Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Every governing body in world sport tries to milk as much as possible out of the annual calendar in a bid to bring in tournament sponsorship and big bucks from the television industry.
Next week we will be concentrating on the World Clubs Championship in the Gulf but this week let us focus on the Champions Trophy cricket which started yesterday in South Africa.
This competition was postponed for a year after the trouble in Pakistan and South Africa appears to have become the fallback venue in such circumstances. The contest comprises of the top eight teams in the world in two groups and the format is much sharper than it has ever been before, probably as a result of the rise of Twenty20.
This is the first 50-over tournament since the World Cup in the West Indies which was a disastrous affair because of the convoluted format that seemed to take ages - Jonathan Agnew famously quoted that it still actually might be running. But, the pressure is on for the longer limited overs version to provide an entertaining spectacle to match both the Twenty20 World Cup and the IPL.
Two groups of four, two semi-finals and a final is the perfect format to get the game back on track and as long as the games match up to the hype then the organisers can be very pleased with themselves.
Of the countries taking part the two outsiders will be the West Indies, who have sent a weak team following a contract dispute, and England, who have no one of note to rely on. The 6-1 drubbing to Australia has been a chastening experience after the Ashes glory and at no point has this side looked like it could contend in any competition, let alone one with some of the best players in the world taking part.
I do not know how many times it must be mentioned that a team full of bit part players will prove unsuccessful at the highest level before they do something about it. Only two years ago Andrew Strauss was deemed to be unable to play at international level in one-day games but now he is the only player in the side who looks at all comfortable. How can this situation have been allowed to develop?
The hosts themselves are trying to win a world tournament for the first time in 11 years and unfortunately they are unlikely to do it this time. This is not because they do not have a good side. In fact, they probably have the best captain in Graeme Smith and the best fielding side in the tournament. They will probably just be good enough to compete with the Sub-continent sides as Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka are becoming the teams that always turn up prepared and with the best players.
These players play the most cricket in this shortened version and they also possess the ability to win games equally when they are batting or fielding first, which is an essential quality. Being able to get the best possible total for the opposition to chase in terms of the condition of the pitch is more complex than it first appears. To think that 300 runs is essential in every innings misses the point. Every ground has an optimum total and this assessment is crucial very early on in an innings. The ability to then defend it is the next ingredient and these three sides seem to be improving in this area.
Of course, I have not mentioned the Australians yet, but it is difficult to asses this team until the tournament starts, for two reasons. One, is that it is a new team with all the great players, except Ponting, retired, and until they prove that they are able to emulate their predecessors then it is best to have a watching brief. Secondly, the England side is so bad that the 6-1 drubbing is not a great form line to assess. They will, of course, be very competitive and are riding high in the world rankings, but will they have enough to challenge the top three? I don't think so.
I believe it will be Sri Lanka this time round to lift the honours as they have the bowling match winners as well as the batting ones to win. It would also be a fitting end to Sanath Jayasuriya's career - a player who has graced this format of the game ever since Sri Lanka lifted the World Cup.
It should be, and will have to be, an entertaining tournament but which ever way it goes; it is still not a World Cup so does not come with the prestige that brings. Until the sport's governing bodies recognise this fact they run the risk of overkill.
But do they, or their sponsors, care? I very much doubt it.
