The Press Box | New Zealand to host majority of World Cup matches amidst Niue visa denial debacle

[Till Valhalla]

Response from Niue Cricket & Kilikiti Board to World Cricket Conference


Well, well, well, look who's showing their true colors. The World Cricket Conference (WCC) has certainly outdone themselves this time, haven't they?

How dare they even insinuate that they have the audacity to strip us of our hosting rights? Let's get one thing straight: we earned our hosting rights fair and square, unlike some other nations (cough Denmark cough) who seem to have landed the Club World Cup hosting gig on a silver platter. What's the reasoning behind that, WCC? Maybe because they couldn't host a tea party, let alone a cricket tournament? Oh, but they showed us some fancy photoshopped pictures of renovated stadiums, didn't they? Well, newsflash: we've seen those stadiums firsthand during the Club World Cup, and let's just say they're not exactly up to snuff. Looks like a little scam orchestrated by the WCC and the Dansk Cricket-Union (DCU), doesn't it?

And now, since we've snagged the co-hosting rights for the World Cup, WCC is suddenly sniffing around, trying to snatch it away from us. Is it because we're not one of their golden boys? Or could it be something more insidious, like a hint of racism behind their decisions? Let's not forget about another one of their favorites, Morocco, who gets to play in different continental leagues like the African Cup of Nations and the Sahara Shield. And when they can't win, what do they do? They get their own little Arab Cup to play in. Meanwhile, a cricket-loving nation like Niue gets denied a chance to play in their continental league because, oh, WCC can't be bothered to create a window for it. Lazy, much?

A global body like WCC should have the decency to respect the ethics of a nation like Niue, who actually gives a damn about the future. Unlike some others who are just sitting in their chairs, filling their pockets and playing favorites.

So, WCC, before you go pointing fingers and making threats, maybe take a good, hard look in the mirror. Because the world is watching, and we're not buying what you're selling.

Sincerely,

Niue Cricket & Kilikiti Board​

 

[World Cricket Conference]

New Zealand to host majority of World Cup matches amidst Niue visa denial debacle
Despite having eight internationally-accredited cricket grounds in the country, Niue will only host a select-few matches​

Müller Schwanstegger presides over an emergency meeting convened in Berlin © Associated Press, September 14, 2003​

News coming from Berlin solidifies the World Cricket Conference's decision regarding match allocation between the two host nations for the Cricket World Cup. Following the visa denial controversy instigated by Niue immigration, and exacerbated by the Niue Cricket & Kilikiti Board, the World Cricket Conference was backed into a corner and forced to make a major decision regarding the scheduling of the upcoming event. Initially met with immense remorse, the Conference quickly turned from being regretful of handing over the hosting rights to Niue, to finding a solution for the predicament they were forced into due to discrimination by the host island.

With many possibilities levied at the Management Committee of the World Cup, the one that emerged seemingly as the sole solution to this problem was the allocation of matches to be New Zealand-heavy, with the nations singled-out by Niue immigration to play their matches in only New Zealand. Additionally, Niue would not be compensated by having other teams' matches swapped and played in Niue, in fact, the schedule of the World Cup will now favor New Zealand a lot more overall.

With the World Cup draw scheduled for after the ASCON Asia Cup, it remains to be seen which nation ends up in which group, and how the schedule of the tournament pans out. It is inevitable however, that Niue will have to travel to New Zealand to play teams such as Denmark, Israel and perhaps even Morocco, should they end up being grouped together, given their visa policy. If they had issued visas neutrally, they would've played all their group matches at their own home, like their co-hosts.

 

[Welwyn]

DOUBLE BARRELLED BARNEY

Bermudian Star, Wendell Corden-Cox's relationship with Avengers' owner/captain WG Charles seems to have irreparably broken down despite their victory in the Club World Cup.

It was reported here before the mid-season break that Corden-Cox had left the club in the lurch due to Charles wanting him to miss the Americas Championship to play in the last few rounds of the Princes' Gate Championship. Whilst the Bermudian all-rounder went to Denmark to be part of the Aberystwyth Avengers squad for the Club World Cup, he was not happy with Charles making him bat at five in the first two games of qualifying round, feeling he was being punished by the owner for putting country ahead of club.

It is now considered that his surprise omission from the final qualifying round game against Jeddah may well have been due to Corden-Cox refusing to play as the argument heated up and a player from the club has said that during a dressing-room bust up later in the competition, Corden-Cox stormed out shouting that 'once this is done, I will never share a dressing room with you again'.

It has even been rumoured that Corden-Cox has been ringing round the other five Welsh First Class franchises, offering his services to them for the 2004 season at a vastly reduced rate.

 

[Supreme General]

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The ECB has yet again been forced to make a statement on William George Charles' absence from the England side, this time without the excuse of a Club World Cup for him to try and win for his adopted home at the Aberystwyth Avengers. The ECB chairman yet again has to step in and take action, in a written statement to the press today, Adam Smith said " As we said during our last discussion about this topic, we were disappointed with William's decision last time but we felt that he was within his rights to try and play at the highest level of club competition. A decision which worked out very well for him, with his side winning the tournament. However, we made clear that if he ditched his England duty at any other point there would be consequences, and there will be. This is a breach of his England central contract and the verbal agreements we had with him just before the CWC for him not miss England matches in the lead up to a massive World Cup campaign. As a result, we will be fining him £25,000 up front and another £50,000 suspended fine if he pulls this kind of behaviour again. We here at the ECB are fully behind the current 15 selected to play against Scotland in our World Cup warm matches as our best side begins to become clear for the World Cup in New Zealand."

Fans are of course livid at this blatant disrespect by Charles towards the National team and his country as a whole. As well as the ECB’s reaction given the lucrative wealth WGC has at his disposal through his family. With some small minority fans giving statements and messages to our journalists here at BBC sport saying that they wouldn't want to see him wear the England jersey again if this is how he treats the honour of playing for his country despite all the heroics he has done in the past. However, from the England dressing room, there seems to be no doubt that he will picked and most likely star in The Three Lions' WC campaign in Oceania as he has strong friendships with Captain Richard Head and star bowler Zachary Wilson. Head in particular being the most influential as he has almost unlimited choice in team selection will be pushing for his friend's and who many pundits say is England's only hope for a very unlikely and outside chance of winning the whe tournament's selection. Only time will tell where the WGC saga ends up after his falling out with Bermudian star Wendell Corden-Cox was published by our colleagues in Wales only a few short days ago over Cox not withdrawing from international duty like Charles and after Charles was involved with a scrap with teammates in the team hotel in Saudi Arabia a year ago.