Time for a Test Match World Cup?

Ivo Tennant's enjoyable account of the life and times of Imran Khan just published hardly mentions ball-tampering, although that is now the only topic anybody wishes to discuss with the distinguished Daily Telegraph contributor from Pakistan. On television this week Imran rightly stated that it is time the ICC should define what actually is ball-tampering and what is not. It seems, therefore, a great pity that his inside views on the matter should be lost to the collective wisdom of the ICC in that he has resigned from it. Tennant's tome should have inspired more comment and reminiscence from those not interested in seam lifting. It was good to be reminded of Pakistan's extraordinary achievement of coming up on the rails to snatch the 1992 World Cup after dismal early rounds. A nine-wicket defeat by the West Indies was followed by a win over outsiders Zimbabwe and dismissal by England for 74, the feeblest total by a Test-playing nation in any of the five World Cups. Rain prevented England completing what would have been a stroll to victory. India and South Africa both then overcame Imran's forces and the Pakistanis were staring an early and unwelcome reception at Karachi airport in the face. Imran, who had been handicapped to this point by a serious shoulder injury, never wavered. In a famous dressing-room tirade he urged his troops to fight like cornered tigers and they proceeded to overcome the co-hosts, Australia, Sri Lanka and New Zealand, who boasted a 100 per cent record with seven wins out of seven until encountering an inspired Pakistan. They thus scraped into the semi-finals where their opponents were once again New Zealand in New Zealand. In one of the most dramatic of the 1992 matches, Imran's tigers roared to a spectacular win built around the explosive talents of Inzamam-ul-Haq whose 60 in 37 balls changed a lost cause into a victory charge. They now met perennial World Cup bridesmaids England for a second time, and in a contest I well remember watching until 5am in the sauna-like conditions of a screening room on the University of Los Angeles campus with one fellow Brit and 250 of Imran's ecstatic countrymen, made no mistake. Some said the bizarre rules of the competition, which seemed to have been drawn up under the assumption that it never rained in the Southern Hemisphere, had given Pakistan an undeserved second life, but even ignoring the fact that England too benefited from wacky weather decisions when they beat South Africa in the semi-final (South Africa's target being revised from 22 runs in 13 balls to 21 in one), there is no doubt that Imran's side were worthy winners. "I knew that God was on our side," said Imran in a manner reminiscent of Whitney Houston receiving her ninth Grammy award. Far be it from me to query the motives of the Almighty, who is a fan of both I Will Always Love You and the majestic skills of Imran's side, but while emphasising my belief that Pakistan thoroughly merited their World Cup there is still the nagging feeling that in this great one-day competition there is too great an element of chance in the mix. Bring on the Test Match World Cup. This surely cannot be beyond the wit and wisdom of the ICC. There are nine Test-playing nations and to reduce nine to four semi-finalists would clearly be impractical via the host of first-round matches that are possible in the one-day game. The Coopers and Lybrand international ratings must come into play -a practical use for them at last. At a date agreed well in advance the teams ranked No 8 and 9 in the ratings, currently Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, play for the last slot in the quarter-finals. The competition proper could easily be concluded in one country within a month, with only three rounds necessary, or four with a third-place match. All David Richards and his team have to work out is what to do when it rains. Talking of Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, I echo M C J Nicholas's heartfelt plea that the TCCB's decision to play six home Tests against the West Indies in 1995, as opposed to five plus one against a so-called minnow, is a disgrace. What on earth is the point of these new Test-playing nations being brought into the fraternity and then being denied the encouragement and hospitality of the oldest? Here is an opportunity for MCC, the game's international missionaries, to challenge Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe with the strongest possible English-based teams. After all they have the ground and the players' phone numbers. Do I have a vision of Gower back in a first-class mode at Lord's?

(Thanks : The Daily Telegraph)