Big stars and marquee names drive the sports industry, which is why they are the darlings of sports administrators. But the most memorable sports stories often are of underdogs prevailing over more fancied opponents, fighting against the odds.
The T20 World Cup and the ongoing European football championship have provided several heart-warming moments, even if they may not be to the wholehearted approval of the marketing personnel.
Afghanistan was widely acknowledged as a dangerous cricket team that could do some damage on their day if conditions were to their advantage. But in the Caribbean, they can rightly claim to have come of age having made their way to the semifinals, even toppling the all-conquering Australians. They can now genuinely claim to be the second-best Asian team behind India, at least in the 20-over format, with Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh enduring a bit of a tough time of late.
In Rashid Khan, they have an inspirational leader who seems to rise to the big occasion. He had always been recognised as a quality leg-spinner but in the shortest format, a few hits to and over the boundary in the closing stages of an innings could make a vital difference.
Significantly, Afghanistan now also have a robust opening pair in Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, who can hold their own against the best of bowling attacks. Young Azmatullah Omarzai showed what he is capable of at the 50-over World Cup and along with Mohammad Nabi and Gulbadin Naib, gave the team all-round depth.
For a team largely reliant on their spinners, it was heartening to see them getting wickets with the new ball through left-arm pacer Fazalfaq Farooqi and the feisty Naveen-ul-Haq. Finishing among the top four at a World Cup could just be the fillip for Afghanistan to take their game to the next level in terms of consistency and depth. For an emerging team such as them, it’s vital that they seize the moment and not let the opportunity go by.
Cricket has been just a fringe sport in the United States over the decades, played largely by expatriates, but till the next big event is staged in the country or India comes to play a few games, it will be the US team that has to carry the baton to ensure the sport occupies a foothold in the market.
Towards that end, the performances of the co-hosts were an unexpected breath of fresh air, making it to the Super Eight stage at the expense of Pakistan. They were always expected to struggle there in the company of England, South Africa, and West Indies, but if the cricket administrators hope to have a few players in the team who do not have roots in traditional cricketing countries, they have to ensure that the sport is played at the grassroots, in schools and colleges.
Nepal and Scotland also caught the eye in the tournament and were close to scalping major teams in this competition. They have the advantage of close proximity to major cricket hubs, and it’s important that they don’t have to wait till they make it to their next big ICC event to make their presence felt.
Underdogs bite back
International football has largely been dominated by the traditional powerhouses, but upsets are more likely in The Beautiful Game than in cricket, where individual class and quality can often make the difference. In football, a well-coached, disciplined, and committed team can frustrate an amalgamation of more talented individuals. That’s what has been on display at the Euros.
Other than a handful of players, the Austrian squad doesn’t boast of many household names outside their country. But they topped a group featuring France and the Netherlands, a big credit to manager Ralf Rangnick. They are fast starters and press the opposition high up the pitch. Their results in the group stage will ensure that they fear no team.
As far as feel-good stories, not much can top Georgia and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The team is the lowest-ranked outfit at the Euros, but that didn’t prevent them from beating Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in their final group game to seal their passage to the knockout rounds. Kvaratskhelia scored in that game, a significant event in itself, as a picture from 2013 soon emerged showing the then 12-year-old in the same picture frame with Ronaldo when the Portuguese superstar, already acknowledged as an all-time great of the game, visited the Dinamo Tbilisi Academy in Georgia, where Kvaratskhelia developed his game in his formative years.
Slovakia was part of Czechoslovakia when they were crowned European champions in 1976, but as a separate nation have had few team successes to celebrate – till they beat World No. 3 Belgium in their opening match of Euro 2024. A draw against Romania got them to the next stage and a meeting with England.
Slovenia, part of erstwhile Yugoslavia – a region that was a perennial source of high-quality football talent – emerged unbeaten from a group featuring high-profile England, Denmark, and Serbia.
These results attest to the competitive nature and all-round quality of European football and show that there’s some substance to Kylian Mbappe’s claim that winning the Euros is, in some respects, tougher than winning the World Cup. Upsets are more likely and even if there has been a lack of too many high-scoring games, there’s no chance that any of the matches will be taken lightly by any fancied side.
Big guns dominate
In comparison, across the Atlantic, Brazil’s goalless draw with Costa Rica in the Copa America was considered almost a disaster by supporters of the five-time world champions. That’s because apart from Brazil and Argentina, none of the teams from that continent have been a major factor at recent World Cups and are expected to sail through their initial Copa games without much trouble. Argentina are the current world champions, but that was the first for South America in two decades.
The match timings in the United States are not finalised keeping in mind Indian viewers – in contrast to the T20 World Cup – but even with Lionel Messi in the tournament, the lack of relative competitiveness is also a big factor making the Copa America a less attractive option than the Euros for casual football fans.