What Does The ICC Gain By Such Schedules?

Well, these days the jobless ICC is looking each and every method possible to make the game of cricket as boring as it can be. If not, how can one bring up and further implement the idea of having a tri series wherein, the three nations involved play just one match against each other, before advancing to the finals of the same. On one hand, the ICC has made a triangular series rare, by converting the even the periodic tri nation tournaments such as the Commonwealth Bank series (that used to be played in Australia in December every year) and the Nat West series (that is played in England every year) into bi lateral series and whenever it thinks of having a tri series, in addition to having teams like Bangladesh and Zimbabwe participating, the teams out there play each other just once-as I mentioned earlier.

This is not the first instance wherein the ICC has had such boring and inconsequential tournaments. Last year, just before the Asia cup, there was a tri series involving India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, where the teams played each other just once. Months later, a series between Bermuda, Canada and West Indies was also scheduled in the same manner. In 2004, a tri series at Holland was held, wherin, exactly, the three teams-India, Australia and Pakistan played each other just once, with two out of the three round robin games being washed out due to rain and the remaining one (India vs Pakistan) was cut short to 32 overs a side.

And that saw the Australian team enter the finals of the same without even bowling a single delivery. This is not all. One more thing is that the ICC schedules events, wherein two of the participating teams would be under-rated ones and are coupled with a strong team that is bound to win the tri series. In this case, two weak teams in Bangladesh & Zimbabwe are grouped with Sri Lanka. In the earlier case, Canada & Bermuda were teamed up with the West Indies. A situation where the result is a certainty rather than a toss. And also the venues that hosts these series are just funny. Someone like Holland & Malaysia have hosted such tournaments.

I wonder as to what the ICC gains by conducting such events, that are held just for the sake of it? Is the ICC trying to include such tri series' just to fill in the time gaps before the teams involved are ready for another competition. Else, what would one watch out for in a bi-lateral series, where the two teams play each other four teams, like it happened just before the world cup 2007, where India played a bi lateral series involving four matches against the West Indies and Sri Lanka? With a 2-2 result much likely! This is of course allowed in tests, where draw is always on the cards. But not in one dayers or T20 games. Some concession could be well given in case the teams battling it out are strong. But, whats the use when that is not the case?This shows that there is no one to question the ICC when it takes such foolish and illogical decisions repeatedly.