Super Series suffers status static
Even as the International Cricket Council (ICC) is going hoarse, shouting from rooftops about how successful the Super Series in Australia has been, some noted statisticians have taken umbrage to the entire show being given official status, and have accused the ICC of adopting double standards.
Englishman Bill Frindall, one of the world's top statisticians, has refused to take the performances in Super 'Test' and three one-day matches between World XI and Australian XI into his records. Explaining his reasons, Frindall says: "This Superfluous Series should most definitely not be given Test match or limitedovers international status. These games are not internationals and the ICC's own regulations confirm that only Full Members of the ICC can participate in Test matches.
"Conglomerates such as World XI teams most certainly do not qualify. It is quite ridiculous that a player should be able to represent two Test teams concurrently."
The crux of Frindall's argument is that there have been, in the past, several matches played between an international select XI and a national team, like the one between and India-Pakistan combine and Sri Lanka, just before the 1996 World Cup, when Australia and the West Indies refused to visit the island nation due to security concerns. Those records were never officially recognised, so doing the same for the Super Series matches smacks of double standards.
"The ICC's main committee was far from unanimous in this controversial decision," Frindall adds. "The Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians was consulted and opposed official status being given to this junket. "I will not be including the current matches in any records supplied to the BBC or published in the 'Playfair Cricket Annual'. Thankfully some of the players are embarrassed by the ICC's decision, Adam Gilchrist having publicly declared his unease with it."
It is understood that the ACS, though initially opposed to the whole idea, finally succumbed to pressure from the ICC and from members within, the ones who have tie-ups with cricket websites and publications, and finally fell in line to accept the Super Series figures as official.
"There are a great many statisticians around the world who are as outraged by this nonsense as we are," Frindall adds.
"The ICC has become totally subjected to the power of the dollar... even some World XI players didn’t regard it as a Test match," he says.
