It may be amusing to some, but to me its quite amazing that the fateof the world’s premier cricket tournament may be decided by theweather. I am used to seeing rain and cricket go hand in hand duringEnglish summers, but the World Cup could certainly have done withoutthe stormy weather. One team that will not be complaining too muchabout the weather is host nation South Africa, for whom the rain -which denied the West Indies valuable points against Bangladesh – wasa shot in the arm after some shock losses.

But the cricket itself, in all fairness, has been exciting, and therehave already been some interesting results through the inclusion ofteams like Bangladesh, Holland, Namibia and Kenya. Their inclusion hasnot only made things difficult by stretching the World Cup into a longdrawn-out affair but also by wrecking a few teams’ plans by collectingtwo points from rained-out games and almost pulling off an upset ortwo. One must give these spirited “minnows” a lot of credit. Many maythink that the one-sided games involving lesser teams drag down WorldCup standards to the level of farce, but the new blood, in my opinion,has made the tournament more interesting on a global basis and willcertainly help in the growth of cricket.Apart from the rain and the odd one-sided game, this Cup saw moredrama when England and New Zealand forfeited their games againstZimbabwe and Kenya respectively. Highly charged global politics andsecurity concerns have, I feel, driven some people paranoid. I don’tthink sport and politics should ever mix, for politics of any kind hasonly been detrimental to the game. If the International CricketCouncil classifies a venue as safe, the teams should be willing toplay there – simple as that. If some teams are going to opt out of agame or two, why play in the World Cup at all? The individual boards,moreover, are going against ICC rulings, so if there is talk ofpenalties imposed on the countries, the ICC would only have mysupport.

Pakistan, in its World Cup foray so far, has had a different set ofproblems. Their approach in the first game against Australia was muchtoo casual. Where has the famous fighting spirit gone? Where is thepride of playing for Pakistan? I thought Wasim Akram bowled a superbfirst spell and exposed the Australian weakness – the middle order -but once Wasim was taken off, the weaker aspects of Pakistan cricketallowed Andrew Symonds to take the game away. Given the opportunity,Pakistan should have been able to finish Australia off, for that iswhat wins matches in top-class cricket.Controversy dogged this match too, and I was surprised to see WaqarYounis lose his cool and bowl two beamers at Symonds, consequentlybeing barred from bowling further in that match. Waqar is a verysenior cricketer and an experienced one. Surely he should have knownthat such adverse publicity can only harm team morale.But bygones are bygones, and there is yet a World Cup to be won. Tobring it home to Pakistan, their batting will have to play a moreresponsible role. After all, if Rashid Latif down the order can scoreruns, why cannot Inzamam ul-Haq and Yousuf Youhana? These two batsmenhave the responsibility of holding the middle order together and scorethe majority of their team’s runs. Failing to do so against Namibiawill be something that Pakistan would have discussed after the game.One must also remember that during Pakistan’s sole World Cup win, in1992, Inzamam was the key batsman for the side, and here too in SouthAfrica, a decade later, he must start firing immediately.Pakistan’s fixture against Namibia ended predictably, with theirbatting hardly able to withstand the Pakistani pace attack. I was gladto see Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar have an extended bowling stint inthat game, for their next match – against England – has the potentialto be a deciding one as far as Pakistan’s campaign is concerned. A winat Cape Town will help them breathe a little easier before theircrucial encounter against India.England too will be out of sorts after going through the wringerduring the Zimbabwe controversy, and their win against Namibia wasnone too convincing. There is thus a big chance for Pakistan to beatthem, but it will take a good game-plan and an excellent execution ofit in the middle.Strategy, indeed, seems to be the buzzword in this tournament.Watching this World Cup from the armchair, I can closely follow eventson the field, watch replays over and over again, and this is exactlywhat Pakistan must also do – observe. If they learn from watchingtheir opposition closely, it will help them formulate precisestrategies that will go a long way in helping them win the Cup.

BEWARE, BARBADOS!Stung by a shocking defeat against lightweights Windward Islands last weekend, reigning regional Cup holders Jamaica plan to set the record straight when they meet Courtney Browne’s red-hot men in the third round of the Carib Beer Series, starting today."Our priority is to win. We must try and get 12 points in this game," Jamaica coach Robert Haynes said yesterday.After that narrow defeat to the Windwards in Kingston, there was a serious post-mortem.The players have been told what is expected of them."We had a strong meeting after the game. The captain and I spoke to them," Haynes said."We let them know the youngsters have to pull their weight."Veterans Nehemiah Perry and captain Robert Samuels gave Jamaica a chance of victory on the last day, but the only youngster who made an impression in the match against Windwards was Dave Bernard Jr."The youngsters are the future of Jamaica and West Indies cricket," Haynes said."They need to come and keep their head down. Having said that, they are pretty keen."They realised they blundered in that game. We’ve just got to set the record straight by going out there and playing some good cricket against Barbados."The Jamaica team that will take the field over the next four days will be more formidable than the one that played at Sabina Park last weekend.The recuperating Gareth Breese is set for his first match of the tournament following knee surgery, while Leon Garrick and Franklyn Rose return after missing the last match for varying reasons.Rose, Jamaica’s most experienced fast bowler, was surprisingly dropped after the opening match, while Garrick served a one-match suspension for a breach of discipline.Haynes confirmed both would be in the line-up for the match that will be played at Barbados’ newest first-class venue – the North Stars Cultural and Social Club in Crab Hill in the northern parish of St Lucy."Franklyn didn’t bowl well in Anguilla and the selectors dropped him," Haynes said."But Franklyn is a professional. He realised that he wasn’t bowling well. He’s looking a lot better. We know we can depend on him. It is just for him to get his confidence."Opener Garrick hit a half-century in the opening match before he landed himself in trouble with Jamaican cricket authorities."He paid his price. He is a class player. Once he is focused, he is going to get a lot of runs," Haynes said."I think all Jamaica are glad to see him back in the team. We want to see him go out there and perform to the best of his ability."

Hosts South Africa were knocked out of the World Cup in bizarre and cruelcircumstances after a rain affected tie in their crunch clash against SriLanka at Durban on Monday night.Sri Lanka scored an imposing 268 after a superb century from opener MarvanAtapattu and then restricted the Proteas to 229 for six in 45 overs beforethe soaked players were forced from the field by sheets of rain.According to the Duckworth Lewis method used to decide weather affectedmatches, the scores were tied when the umpires called on the covers withSouth Africa needing 40 runs from the last 30 balls of the innings.With time fast running out till the 10.45 cut off time, a slight lighteningof the rain encouraged a brief burst of activity from the ground staff,cheered on by a desperate partisan crowd. But the umpires prevented thecovers being hauled off and play had to be abandoned.With the points shared between the two sides, Sri Lanka’s place in the SuperSixes is confirmed and they top the Pool B table with 18 points. Kenya andNew Zealand take second and third place respectively with 16 points.Sri Lanka will not, however, carry through their maximum quota of pointshaving suffered a shock defeat against surprise qualifiers Kenya in Nairobi.Indeed, bizarrely, Steve Tikolo’s team, by virtue of that crucial win andNew Zealand’s forfeiture, carry through 10 points, and possibly 11 if theydefeat the West Indies, meaning they could be one upset away from a place inthe semi-finals. Sri Lanka carry through 7.5 and New Zealand four.South Africa, one of the favourites before the competition commenced, paidthe penalty for earlier defeats against West Indies and New Zealand andsuffer the similar ignominious exit suffered by the 1999 tournament hostsEngland.Contrary to the pre-game predictions of the swing bowlers dominating thegame, especially under the lights during the second innings, it was SriLanka’s spinners that caused the most problems for South Africa’s batsmen.Herschelle Gibbs, South Africa’s top scorer with 73 from 88 balls, aninnings studded with some glorious pulls, nullified the threat of ChamindaVaas’s left arm swing bowling expertly.With fellow opener Graeme Smith (35) also batting positively, the SouthAfricans rattled along at a run-a-ball against the new ball adding 65 runsin 11.1 overs.But Sri Lanka skipper Sanath Jayasuriya’s decision to employ his spinnersearly brought instantaneous success as the left-hander smashed Aravinda deSilva’s first ball straight down the throat of a kneeling Pulasthi Gunaratneon the mid-wicket boundary.De Silva then mopped up Gary Kirsten (8) after the left-hander missed asweep and was bowled behind his legs to leave South Africa on 91 for two.However, despite the early wickets, and even the loss of Jacques Kallis, whowas uncorked by a fizzing delivery from Jayasuriya, South Africa looked tobe in control whilst Gibbs was at the crease.The 29-year-old batted serenely, cleverly opening his stance against Vaasand playing the ball as late as possible. He was ruthless and clinicalagainst the loose delivery and looked set to carry South Africa home.But Muttiah Muralitharan recovered from an expensive first over to claim thekey wicket as the right-hander stretched across his stumps and missed anattempted sweep.Next over, Boeta Dippenaar was given his marching orders by umpire Venkat asa quicker delivery from Jayasuriya thudded in to his pads.Mark Boucher and Shaun Pollock (25) revitalised local hopes with 63 runs in13.1 overs before, just when the initiative looked to swinging to SouthAfrica, a reflex back-hand flick from Muralitharan ran out Pollock.With 57 needed from 45 balls, new batsman Lance Klusener struggled with histiming, scoring just one run from eight balls, and the run rate crept upuntil Muralitharan’s ninth over, the 45th of the innings.Muralitharan conceded five wides and was then slammed for a magnificentstraight six by Boucher, who was 45 not out from 50 balls when play theplayers left the field. Cruelly, for South African fans, had Boucher taken asingle off the last ball of the over and not tapped the ball straight tomid-wicket, South Africa would have won the match.Earlier, Atapattu had scored his maiden World Cup century and the ninth ofhis career, rescuing the Sri Lanka’s after a nervous start.The innings was precariously placed on 90 for three after the loss of SanathJayasuriya (16), whose innings was cut short by some doleful running, HashanTillakaratne (14) and Mahela Jayawardene (1).But the 32-year-old batted magnificently – his powerful and crisp drivingthrough the cover region a feature of his innings -stroking 18 boundaries inhis 124 from 129 ballsAravinda de Silva provided solid support, showcasing his big match pedigreewith a perfectly paced 73 from 78 balls, an innings that included six foursand two glorious leg-side sixes.The experienced pair accelerated after a period of consolidation andeventually compiled a 152 run stand – a fourth wicket record for Sri Lankaagainst South Africa.

Burridge’s worst fears have been confirmed by Zimbabwe’s selection of all-rounder Gary Brent in their squad for the One-Day International Cricket Series against England and South Africa this summer.The recently relegated Southern Electric Premier League club have signed up Brent to boost their prospects of an immediate return to Division 1.But Brent’s call up for the triangular ODI Series against England and South Africa means the 27-year old all-rounder will not now be playing for them in the Premier League.”I had a chat with Gary about the situation last night and he’s confirmed he won’t now be flying to the UK until June 6,” explained Burridge skipper Roger Cawte.”Zimbabwe have a quite a few 4-day matches lined up before they play the two Tests against England at Lord’s and in Durham, and we initially assumed Gary wouldn’t be involved in them.”We thought Zimbabwe coach Geoff Marsh would want him playing over here and experiencing English conditions, but the risk of injury was too great and now it seems he won’t be joining us at all.it’s all very much up in the air at the moment,” he added.Brent, 27, has played four Tests and 39 ODIs for Zimbabwe since 1996.But missed out on selection for the recent World Cup tournament in South Africa.Burridge are now working on a contingency plan, but are unlikely to make an annoucement about Brent’s would-be successor until after the Easter weekend.”We’ll keep our options open, but obviously we’d all like to see Gary back at Burridge, where he’s had three previously successful seasons in the past,” Cawte added.

Now then, has John Geoffrey Wright, that infernal Kiwi, the Canterbury interloper, that foreign fellow, prostrated himself before our own BCCI president, just got right down on his arrogant knees and thanked His Dalmiyaness for giving him a one-year extension? I mean, there he was, sometimes on a two-month extension, unsure about his future, just how we like it, and we go and give him 12 months. Talk about indulgence.We Indians are hospitable to the point of hysteria, still hauling along our tedious colonial baggage. So many pontificating pundits and garrulous gurus with Indian passports, and we still choose Wright? So what if these former cricketers have no real coaching resumes; so what if they can go three days nonstop without a pleasant word to say about the team (and then they expect the players’ respect!); so what if they promise us a retreat into a cricketing stone age? They’re Indians, aren’t they?What does Wright know about us Indians? ask some former players. Indeed, what does he know? Instead of Aamir Khan videos to relax with, he bungs in tapes of opposition batsmen at work (what bhai, they don’t see enough of them on the field?). Instead of a chai piyo first and a Kapil Dev-like `Enjoy, boys’, he runs them into the ground and has them dirtying their whites (Remember Chris Evert who said no shot was worth diving for? Well that’s us). Instead of players looking for the nearest Indian restaurant when they enter a hotel, they’re first checking if it has a good gym.Our Indian way is going to hell.What were we thinking?Wait a minute, hold your horses and those Dilip "Why do we need a foreign coach?" Vengsarkars for a moment. Maybe we’re finally thinking.Maybe we figured it out (or we should have): this guy is good for us. This guy whose father is dying of cancer in New Zealand, but who still finds the concentration and courage to not just hang with his team at the World Cup but help take them closer to the promised land than we dared imagine, really cares.This guy, who embraces everything Indian, who Javagal Srinath says "thinks about the team all the time, his focus is 100 per cent, and that sort of dedication is rare", may be the real McCoy.This guy, who strangely enough retreats from headlines; who Rahul Dravid says has made a difference in planning and organisation and has "created an environment where everyone is made to feel comfortable to give his best, and that only an attitude to improvement will be tolerated", has had a telling effect.This guy, who former player Arun Lal says "has with the support staff brought in professionalism, is first at the nets, sees the wicket is okay, the nets are okay, knows what to do with each player and is tremendous for the team", is doing a decent job. Maybe that’s the problem.He was supposed to fail. He was supposed to be proof (to some of us) that we know best. Forget the fact that the Indian team’s an improved side; forget that they actually win Tests abroad these days; forget that they won the NatWest Trophy while under pressure about contracts, and also the ICC Trophy. What’s incredible, says Lal, is that at the World Cup, after an indifferent start, they didn’t fold like a cheap pack of cards as Indian teams usually do, but found the nerve to scrap their way back. Still, the foreign coach is no good? (No one’s forgetting Sourav Ganguly’s considerable contribution; it’s just that this isn’t about him).So sure, there are lacunae, and we’re about a million miles away from Australia in consistent excellence, and the players are sometimes overtly touchy; but the incremental improvements are obvious. Running between wickets, fitness, focus, discipline, attitude, shouldering responsibility. A once-disparate team full of cliques and cabals is now actually huddling, and not just to decide which sponsor pays most.Funny thing is, ask the former Indian coaches and players, some who slag Wright off, and they say they never had enough time with the team to put their plans into action. Yet Wright doesn’t deserve any? They want him to turn a team arriving from an amateur system into world-beaters by tomorrow – something they knew they couldn’t do. But they’ve had their chance; now let Wright have his.As Ravi Shastri says flatly: "No one else but John Wright should be coach. No one (in India) has the qualifications or delivery (and follow-through). No Indian is a patch on him. He comes without baggage, he’s honest, he’s sincere, the boys like him and he has done wonders. If there’s a criticism – but I know his hands are tied – it’s that I’d like to see him crack the whip more".You think every former player in Australia likes their present team? You think everyone in the Australian team is so cuddly-close they’d marry their sisters off to the next guy? Still, they understand that the cause they’re fighting for – i.e. Australia – is bigger than any pettiness. They pull together. We tear each other apart.So these fellows, KD and gang, great players no doubt, who see no value in Wright, do they ever think, `Maybe, instead of shooting from the lip every time I see a microphone, I could contribute a few original ideas, travel to Australia to do a coaching course, ask John, "Hey, is there any way I could help at the nets?" ‘ Or is Anshuman Gaekwad saying that the boys are swallowing some illegal elixir the best we can do?How many times should we say it: great players don’t necessarily make great coaches. Coaching is not about grandstanding; it’s not about how many Tests you played or the continent-sized reputation you own or the fact that you can come up with seven cringe-inducing similes in five minutes flat. It’s about interest and detail and humility and ideas and homework and subjugating your ego and patience.But what bothers me most is why some people don’t like Wright. If the statistics showed we were going backward, then okay. If the team said he sucked, then fine. But that’s hardly the case. A former player says there are agendas at work, that people are pulling Wright down because they want the job. Earning the post is clearly too time-consuming. But more worrying is this. Could it be that some of us, the very same people who feel discriminated against by western nations (and we’re not always wrong, mind you) are now guilty of an ugly xenophobia? How pitiful that would be.No one’s saying Wright’s beyond criticism, or that he’s some messiah, but let’s treat him like any other coach. And that’s the key. Don’t judge him on colour, passport, accent; judge him on performance. Thing is, are these former players who are doing the sniping primarily concerned with the primitive idea of a foreign coach showing us up, or are they interested in us being a better team, whatever it takes?Let’s remember why so many of us thought foreign coaches might be a good idea. Not because they’re better, but because they’re different. Because a foreign coach might bring a fresh mindset; because we’re high on flair but need discipline; because he wouldn’t care if a player was from Mumbai or Meerut; because too many Indian coaches have come and gone without any effect; because we want a system and direction, not platitudes. And, oh yes, because the team thought we should have one too. They were reasonable reasons and they’ve been borne out.We live in a time of internationalism, where a Swede coaches England’s soccer team, an Australian was asked to help the West Indies cricket side, and an American baseball coach works with the Australian cricket team. Sport is a better place for such exchanges, for knowledge should never have borders. John Wright is learning every day about, and from, our country and he will be a more rounded man for it. To not learn from him (Why isn’t he coaching coaches, he feeding off them, they feeding off him – like maybe Ashok Malhotra hopefully did as assistant coach?) would be arrogant.One day, sooner than we think, Wright will be gone. And the greatest compliment we can pay him is by not missing him. By having a bevy of trained, ambitious, humble, dignified, tough, literate-in-modern-cricket Indian coaches ready to take his place. Endless pontificating and uselessly undermining him is not the prescription; hard work is. Alas, that’s something we’re not always too familiar with.

India and Pakistan are no closer to resuming cricket ties, according to an Indian news agency, after negotiations between the two countries stalled.Both sides have shown a recent willingness to get out of the boardroom and onto the cricket field, and tentative tour plans had even been discussed, with one-day internationals in each country in September, followed by a full series in Pakistan in February 2004. But for the time being, it’s back to the drawing-board.”After those few days of excitement, there is a general despondency in the two camps as we seem to be heading nowhere,” an unnamed cricket official was quoted as saying. “At the moment, I doubt if we could have any cricket between the two countries in September. But we cannot afford to be lax and want to keep everything in place should we get positive signals from the government.”The Pakistan Cricket Board is particularly eager to resume ties. It is suffering a financial squeeze from cancelled tours and needs to play as much cricket as reasonably possible.

The Afghanistan Cricket Federation (ACF), which is already an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council, has applied for membership of theAsian Cricket Council (ACC), and also requested permission to send ateam to the 2003 Youth Asia Cup, which starts on July 15.While their membership application is an agenda item down fordiscussion at the ACC meeting on June 14, and likely to be approved, it will probably be too late for Afghanistan to compete in the youth tournament. Syed Ashraful Huq, the ACC’s chief executive, has turned down their request asthe Afghan federation is not yet a member of the council, and that even ifmembership is approved it leaves little time to include an Afghanistan teamin the tournament.However, he said that if ACF membership is approved then they could take part in the Under-17 Asia Cup, which is to be held later this year.The ACF is active in building up cricket in Afghanistan after the recentwar, and has already sent teams to play in two of Pakistan’s domesticcompetitions.The decision seems disappointing from the viewpoint of helpingdevelop cricket in the region, a primary goal of the Asian Cricket Council. Surely a special case could have been made to allow an Afghan youth teamto play while their application was pending? Such a decision would have allowed Afghan youngsters to gain useful experience against stronger Asian teams while boosting the ACF’s morale as they develop cricket in their wartorn country.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has welcomed the resumption of cricketing ties between India and Pakistan at the the under-19 and A levels. Ehsan Mani, the ICC president, hoped that this would lead to the revival of full-fledged international cricket between the two teams.”India and Pakistan on the cricket field is one of the world’s greatsporting rivalries,” said Mani. “The announcement that these two powerful cricketing nations will again meet on the field, albeit at a level below full international status, is a welcome step along the path to the resumption of full cricketing ties between the countries.”When these two teams met in the 2003 World Cup the passion that the match generated and its ability to have a positive impact on people in both nations was apparent.”Cricket, like all sport, has the capacity to promote understanding and generate goodwill and I would urge the political leaders in both countries to allow the game of cricket to assist in building relations between these two nations rather than being used for a political purpose.”Earlier, Pakistan had requested the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) to reschedule the four-nation under-19 tournament so that it won’t clash with other major matches to be played in Pakistan later this year. “We welcome India’s participation in the event as the first step towards resuming cricketing ties but want the event to be rescheduled from September to November this year,” said Lt Gen Tauqir Zia, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman.Pakistan, who have rarely been able to play home series since the attacks on the World Trade Center led to a war in Afghanistan, are slated to host Bangladesh, South Africa and New Zealand from August to November. “The Under-19 event will be overshadowed during this period. That’s why we have asked the ACC to reschedule it.”The Indian government has refused to allow the senior side to tour Pakistan, but its decision to send the U-19s for the four-nation event indicates a thaw in relations. “With the junior-level events, we hope there are bright chances of revival of bilateral series between the two countries next year,” said Zia, alluding to a rivalry that has been in cold storage since India hosted a series in 1999.

Hampshire Hawks moved to the top of the National league Division II table for the first time following a record breaking performance at Taunton on Sunday (10 August). Their score of 335 for 6 beating their previous record of 313 scored in 1998.Winning the toss on a hot sunny day proved crucial, as the Hawks made hay in the heat. Simon Katich led the way with his first National League century for Hampshire, smiting some 10 fours and three sixes in his 88 ball stay. He shared two half century partnerships before his dismissal, first with Hamblin, then Kenway glad to get off the mark after two successive zeros. Kenway looked in fine fettle before he cruelly lobbed a slow full toss straight to mid-wicket.The two John’s, Crawley and Francis are getting used to each other out in the middle as they shared a 96 run partnership, following on their 78 run affair at Hove last Monday and their unbeaten 126 against the Scottish Saltires. John Crawley probably batting at his best this season hit an exhilarating 92 in 64 balls with 9 fours and two sixes. None of the Somerset bowlers were spared including former Hampshire favourite Nixon McLean. John Francis also chipped in with a half century off 39 balls, as the visitors swept past the 300 and beyond, as the Sabres who had spent the afternoon chasing leather even had the ignominy of conceding 6 penalty runs for a slow over rate.With the daunting task ahead of them Somerset received two early blows when Chaminda Vaas removed star batsman Jamie Cox for 0, and Chris Tremlett then removed the other opener Carl Gazzard also caught behind.At 2 for 2, Keith Dutch and Ian Blackwell attempted to up the tempo, which included 50 runs in just 5 overs, both they and skipper Michael Burns were dismissed and the inevitable was in hand.Shaun Udal shot out three more Sabres as Hampshire coasted to victory with 8 overs plus to spare.

A quite superb 273 by Durham’s Martin Love, the ninth highest score ever against Hampshire, was the stepping stone that gave the home side the ascendancy at Riverside on the second day of the Frizzell County Championship match.His innings consisted of 38 fours and two sixes, the latter coming as he pushed for runs with his side 9 wickets down. He finally fell going for another big shot off Shaun Udal, having survived over 7 and a half hours.Love had good support at the bottom of the innings and Durham’s highest Individual score set up a formidable 515.Rain meant that play did not get under way until 12:15, but despite the overcast conditions Hampshire’s bowlers failed to make the breakthrough early enough.Batting suddenly became a different story when Hampshire began their reply needed an awsome 366 to avoid the follow on, and despite setting an opening partnership of 50, finished the day at 88 for 4.James Adams having batted for 80 minutes edged the seamer Mark Davies to the wicket-keeper, then after hitting three fours, Simon Katich celebrating his 28th birthday, was snared lbw by the same bowler.Robin Smith playing his first match for 6 weeks did not survive long falling lbw to Paul Collingwood, then skipper John Crawley top edged spinner Graeme Bridge.Bad light stopped play an hour early, much to the relief of the Hampshire batsmen, but they will have to do a great deal of back to the wall batting on the third day if they are not to suffer a third successive Championship defeat.