After Preston Mommsen, the Scotland captain, Netherlands' Peter Borren has also lamented the lack of game time afforded to Associate nations © Getty
A recurring theme throughout the first round of the World T20 has been the call for more cricket. Preston Mommsen, the Scotland skipper, raised the question on Thursday. Peter Borren, the Netherlands skipper, was 'devastated' on Friday (March 11) in Dharamsala after his team got knocked out of the tournament after a washout.
Borren made a passionate plea once again on the need for Associate nations to get more chances at the international level. "For the Dutch team, we've got two more one-day games against Nepal in the World Cricket League and one more four-day game against Afghanistan. That is pretty much the schedule for the rest of the year. It's three more games this year, which is Associate cricket in a nutshell," he said.
While asking for more games, Borren also didn't shy away from the fact that they were here in the first place because of an eight-run loss to Bangladesh.
"We move our attention to two days time, to the visit of Nepal and Afghanistan later in the summer. We've worked very hard to get where we are now. I'm very proud of what we've done in the World Cricket League and the Intercontinental Cup but right now the feeling is absolutely devastated. It's just a cruel, cruel place to be. I guess I wish we could find those nine runs somewhere from the other night," he rued.
Borren had previously raised the issue of the tournament being another qualifying round, although it isn't officially called so. Part of the reason for having this round that sees two more teams get in is because of television revenue.
Teams from the Associate nations are not seen as box-office teams per se, and hence there is the urge to slim down the number of teams participating in the final round. But that doesn't help develop cricket in these countries, stressed Borren. He felt that the revenue sharing between countries should be a little more even.
"I will tell them we don't need that much," he laughed when pointed out that the reason for a skewed revenue sharing model proposed was that certain countries generate more profits than others. "We are not looking for millions and millions of dollars. Just a very small percentage of this huge amount.
"Obviously we are not going to probably be the source of much revenue, we understand that, but if the game wants to grow, then surely the revenue needs to be shared more evenly, not just amongst three, eight, ten teams but throughout the associates and affiliates as well."
"Hopefully, and it has been said over and over again. I can remember William Porterfield saying pretty similar stuff after the 2015 World Cup. People keep saying 'fair enough, fair enough' but there is no real change.
"That can be extremely frustrating. Real change would be welcomed in world of cricket. For example I watch Indian Tv, going through the channels, highlights of us beating England, so we think hang on everyone likes watching that, everyone likes watching new teams do well, you know give us the opportunity."
Borren did not blame ICC entirely for the situation they are in currently. "There are obviously some passionate people at the ICC who work really hard in an attempt to get us more cricket.
"The high performance programme and other programmes that they have done. The level of Associate Cricket has dramatically improved," he said and added, "I don't think it is those people who work hard. They do work hard for Associate Cricket. But maybe above them, there is a sort of malaise towards Associate cricket."
"To grow further in the game, we always hear it is not commercially viable. We can't afford to do our own bilateral series. It is very difficult for us. We then hear world cricket league has gone to a three-year cycle because it is not affordable otherwise. To be honest there is money somewhere.
"There is a lot of money in cricket. Just not really being spent on expanding the game. Although a bit is being spent, the revenue should be spread more far out so that we have that opportunity to play, so that our young guys get that opportunity to become better cricketers, so that cricket can be spread throughout the world. To get people at home excited about cricket, we need to play more," he said.
Borren was a very disappointed man. He didn't hold back on making his thoughts heard but admitted that there was a lot of frustration. "I wish we had beaten Bangladesh the other night when we had the opportunity. I think it is obviously the main frustration right now," he said.
The comments made by the Netherlands skipper are not the first of these kind to be made and nor will it be the last, as so far their concerns have largely fallen on deaf ears.
The new changes made to ICC's scheduling and the decision to cut down the number of Associate nations playing in the World Cup and the World T20 (which is also in a four-year cycle now) does lend a sorry note to the state of affairs. But for now, Borren is making good with the smaller positives.
"We play about nine games in a year. And in two days that's one of them. It's a big game. We love playing against Ireland. We have a bit of success against them recently. Its always a good game of cricket. Hopefully we can put on a real show. I think they might also struggle to play tonight and it might be a free-flowing game.
Everyone can see what teams like Ireland and Holland are capable of. We have got that opportunity. I don't think it will be too tough to motivate the boys for that opportunity."
via- Cricbuzz
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