NEW DELHI, India, Dangling the threat of heavy fines before international cricketers ‘works wonders for their stamina — at Jeast this seems to be the message from the opening World Cup contests.
Indegjit Singh Bindra, the tournament convenor, agrees. “The first few matches have proved that when you have the will to bow! 50 overs, it can be done,” he said.
It was one of the organizers’ main concerns that with barely 10 hours of good daylight available each day, fitting in 50overaside matches might be difficult.
This concern was not misplaced on the evidence of experience. Only four times in one day internationals in India and Pakistan before the World Cup had 50 overs been completed in the first innings.
So the organizers confronted the teams with the prospect of heavy fines ranging from 1,000 sterling (1,600 dollars) for bowling one over too few in preliminary matches to as much as 4.200 sterling (7,360 dollars) per over in the final.
The fact that the organizers have collected no money speaks for the success of the arrangement, and for the reserves of energy that have suddenly become available to bowlers where before the World Cup they were often mysteriously absent.
“They have even been completing their overs with time to spare”, said Bindra, “It is very encouraging how smoothly the tournament has gone so far”.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 23, 1987
