The six hitting frenzies and bowlers having to survive by sheer guts and will to live are all part of creating the chaos of the new T10 Cricket format for a four-day tournament. In other words, organizational chaos is not at all related to the intended benefits of a four-day T10 Cricket tournament; however, the four-day tournament held by Pro10 Malaysia became an excellent example of how the gold rush that is modern cricket can quickly turn into a chaotic mess in real time.
When Logistics Fail Before The Toss
Tournaments collapse rarely because of what happens on the pitch. They collapse because of emails. A letter (correspondence) from the Four Points by Sheraton in Kuala Lumpur states that all participants (players and staff) will be expected to pay for their own accommodation costs, as the hotel had been informed by the tournament organiser(s) that the organiser(s) had failed to meet the required payment obligations. That is not an insignificant mistake; it is a major warning sign.
“Everyone was frustrated. You cannot develop an organization or schedule when your entire operation is unorganized.” “Nothing has been organized promptly,” said a fellow player. “The truth is direct: No one will take the field until payments have been made.” This is not a rebellion by the players; this is how the operation works.
It’s all the worse given the timing. The Pro10 league was only going to last for 4 days (January 30 – February 2). These short leagues rely on everything running like clockwork. If you miss even one of your logistics, your whole league will collapse. Short leagues don’t have enough room to recover from errors during the middle of a tournament as longer tournaments do.
Star Names, Paper Promises
On paper, Pro10 Malaysia has a lot to be excited about. Russell is bringing big-time box office pull. Roy and Hales have added fire to the top order. Woakes will add credibility. The name Chris Lynn screams branding for T10. These aren’t fringe players working for extra money on the side; these are some of the most successful professional cricketers in the world who have booked up their schedules for years.
But many of those players never even left home, waiting on a flight itinerary that was never sent. This detail is important. In modern franchise cricket, most of the time, players agree to participate based on conditions, expecting their logistical, visa, and payment needs will have been taken care of. And when the silence of no communication replaces the schedule of what was supposed to happen, instead of taking a gamble (as in other forms of travel), the player opts out.
Sanctioned, But Not Fully Shielded
Governance is now at play. The MCA, which sanctions Pro 10 Malaysia, did so. However, the ICC did not sanction Pro 10 Malaysia. Why? Because the ICC sanctions a team for breach of rules when there are five or more full member national players from the past 24 months involved in the same team.
That exception makes a big difference. This allows for tournaments to be carried out in a gray area of regulation, official enough to look legitimate, while being protected from the scrutiny of the ICC. The ICC refused to comment on this matter, and in doing so, said a lot.
This is nothing new. There was another format-short tournament that collapsed in the middle of its season last year in the Cayman Islands. This collapse occurred because of both payment and organizational problems. The pattern here is well established: Big name with little real operational capacity; Governance arrives late to the party.
Opportunity vs Oversight in Emerging Markets
While the MCA is optimistic that the tournament will occur, the benefits of local players playing with international talent cannot be ignored. Associate nations require a pathway to competition exposure. Bilateral cricket will never develop franchises at the speed at which franchise leagues will.
A major concern is the high level of reputational damage risk to emerging market leagues; once one league’s failure becomes public, this can negatively affect current and future sponsors as well as possible new partners (players) wishing to enter into the region.
Although delaying Pro10 Malaysia until after the ICC T20 World Cup in India will likely give some time for the reputation of the league to be rebuilt, once that reputation has been damaged, it is more difficult to schedule a new reputation than it would be to schedule a series of matches.
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