Sunday, March 18, 2007

Cricket World Cup Highs, Lows, Woes, and Oh's...

The Caribbean is seeing the cricket World Cup played over the next few weeks; the opening ceremony was last weekend, and one-day games have been played since Tuesday.


It has certainly been a week to remember -


West Indies, the home team, won the opening match against Pakistan, and Gibbs hit six sixes in an over in South Africa's win against Netherlands, the first time this feat has been done in international cricket.


On Friday, England suffered at the hands of New Zealand, and yesterday not only did Bangladesh beat the fancied Indian team, but Pakistan suffered their second defeat to minnows Ireland - on St Patricks Day of all days!


Sadly, today we learnt of the death of the Pakistan coach, Bob Woolmer. Details have yet to emerge as to why he was found unconcious in his hotel room, but it is sad as a friend and I were talking about him possibly taking over as England coach later this year just at lunchtime today...


I actually have a link to Woolmer from my past; many moons ago when I was a teenager, I went to watch Kent play in a testimonial game at Blackheath. A very young Woolmer and his player colleague Graham Johnson were there with there girlfriends, sitting on the grass just in front of us. As the game progressed, Woolmer asked me and my friend to look after their stuff as they went off with the girls. Since then, I have bumped into him a few times during cricket tours (he was South Africa coach when I toured their just over ten years back)...


Today, England are hoping to beat Canada, but making hard weather of it. Six of the England players have been fined for breaking a self-imposed curfew after the New Zealand loss. Bell, Lewis, Plunkett, Anderson, Nixon, and, sadly, Freddie Flintoff have all been found wanting. Flintoff has been stripped of the vice-captaincy too...


Hopefully, a win today will set England on the right track and they can look to improve on their showing - I doubt it somehow though...


It is a very sad day for cricket that this has happened, and I hope that nothing dodgy has happened because Pakistan cannot progress in the competiion any longer after two defeats.

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