Close calls, big statements: Associates make noise at T20 World Cup, will ICC listen?

New Delhi: During the 2016 T20 World Cup, the then Netherlands captain Peter Borren, in one of the press conferences, was almost in tears and made an emotional plea to the International Cricket Council (ICC) to spend more on the Associates.

“There is a sort of malaise towards Associate cricket. To grow further in the game, we always hear it is not commercially viable,” he had said.“Look at Indian television, highlights of us beating England are everywhere. Clearly, fans enjoy watching new teams succeed. So give us the opportunity. Let us compete, and let us be seen,” he had said, referring to the highlights of the Netherlands beating England in the 2009 T20 Cricket World Cup.

Cut to the present, the noise is again getting louder, with Associates pushing Full Members to the edge, and it all started with the Netherlands again.Pakistan had slipped from 98/2 to 114/7 while chasing 148 against the Netherlands. Max O’Dowd dropped a catch in the penultimate over, and Faheem Ashraf became the hero with three sixes and two fours.India had a disastrous start against the USA and were reeling at 63/4 by the 10th over.

Shubham Ranjane got down low but could not hold on to a Suryakumar Yadav catch. Surya went on to score a match-defining 84 off 49 balls.Having earlier reduced England to 57/3, Nepal eventually restricted them to 184/7. During the chase, they were 175/5, needing 10 runs off seven balls. Lokesh Bam was well set on 35 off 15 balls. Over the next four deliveries, Bam scored just three runs and England scraped through after a tight final over from Sam Curran.Scotland, who replaced Bangladesh, had England on the ropes as Tom Banton and Will Jacks occupied the crease in their chase of 153. Things had slowed to near run-a-ball over the previous three overs, and England now needed eight off the final six balls. Jacks then struck a six and a four to take them past the finish line.

A couple of days later, England were 105/5 in the 13th over against Italy before eventually posting a strong 202.

During the chase, Italy surged to 173/7 following 34 runs in two overs. Grant Stewart was set on 44 off 20 balls. The first-timers needed 30 off the last 12 deliveries. Sam Curran then removed Stewart, crushing their hopes.Not as dramatic perhaps, but Afghanistan got past the UAE in the final over, while the Netherlands pushed India despite looking down and out at one stage.Before the India vs Netherlands game, a broadcaster arrogantly parroted the pre-tournament claim that a 300-run total would be breached.

Instead, the Men in Blue posted 193/6, restrained by Logan van Beek’s three-wicket haul.The eight Associate teams have made themselves count at this T20 World Cup and have not been the pushovers many expected them to be. The gap, as is repeated every two years, is reducing between the Associates and the Full Member nations.The reason for results going unfavourably for the Associates can be attributed quite simply to the lack of top-level opportunities and the inability to absorb pressure at key moments.

“Until you play matches, you won’t be in those situations. No matter how much net practice you do, how do you come out of tight situations like 80/5? Or how do you win a match if you need 30 runs in the last two overs? You won’t feel it until you experience it on the ground,” said UAE coach Lalchand Rajput.“The more matches you play against good teams, the more situations you face. You might win only one out of five games, but it builds confidence that the next time you are in the same situation, you will be able to win,” he added.Namibia coach Craig Williams, too, didn't mince his words and has asked for more matches for the associates, if the ICC wants to make the sport global."I think it's not rocket science. If you play more cricket, you're going to get better. And especially if you play more competitive cricket. So I think all the associate nations are calling out for the same thing. It's been a number of years since I was playing as well," he had said ahead of their last match against Pakistan in Colombo.Players, coaches and even administrators have urged the ICC to introduce more fixtures in the next Future Tours Programme.

“There should be more matches, and definitely the ICC is working on it. That’s why this T20 World Cup has 20 teams. Hopefully, it will keep growing and more Associates will follow. If we qualify for the World Cup, we should get bigger chances to showcase ourselves,” Rajput said.Canada captain Saad Bin Zafar agreed. “If there is one thing I would like to change, it would be Associate countries getting more opportunities to compete against the best nations because that is the learning ground.

That is where you learn,” he said after their loss to Afghanistan.Netherlands all-rounder Bas de Leede used the World Cup stage to remind everyone that his team has no cricket scheduled until June, with their next assignment being a World Cup qualifier.“We’ve shown the level Associate cricket is at right now. We can only ask for more opportunities against big teams because that is ultimately how we are going to improve as a collective,” said De Leede.The challenge of finding space in the calendar and the financial hurdles involved are not lost on those advocating for more matches.“The calendar doesn’t allow more matches with Full Members because Associate countries mostly play among themselves. It is also about TV rights, media and sponsorship, as everyone focuses on the top 10 teams. They have challenges as well. But this World Cup has shown that Associate countries are good enough to receive more funding and play more matches,” Rajput said.

De Leede also offered a solution.“I understand the financial reasoning, but maybe a tri-nation series involving two Full Members could be an option. I recently saw a post about a European T20 series involving England, Scotland, Ireland, the Netherlands and Italy,” he said.“We saw how close Italy pushed England. There are a lot of options. Normally during the World Cup, it gets attention and then it fades away,” he added.History, though, does not look promising.After reaching the Super Eight stage and becoming one of the stories of the 2024 T20 World Cup, the USA did not play a single Full Member until this edition came around.The Netherlands, who reached the Super 12 of the 2022 T20 World Cup and shocked South Africa, did not play a single T20I between that day in Adelaide and a match against Nepal 479 days later in February 2024. Their only game against a Full Member in that period came against Ireland in the build-up to the 2024 edition.T20 leagues bridging the gap

A major reason for improved performances, despite the lack of opportunities at the highest level, can be attributed to the growth of T20 leagues. More leagues mean more demand for players and more platforms for Associate cricketers to showcase their skills. USA wicketkeeper-batter Andries Gous underlined this with an unbeaten 120 for Desert Vipers against MI Emirates in the recently concluded ILT20.Curran, who helped keep two Associates at bay, acknowledged that more matches play a role.

“The Associate nations are playing more often and getting much better. They are being exposed to better cricket and better grounds,” he said.UAE captain Muhammad Waseem, who plays for MI Emirates in the ILT20, shared dressing rooms with the likes of Rashid Khan, Chris Woakes, Kieron Pollard, Shakib Al Hasan, Jonny Bairstow and Nicholas Pooran ahead of the T20 World Cup.“We’ve learned to improve by playing alongside the best players in leagues.

In the same way, if we play Test-playing nations, we will continue to get better. Then, in big tournaments, you will get even more competitive matches,” he told TimesofIndia.com.The presence of experienced heads in the dugout has helped as well.Stuart Law is the head coach of Nepal. Ian Harvey is the bowling consultant. Gary Kirsten is Namibia’s consultant. Rajput brings his wealth of experience from the Indian dressing room to the UAE. Duleep Mendis heads Oman, while Pubudu Dassanayake coaches the USA.Having done all they can on the field, the Associates can only hope they receive more opportunities before the next edition rolls around. Otherwise, the same conversations and pleas will be repeated in Australia and New Zealand.