With 77 days to go for the World Cup 2023, there are 77 reasons why the ICC CWC launch promo is not impressive. Like always, it is meant to glorify India. Not that the mightiest and richest do not get that much share, but overtly projection makes it one-way traffic. The World Cup is a 12-nation event, but the scant depiction of two-time champions the West Indies and 1992 winners and the most colorful team, Pakistan, left a bad taste in the mouths.
You may think that opinions from Pakistan are biased, but the insouciance and ignorance were also noticed by someone as neutral as George Dobell, our famous and respected journalist from England. Dobell tweeted:
This, however… utter **. In the thrall of India and England. Mentions Pakistan (and West Indies, oddly) in passing and in terms of needing sympathy. Cricket deserves better.
Except for a celebratory clip of Shaheen Shah Afridi, all Pakistanis were shown with negative emotions. Of all the Pakistan batters, they found a clip of Mohammad Amir getting bowled, Shadab Khan hit for a six, Wahab Riaz has shown anguished, and a Pakistan fan distraught and disheartened!
It seems ICC and India have a specific aversion for Babar Azam. Babar was not included in the 2021 Twenty20 World Cup poster; totally blacked out. Pakistan did protest at that too but to no avail. Then in the next poster, Babar was way behind in the corner, all the other captains were facing the front part. This time too, there are no glimpses of Babar in the launch video. Babar has been the world’s number one ODI batter in the ICC rankings since April 14, 2021, and no white ball theme is complete without him.
Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan was a stand-out performer in the last World Cup, scoring 600 plus runs and taking 11 wickets — a unique allrounder show in England but he too doesn’t get recognition. Jofra Archer terrorized in a batter-dominating white ball cricket in 2019. He, too, was missing. What on earth JP Duminy (with all respect for him) and Dinesh Karthik (a better commentator than a cricketer now) were doing in the promo? Duminy was a flop in the 2019 World Cup, and so was Karthik.
With handsome money, expertise, footage, and resources at their disposal, the International Cricket Council was expected to do a better job. The same goes with the BCCI, the richest board in the world and the highest revenue generator for the game.
The main target of the “It Takes One Day” campaign was, as the ICC put it was “to connect the fans across the world to Navarasa which symbolizes the nine emotions fans most commonly experience during a cricket match. These are – anguish, bravery, glory, joy, passion, power, respect, and wonder.
Let’s begin with “glory,” as this is the ultimate feeling for a winner. The West Indies won the first two titles in 1975 and 1979 before they were upset by a masterly India four years later. Australia won the first of its five titles in 1987, followed by Pakistan (1992), Sri Lanka (1996), and Australia (1999, 2003, and 2007). India won their second title in 2011, followed by Australia (2015) and the maiden title by England in 2019.
It would have taken 24 seconds to show all the 12 captains holding the trophy under the title, “glory.”
“Anguish” cannot be captured in a more complete way than showing the disgruntled, on his haunches, remorseful pictures of Alan Donald when he and Lance Klusener messed up the winning single in the semi-final against Australia. The resulting tie helped Australia sneak into the final. Conversely, the theme of “joy” was evident in all 11 Australian players in one picture.
Kane Williamson and his New Zealand side epitomized bravery when they lost the final of 2019 World Cup in the Super Over and that too on a boundary count. Still, Williamson said: “Perhaps it wasn’t meant to be.” The “Passion” theme was best encapsulated by the colorful crowds of the West Indies, dancing and singing without a halt.
The theme of “Respect” could have been captured by England players consoling Kane Willaimson’s men after the 2019 final. If you go back to the 1987 World Cup, West Indian pacer Courtney Walsh not running out Pakistan’s Abdul Qadir as he backed up too far was respect for the spirit of the game as well as for the opponent. Not running out, Qadir cost West Indies the match!
In the end, Bollywood King Shah Rukh Khan’s presence added some charm and value to the whole picture. But as one famous Khan’s dialogue goes: “picture abhi baaqi hay meray dost (The movie is still on (not over yet) my friend’.
One hopes the ICC and BCCI come up with better all-representing videos and posters before the real action starts.
