World Cup needs oomph factor to recapture its luster: Roebuck

Sydney, (ANI): Noted cricket columnist Peter Roebuck reckons that the 50-over World Cup needs oomph to recapture its luster, as “far from improving with every edition, it seems to be getting worse”.

“World Cups are supposed to identify the strongest team on the planet, and they ordinarily serve that purpose. It’s a bit different in cricket because 50-over matches are not regarded as the supreme form of the game. Test cricket fulfils that role. Accordingly, cricket’s World Cup is slightly artificial,” Roebuck said in his syndicated column for the Sydney Morning Herald.

“Unfortunately, recent World Cups have fallen foul of boycotts, sterility, longevity and numerous other weaknesses. Far from improving with every edition, it seems to be getting worse. Perhaps this year’s installment will break the pattern. Perhaps it will rejuvenate a nation,” he added.

Roebuck however believes that the beauty of sport will help the participating countries to rewrite history, saying that “the past is an open book and the future is an empty page.”

World Cup warm-up results

 (Reuters) - World Cup warm-up results on Saturday:

Sri Lanka 351-5 in 50 overs (T Dilshan 78, T Samaraweera 60, C Silva 54, C Kapugedera 50 not out) beat Netherlands 195 in 47.3 overs (T de Grooth 76, D Fernando 4-43) by 156 runs.

West Indies 253-8 in 50 overs (R Sarwan 123, Dwayne Bravo 54) beat Kenya 192 in 45.3 overs (C Obuya 68, A Russell 4-43) by 61 runs.

Bangladesh 113-1 in 19.2 overs (Tamim Iqbal 69) beat Canada 112 all out in 37.3 overs (S. Al Hasan 3-5) by nine wickets