the long-term future of the game. Currently there's an excessive focus on glamour and glitz. The prospect of cricket's entry into the Olympics provides more proof that money is the prime motivator in the game. It's time for all sides to roll up their sleeves and concentrate on a few of the less glamorous aspects of cricket so that in future the game is entertaining and competitive.