What if you were shown a glass of water in the midst of the burning hot sun in the heart of the Gobi Desert. And here you were, absolutely and utterly exhausted, knowing well that you just couldn’t carry on? What if that glass of water was only a showpiece; never really reaching close to your grasp. What if you were shown the best-looking sports-car to fill your fancy, your fat wallet already desperately searching for the machine of your dreams. And what if you were put astray from the car, the markets shutting down the car showrooms all across the city?
Just how would the above feel? Well, if you wanted to get a sense of an idea about how that sort of situation makes one feel, then look no further than approaching the tired and upset cricket fan, who in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak, just hasn’t been able to see anything in live cricket.
And now, as the ICC Archives have been finally opened, in order to give the great lover(s) of the sport around the world something to cheer about, there’s obviously that much-anticipated wave of excitement. So what is that wave of excitement, after all?
Well, seeing the footage of the past tournaments, series, and therefore, some unbelievable vignettes from the past or the ‘has-been’ is just the kind of thing that the cricket fan would want at this time. These, of course, are times mired by an absolute dead show in the current fold of the world.
So in effect, the ICC Archives are here to entertain and enthrall where there just doesn’t seem to be anything to look forward to in the world of international cricket.
But worry not, where there’s suffering, there’s also a great respite of sorts. And in this case, lest it is forgotten, the wonderful upholders and governors of the sport- the International Cricket Council- have showered some love on the spectator.
That said, here is what the ICC Chief Executive had to say about the unprecedented development:
We are facing unprecedented times as a sports industry and the need to connect with our fan communities is perhaps greater than ever. With no live cricket to unite our fans around the world, we thought the next best thing would be to release our archive to broadcast partners so fans can enjoy some magnificent memories.
Utterly brilliant, isn’t it?