Call it 'Mismatch' but not 'Minnows', says GCC to commentators

Sydney, Mar 21 (UNI) Cricket commentators have been warned by ICC rights holders Global Cricket Corp (GCC) not to question the worth of the weaker nations playing in the World Cup in the Caribbean.

GCC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Newscorp and the commercial rights holder (sponsorship and broadcast) for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007, is understood to have frowned on the television commentators' denigrating the whiping boys of international cricket and terming the weaker nations as 'minnows'.

However, commentators can get away by calling the event or encounter a mismatch but not to say some of the nations do not deserve to be in the tournament, according to 'The Australian.

With this warning, minnow nations have become a protected species in the World Cup.

GCC is responsible for contracting broadcast and commercial partners for this WC, including international sponsors.

Meanwhile, debate rages on with some commentators happy to abide by the directive as they feel the minnows are a necessary part of global expansion.

Others, who feel the tournament has been devalued by their presence, would rather speak their mind although rank outsiders Ireland surprised the cricketing fraternity by shocking Pakistan and managing a tie against Zimbabwe. And though Bangladesh are no 'minnows', they certainly were not considered potential threats before they beat the formidable Indians.

The minnow nations have been a mixture of the good (Ireland), the bad (Scotland) and the downright ugly (The Netherlands and Bermuda).

Games such as India versus Bermuda and South Africa versus The Netherlands have been cringing mismatches.

ICC high performance manager for the developing nations Richard Done concedes it has been a mixed bag but with enough positives to warrant the inclusion of the six novice teams.

''Our statistics say that they are improving,'' Done said.

''We are trying to bridge the gap as much as we can,''he said.

UNI