The collapse of the sports agency ISL Worldwide could have huge financial ramifications for sports federations across the globe, according to an experienced sports marketing official yesterday. The collapse of the sports agency ISL Worldwide could have huge financial ramifications for sports federations across the globe, according to an experienced sports marketing official yesterday. Michael Payne, a former ISL employee who runs the International Olympic Committee's successful marketing campaign, believes ISL's problems will hit a number of international federations who were dependent on the agency for their money-making vehicles television and sponsorship."For the sports marketing industry, for one large agency to go bankrupt is quite an earthquake," Payne said. "It will speed up the trend that the IOC started a decade ago of bringing marketing in-house."Football's world governing body, Fifa, said it had terminated its agreement with ISL to market the 2002 World Cup after the French media group Vivendi said it had ended talks on a takeover of the parent company, ISMM. The Club World Championship, which was due to place in Spain in July and August, was yesterday cancelled because of the end of Fifa's agreement with ISL.. It might still not be a level playing field, but by the time Pakistan return to Lord's for the next scheduled Test series in 2006 they could well find themselves playing on a completely different ground, because plans are afoot to introduce a new "drop-in" pitch and to relay the outfield. It might still not be a level playing field, but by the time Pakistan return to Lord's for the next scheduled Test series in 2006 they could well find themselves playing on a completely different ground, because plans are afoot to introduce a new "drop-in" pitch and to relay the outfield. Last winter the MCC head groundsman Mick Hunt paid a visit to Australia to study the Melbourne experiment.
"It is a necessity down there," explained Hunt, who has been in charge of the Lord's ground for 12 of his 32 years there. "They were finding that players were running from a sand-based outfield on to the square and getting injured because of the change from the softer to the harder surface."Hunt intends to monitor the MCG's progress and see what problems arise, but ultimately it is envisaged that spare pitches, possibly as many as six, could be created in pens or frames and be nurtured at the Nursery End of the ground.They could then be dropped, in turn, on to a concrete base on the Lord's square, as and when required. "The logistics of moving the pitches from the Nursery End to the middle are complex," admitted Hunt, "but it would be ideal from my point of view. A system like that would give me and my staff much more control over the preparation and care of pitches for key games."The famous Lord's slope, which drops 8ft 6in from the Grandstand side to the Tavern side, would remain. "At the moment each of the 18 pitches drops two inches, and it would make sense to match that with the drop-ins, but it would be feasible to create level pitches."Realistically Hunt felt that the pitches could be ready to be dropped into place by 2006. By then there could well have been a major revamp of the outfield to help improve the drainage."We are looking at taking up what is there now and putting down a stone layer perhaps an inch deep, then a binding layer, before topping off that with a root zone of sand and soil," explained Hunt "Again the logistics are quite something.
I estimate it would involve something approaching 1,000 truck movements 500 to remove the existing soil and 500 for the new outfield. But this could be achieved within a year or two."He put that cost at around £750,000 The "drop-in" pitches would cost a lot more.. The Sri Lankan selectors have retained Sanath Jayasuriya to lead the national line-up in the upcoming series against India and New Zealand. The Sri Lankan selectors have retained Sanath Jayasuriya to lead the national line-up in the upcoming series against India and New Zealand. Aravinda de Silva and Hashan Tillakaratne have also been recalled to the 22-man squad for the Test series against India and the tri-nation limited-overs tournament against India and New Zealand.Tillakaratne, 33, has been in and out of the national team but his superb performances at domestic tournaments won him the confidence of selectors. Tillakaratne averaged 110.83 runs per innings in the just concluded domestic tournament.All the members of the Sri Lankan team which lost a three-Test series to the touring England team earlier this year are also in the squad.The Indian cricket board has begun discussions with national players to introduce a contract system with graded payments which could come into effect this October.Senior players are in favour of contracts with payments based on seniority and also want the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to guarantee payments to players even for matches missed due to injury. India's 50-day tour of Sri Lanka will begin on 15 July.The former Indian wicket-keeper Saba Karim announced his retirement from first-class cricket yesterday because of poor vision in his right eye since he suffered an injury while playing last year."The doctors saved my vision but there has not been much improvement. I am not able to cope with the rigours of international cricket.
