The format of cricket World Cup is inefficiently laid and a bit of a gamble. The league stage had little bearing on the outcome of the tournament. What is the significance of playing seven teams for four spots when three out of seven are incapable of making it to the next round. That also means out of the eight teams that had made it to the quarter-finals, whoever will win one quarter-final game will progress to the semi-final.
The Semi-Final spot is decided just on a single game. Imagine a situation wherein a team has won a fewer games during the league stage, and just sneaked into the top four and quarter. There is another team, which has won all the games in the league stage and topped the group. If the team that just managed to sneak into the top four produces their best cricket and with a bit of luck beats the other best team from the other group, it makes to the Semi-Final at the cost of one of the best team in the tournament.
Something similar has happened in the game between South Africa and New Zeeland. South Africa played great cricket during the league stage and emerged one the best teams. The problem for South Africa facing a team like New Zeeland is that South Africa has all the pressure and New Zealand has nothing to lose.
In other words, if the format was different and each team has to play another team in the league stage, and the top four teams had to make it to the Semi-Final stage, then a team like New Zeeland would not have made it to the Final Four. We would have got the best four for the Semi-Final. The results could have been different altogether.
Look from another angle. Imagine had Sri Lanka won the Final. They had been beaten by Pakistan in the league stage and their game against Australia was washed out. They had to play England in the quarters, which is an easier game for Sir Lanka in their home conditions. Then they had to play New Zealand in the Semi-Finals. Another easy game. Sri Lanka had to just beat a few minnows in the league stage, England in quarters and New Zealand in the Semis to reach the Final. With a bit of luck and application, they would have won the Final.
Pakistan and South Africa were by far the better teams than Sri Lanka in the tournament if not on the paper. A more efficient format might have seen one of Pakistan or South Africa in the Final. Even though India emerged the winner with some good performances and a great deal of luck, a more competitive format could have produced at least partially different Semi-Finalist and Finalists in the World Cup.
A competitive and efficient format should have each team participating in Cricket World Cup playing with every other team participating in the tournament. The best four teams or the top four teams after each team has played every other team in the tournament should play the Semi-Finals. That will entail the best four teams in terms of quality as well performance would make it to the Final four and the two of them would go to the Final.
The Semi-Final spot is decided just on a single game. Imagine a situation wherein a team has won a fewer games during the league stage, and just sneaked into the top four and quarter. There is another team, which has won all the games in the league stage and topped the group. If the team that just managed to sneak into the top four produces their best cricket and with a bit of luck beats the other best team from the other group, it makes to the Semi-Final at the cost of one of the best team in the tournament.
Something similar has happened in the game between South Africa and New Zeeland. South Africa played great cricket during the league stage and emerged one the best teams. The problem for South Africa facing a team like New Zeeland is that South Africa has all the pressure and New Zealand has nothing to lose.
In other words, if the format was different and each team has to play another team in the league stage, and the top four teams had to make it to the Semi-Final stage, then a team like New Zeeland would not have made it to the Final Four. We would have got the best four for the Semi-Final. The results could have been different altogether.
Look from another angle. Imagine had Sri Lanka won the Final. They had been beaten by Pakistan in the league stage and their game against Australia was washed out. They had to play England in the quarters, which is an easier game for Sir Lanka in their home conditions. Then they had to play New Zealand in the Semi-Finals. Another easy game. Sri Lanka had to just beat a few minnows in the league stage, England in quarters and New Zealand in the Semis to reach the Final. With a bit of luck and application, they would have won the Final.
Pakistan and South Africa were by far the better teams than Sri Lanka in the tournament if not on the paper. A more efficient format might have seen one of Pakistan or South Africa in the Final. Even though India emerged the winner with some good performances and a great deal of luck, a more competitive format could have produced at least partially different Semi-Finalist and Finalists in the World Cup.
A competitive and efficient format should have each team participating in Cricket World Cup playing with every other team participating in the tournament. The best four teams or the top four teams after each team has played every other team in the tournament should play the Semi-Finals. That will entail the best four teams in terms of quality as well performance would make it to the Final four and the two of them would go to the Final.
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