When I put together my stuff before the “Champions Trophy” semi-final at The Oval next Wednesday I will be packing an extra item. A pair of good quality ear plugs. At the England v Sri Lanka match yesterday I had my usual seat three rows back from the boundary at the Vauxhall end. I bought the debenture for this seat before the 2009 Ashes and have used in with pleasure for international matches ever since. The view of the play I like and I often meet the same people around me – which is convivial and fun. But for the “Champions Trophy” the seat has lost some of its charm. The view is still good but situated right in front of me is a huge loudspeaker. And throughout the long day this loudspeaker was blaring out hideous “music” at an unbearable volume. Now I am a bit deaf (probably a bit deafer after yesterday) but this affliction offered no respite - I could hear every blasted banal note of the racket and there was no escape. Let me stress this was not just in the break between innings or at other moments when there was no play. Oh no! At the end of every over on came the row. And at every drinks break. And when a wicket fell. Indeed whenever there was a brief moment of downtime from the cricket my ears were assaulted. You can get a feel for it from this brief video – imagine that every few minutes of a long, long day!
The “Champions Trophy” is an International Cricket Council (ICC) event. The ICC is one of the many governing bodies in sport that exercises rigid Orwellian control over events. So The Oval was transformed so that only the ICC’s sponsors' names were visible. Even the official name of the Ground (The “Kia Oval”) has to be discarded for this tournament. There are no brands nor names however innocuous (“Fred’s Burger Stall” for example) on display at all. Every hoarding has to be removed or covered up. Even the toss is sponsored – the “Pepsimax toss”. Some of the brands don't even have a significant presence in the UK – Reliance Commuications for example is an Indian communications company and Star Sports the broadcasting partner isn't here either. No matter - the ICC decrees that these brand names, and only these, will be on display at the ground and that is what happens.
Back to the noise. My guess is that The ICC, dominated as it is by the Board of Control of Cricket in India, takes its lead on all things from the Indian norm – and these days that means the Indian Premier League (IPL). The IPL, a Twenty20 event, is full of noise and razzmatazz. So that is the way the ICC thinks its tournaments should be as well. Drummers at the IPL? Better have drummers at the “Champions Trophy” too.
The cricket yesterday was of high quality and absorbing throughout. There was no need at all to invade our senses with noise all the time. I realise that there is a risk of being a tad “Old Fartish” here and I accept that this was not a five-day Lord’s Test match. But it is a serious competition and the 50 Overs game is indisputably “proper” cricket. At its best (and that was yesterday) it offers something very special to the cricket fan. The hype and the noise were a distraction from the cricket and I deplore it.
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