Cricket World Cup 2015: Australia’s hosting of the Asian Cup shows the standard to be reached

THE biggest sporting event Australia has hosted since the Sydney Olympics starts next week under pressure to live up to its billing.

Australia's Tim Cahill lifts the AFC Asian Cup football trophy after beating South Korea at Stadium Australia in Sydney on January 31, 2015. AFP PHOTO / Saeed KHAN -- IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE

THE biggest sporting event Australia has hosted since the Sydney Olympics starts next week under pressure to live up to its billing.

Cricket’s World Cup comes to town at a time when soccer’s Asia Cup has raised the bar for delivering a world class spectacle on our shores.

Never mind beating it. If cricket’s tournament can match the euphoria generated by the Socceroos on Saturday night it will be a winner.

We tip cricket’s World Cup will have a cracking start and an epic finish.

The challenge will be to stop it becoming soggy lamington-soft in between.

There’s no doubt the opening game between Australia and England at the MCG on Saturday week will be a perfect pipe-opener.

And the clash between ancient adversaries Pakistan and India a day later in Adelaide was sold out in less than an hour and is tipped to be the most watched cricket game ever.

The tournament also features a knockout finals system that will be great viewing.

But as much as we love a good minnow story, all those games featuring Scotland, Ireland, Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates mean the tournament is longer than it should be and the make-up of the finals too predictable for its good.

LAW AND DISORDER

It’s still difficult to believe sacked Queensland cricket coach Stuart Law could have his name on a grandstand at Allan Border Field yet be treated so shabbily by the body who put it there.

Law was axed last Friday and this column learnt yesterday he was not even given an official warning, which is standard practice in workplace relations these days.

Surely any organisation with even a sliver of compassion and respect for people who have served it so loyally would, at the very least, have given Law the chance to rescue things in the remainder of the summer.

Plenty of coaches, John Buchanan included, have come back from the brink.

Good luck to Queensland’s next coach. He’ll need it.

YOU BIG TEASE

RUGBY league is becoming famous for making hasty decisions — or none.

It’s downright cruel the way league administrators are stringing along potential expansion teams.

My heart bleeds for the dedicated, wishful and acutely frustrated souls who have put years of effort and countless thousands of dollars into franchises such as at the Brisbane Bombers and others in Ipswich, Rockhampton and Perth.

The Bombers have spent three years campaigning to get into the NRL and just keep being strung along with as much certainty as if they were hunting the Loch Ness monster.

The NRL said three years ago it would make a call in 2014. It didn’t happen. Now head of football Todd Greenberg says it is likely to be reviewed in the next 12 months. And that is a review without a final call. How hard can it be?

THE IRE OF THE TIGER

TIGER Woods may be down in the dumps but he has made every hack golfer on the planet feel better about themselves.

Tiger’s sorrowful 82 in last week’s Phoenix Open included four duffed chips which so bruised his confidence that he left his wedge in the bag and, with his self-esteem dipping to shoelace level, twice putted from off the green.

What 22 handicapper hasn’t been through that?

American golf analysts have become obsessed about assessing Tiger’s implosion.

Some, like Rocco Mediate, have found themselves totally overwhelmed by the emotion of it all … “the best short game that was ever alive in the history of the world is gone.’’

Others like Paul Azinger have noted a change in Tiger’s demeanour.

“Tiger used to be uncomfortable if you were comfortable with him. Now he’s uncomfortable if you aren’t comfortable with him.’’

Confusing, but we sort of get it.

THE VOICE

Lleyton Hewitt has found his calling … calling.

Hewitt’s exceptional work calling the Australian Open for Channel 7 was as insightful as anything offered from commentary boxes across the sporting spectrum this summer.

It was always likely future Davis Cup captain Hewitt would gel with chief caller Bruce McAvaney given Bruce’s association with the Hewitts stretches back to going to school with Lleyton’s mother in Adelaide.

Most panellists who work with McAvaney, a true gentleman, come back raving about how kind he is to them on and off air and he has certainly brought out the best in Hewitt.

Originally published as Cricket World Cup 2015: Australia’s hosting of the Asian Cup shows the standard to be reached