Watching the sports news on TV last night left me with a bad taste in my mouth. The item about Australia’s latest cricket victory made no mention of the murder of Pakistan’s coach in the West Indies last week. Of course, why should it, when the World Cup goes on…
Yet as Ian Chappell argues, the murder has tainted the game. I felt tainted just watching it. I don’t think any of us should be watching it. As British sports journalist Mark Nicholas eloquently argues, only greed is letting the Cup go ahead.
It should be stopped, simple as that.
Why?
Is it going to bring Woolmer back? No. Is it going to help with the police investigations? I doubt it.
I think it’s terribly sad that Woolmer has been murdered. But what will depriving others of the genuine pleasure that cricket can bring achieve?
Cancelling the World Cup would deprive match-fixing of its oxygen, before it in turn strangles the game.
Here’s another article about the ‘fancy fixings’ style of betting which is so open to manipulation.
But gee, wouldn’t you have to be a mug to lay large amounts with these bookmakers. Talk about betting on a sure thing – to lose.
You are assuming – as are others – that the murder is related to match fixing. It could just as easily be a Pakistani cricket fan taking their disappointment far too far.
Yes it’s an assumption, but given the security in a hotel such as that, I doubt an ‘ordinary’ fan would get access to Woolmer in his room (let alone be able to travel to the World Cup in the first place.)
couldn’t agree with you less on shutting the cup down, whether just this go round or permanently.
assuming Woolmer’s death is a direct result of the betting game, then it should be cleaned up. if it has nothing to do with his murder, then clean it up anyway, cause we know it needs it.
suz: Well, again you assume it is an ordinary fan. Why not a Pakistani cricket administrator someone known to the hotel staff and Woolmer. We could go on like this all day, you know, and so far it has only been reasonable doubt. I guess that’s why we call for proof before we go off half-cocked.
If it is a direct result of the betting game, than shutting down means shutting down the entire game of cricket indefinitely with little to demonstrate that this will actually have any effect on the betting markets. I believe that that would be an absurdity. Threat of criminal sanction has had no effect on the bookies, why would forcing them to find something else to bet on have any?
Absolutely, it should be cancelled. Once, before media and money took over, it would have been.
That notwithstanding, the grounds for suspecting murder seem very slight.
The Munich Olympics continued in far more extreme circumstances (the guilty party was in no doubt for starters- and politically motivated).
What if Woolmer’s death was a robbery gone wrong? Or if it turns out the autopsy was botched and it was (rather fancifully) accidental/suicide/natural causes? If the cup is stopped because he died in unusual circumstances, then what does that say?
I say go ahead.
Tom
suz: Well, again you assume it is an ordinary fan. Why not a Pakistani cricket administrator someone known to the hotel staff and Woolmer.
You seem to have misunderstood me. I don’t assume it was an ordinary fan.
I’m an absolute cricket tragic, but agree the cup should be cancelled.
I also think the entire sub-continent should be excised from the game because they’re a bunch of dirty cheats.
Of course it should be cancelled, but it won’t. Far too much commercial interest at stake. Likewise the Oz tour to Zimbabwe later this year should be cancelled, but i cant see that happening either.
I also think the entire sub-continent should be excised from the game because they’re a bunch of dirty cheats.
Well that’s a bigoted generalisation if I ever heard one.
If I understand Nicholas’ argument correctly, he is saying no resolution of the Woolmer death will happen until after the World Cup for reasons of ‘greed.’ Quite an extraordinary allegation to make against the Jamaican police authorities — evidence? I like the bloke as a cricket commentator but that makes me doubt his judgement.
This is showbiz, folks! If I was playing a social game, I’d cancel it if someone’s dog got run over, but this is cricket’s biggest event.
The show must go on.
You’ve got to decide whether you want it cancelled as a mark of respect (hard to argue with that except to appeal to what Bob or his family would prefer) or to try to achieve something.
But even if it was betting related, what’s this going to achieve? They cancel all bets on this world cup, then back to business as usual. Even better business, because now anyone thinking of blowing the whistle will think again.
If suz’s assumption that match-fixing is behind all this, then here’s another reason not to cancel the World Cup: it means you haven’t created a precedent that might be exploited in future. Say some bookie’s got a heap of cash ridiing on a result, and wants to back out. Easy! Just kill someone involved in the tournament and watch as the whole things gets called off.
BBB
Apologies, it’s hard to insert a tongue in cheek icon.
Nicholas ought to volunteer to go home then, and not continue to commentate.
I was thinking the same thing Tony.
Hang about a minute, isn’t the latest that it actually wasn’t a murder?
This is the story that absolutely refuses to stop giving.
I’ll volunteer to have absolutely no interest in a sporting series with about 8 spectators.
Nicholas was busy waving across massive empty car-parks complaining about admin infrastructure. Things ain’t what they used ta be in the commentary box…
via collins, the ‘not-murder’ claims look like wishful thinking to me. Reading into this story it becomes aparent that the Jamaican police strongly believe he was murdered.
The ICC used to a gentlemans organisation. Then they saw the dollar signs and they were lost for ever. That and sledging…
(Also Cricket Australia should have some balls and say no to the tour of Zim).
Apologies, it’s hard to insert a tongue in cheek icon.
Sarcasm and satire often don’t carry well in pure text.
I love cricket. It is by far the most subtle challenging outdoor game ever devised, with more permutations (or is that combinations. I can never remember the distinction) on any one “play” than any other team sport in the world. But no-one but no-one is pointing out what I think is the 400 kg gorilla in the room. And that is that the match-fixing scandals and now, maybe, the murder of Bob Woolmer, can be directly traced to the fact that cricket is a now professional game where the players, the adminstrators and the custodians of the game are now highly paid professionals. After all, if you are a “professional”, then your whole ethos is to take the money for producing particular outcomes. So we blindly assume that all involved take the money in order to do their best to win. But the truth is that a professional is equally likely to take the money in order to lose. If that is what is going to pay better. Because once you are in it mainly for the $$$, then you probably ain’t in it because it is a sublime expression of your skill and talent or because you overflow with national pride.
Anyway. One thing about this world cup is for sure. Whoever wins will have won a meaningless and poisoned chalice….
Cheers…
I’m not so sure on the match-fixing angle. For one, people who run betting scams are calculating fellows, who know about odds and risk. Strangling a highly respected and well loved coach of a major cricket team on a Sunday morning in a packed, modern hotel in the midst of a major sporting event is a mighty risky venture and I don’t like whoever did its chances of getting away with it.
No, this is clearly the work of Shane’s mum.
I think there is too much uncertainty to take any step such as stopping the show.
We know that Bob Woolmer is dead and that the autopsy indicated murder. Mention was made of marks on his kneck.
We know that there were no signs of forced entry, but this doesn’t mean that Woolmer knew his killer(s). He could have opened the door to someone posing in a false role, or even without thinking.
We know that illegal betting goes on, mainly it seems on minor specific events within a game (fancy fixing). It’s hard to see how that could ever be eradicated.
We know that Pakistan has a reputation for erratic performances, especially away from home. And cricket is a funny game. It was not all that long ago when the mighty Australians were beaten by Bangla Desh.
But we can’t join up the dots.
I did hear on ABC radio that the Jamaican police wanted the Pakistanis to stay, but political pressure was brought to bear to let them go.
I did hear an interview with Woolmer where he spoke of stepping down from coaching at the top level. I’m almost certain it was before the loss to Ireland.
There’s also the possibility that a few of the Irish could play a bit, including their captain who has a very Australian accent.
If the tournament was stopped I’d feel for the not so rich people involved in the venues and the hospitality industry.
But there is no doubt the tournament has been marred and I respect your feelings about it.
Miss Marple would look out for any vampires in the vicinity!
Now that’s a match-up I want to see!
“Well that’s a bigoted generalisation if I ever heard one.
Apologies, it’s hard to insert a tongue in cheek icon.”
Absolutely correct, anyone with even a passing interest in the game would recognise Pakistan and India are the “THE ROLE MODELS IN ETHICS AND HONESTY” in the game…I am shocked that someone could even suggest there are dubious things going on over there in the Sub-cont.