Iceland Cricket’s rally for New Zealand against unbeaten ODI World Cup hosts

Rachin Ravindra has contributed with bat and ball. Photo / Photosport

In a cricketing world often characterised by sun-soaked pitches and tropical climates, Iceland Cricket is carving out a niche of its own, blending humour with a Viking spirit that matches the frosty challenge of playing the sport in the northernmost cricketing nation.

The country is bracing itself for a volcanic eruption in the coming days, with one town, Grindavik, which lies directly above the magma and is settled close to the Fagradalsfjall volcano, having already been evacuated due to the risk of fire fountains and noxious gases. Volcanic activity has split roads and caused many lanes to sink in what one expert is saying could be worse than the Christchurch earthquakes of 2011.

All the while, the ODI Cricket World Cup has taken place in India that Iceland Cricket secretary David Cook described as an enjoyable tournament. As the semifinalsfast approach, Cook told the Herald the “four best teams” were left — the Black Caps face India tonight in the first semi before Australia take on South Africa tomorrow, weather permitting.

“Obviously, India are unbeaten so go in as clear favourites, but knockout cricket is another beast entirely. They haven’t been fully challenged yet. In this CWC, the team that has batted first has very often won, so it will be interesting if New Zealand win the toss, bat first, and get off to a good start.

“As for the other semi, history suggests that Australia will win. South Africa has a poor record in the semifinals of global tournaments and even though this current generation has not suffered the ‘choker’ tag, that will still be stuck somewhere in their subconscious. We are going to be gung-ho and go for a New Zealand versus Australia final, a battle of the Antipodes.”

Iceland Cricket is tipping a New Zealand-Australia World Cup final. Pictured: Travis Head celebrates his century with Mitchell Marsh earlier in the tournament. Photo / Photosport

Cook runs Iceland Cricket’s X, formerly Twitter, account. It gained attention for its unconventional and light-hearted approach to the sport, often using humour and wit to engage with fans and followers and is known for blending cricket references with Icelandic culture.

Iceland Cricket has often put its support behind New Zealand, and addressing that connection Cook said, “We don’t refer to New Zealand as Iceland II for no reason. They are the island nation of sheep, volcanoes, and glaciers. They are us turned upside down.”

Taking a broader view of the tournament, Cook said there had been some “great matches”, but the first 25 or so were “pretty one-sided”.

“The biggest strength is that the format has led to the four best teams making the knockout stage. The biggest weakness is how long it has taken to get there. Even though so much is about TV revenue these days, it was surely possible to play at least two matches every day, shortening the group stage by maybe 10-14 days.

“Other problems have included the fact that only 10 teams took part, but this is obviously changing in 2027. It has been great to see the rise of the Afghanistan team, who could so easily have made the semis, and the often competitive performances of the Dutch.”

Turning to the challenges faced by the Icelandic cricket community, Cook said the biggest ones related to infrastructure.

“Therefore, we are doing pretty much everything from scratch in Iceland these past few years. Building up the playing numbers, forming the clubs (which now number 5), developing coaching, advancing the national team, forming women’s cricket, and ultimately pursuing ICC associate membership. We hope to reach that final goal in 2025 or 2026 if all goes to plan.

“Even though we invented the game in 911 CE, those early pioneers forgot about the importance of modernisation. They failed to invest in the future, like the great West Indies sides of the 1970s and 1980s.”

(Iceland Cricket’s website says in the saga of Egill Skallagrímsson, cricket was invented near the river Hvita in 911. The official CWC site says a consensus of expert opinion suggests it may have been invented during Saxon or Norman times. The first reference to it being played as an adult sport was in 1611.)

Looking ahead, Cook envisioned growth and said its medium-term aim was to have eight clubs, all with men’s, women’s and junior sides. Ideally, the national team would compete in the ICC World Cup qualification rounds, and competitively by 2030.

“Then we will win the World Cup by the 2060s.”

Asked about the role of humour in its cricket journey, Cooked emphasised its importance.

“Humour is vital. If we did not laugh, we’d cry. We don’t want to be a nation where only immigrants from Commonwealth nations play cricket. We want Icelandic children to wake up one day and choose the sport of cricket. That is our ambition. Whether we succeed or not, we intend on having a lot of fun along the way.”

Luke Kirkness is an Online Sports Editor for the NZ Herald. He previously covered consumer affairs for the Herald and was an assistant news director in the Bay of Plenty. He won Student Journalist of the Year in 2019.