Cricketing Mismanagement

The thrashing of the West Indies on the field of play on the current tour of England is symptomatic of the malaise that afflicts Caribbean cricket. As if the embarrassment on the field wasn’t enough the WICB has made a series of blunders in the past two weeks that serve to highlight the way this old boys network has destroyed our cricket. I cited some articles in my post of June 14th and here are two even harsher ones, one by Tony Cozier and the other by Martin Williamson.

The ICC also demonstrated how much of an incompetent organisation it is when last week it announced the banning of the five officials who had stood in the farcical World Cup final in April from the Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa in September. Now I have no problem with disciplining those idiots who presided over the ludicrous situation on the night of April 28th, but what I do have a problem with is Malcolm Speed’s pompous statement: “It would have been easy to let sleeping dogs lie and pretend nothing happened, but the reality is that the playing control team made a serious and fundamental error that caused the final of our flagship event to end in disarray and confusion.” This is the Chief Executive of a body that along with West Indian officials mismanaged the running of the World Cup and who refused to accept that the ICC bore any responsibility for the tournament’s failure! If the umpires and match referee can be disciplined for their part in the farce, then surely Speed and the rest of the inept and corrupt should also be held accountable!

A Poisoned Chalice, Cortisone Shots and Overcoming Injection Phobia

The World Cup is over. It kept me occupied for the past seven weeks and also provided me with much material for my blog! I now have to readjust to a World Cup less World and also think a bit more about what to write. Speaking of cricket, the West Indies has a new captain, coach and manager. My sympathies go out to Sarwan for he has truly been handed a poisoned chalice albeit for one tour- he has only been appointed for the tour to England after which his performance will be reviewed (by the same administrators who have no knowledge of the concepts of transparency, democracy and accountability and are in dire need of removal). I don’t know much about the coach David Moore except that he was the assistant coach under Bennett King. Will he do a better job? Mike Findlay’s appointment as manager is classic WICB old boy’s network at play and a case of recycling failures. A former chief of selector is now manager; there is no attempt at introducing new blood; in dynamism; in progress.

I had a doctor’s appointment today as well as therapy. I have been going to therapy about 2-3 times a week and every other session the therapist introduces a new exercise. Since my alarm two weeks ago at having forgotten how to walk, I have progressed to a point where I can stand on the foot that is injured and with the help of crutches lift my right foot. I can also stand on my left foot and take a small step forward and back with my injured foot. The doctor thinks that I need to wean myself off of the crutches now as my foot is progressing and I need to get back to using it. I will continue wearing the boot to protect the foot though. I am therefore using one crutch and within a few days I am supposed to switch to a cane. Using one crutch takes some getting used to and I instinctively want to resist putting any weight on my right foot. My foot is also hurting with the increase of weight on it and I now realise that what I was told about therapy being very painful is true. The first part with electrical stimulation, ultrasound and massages was good and the exercises while painful at some points were generally bearable. The part with walking without support is another story!

Besides all of that I had another cortisone shot today, the fifth one so far. I still cannot look at the syringe so I just glance away while the doctor sticks my foot. For those who don’t know, I have a huge syringe phobia. I didn’t actually have it when I was smaller and I remember getting injections at the doctor without any fuss and even getting a vaccination when I was in secondary school when there was a measles scare in Barbados. However, when I was about 14 my mother became very ill. She needed to be given injections everyday and one of my sisters was the one who volunteered to do it. Needless to say, the injections would hurt very badly. When she was hospitalised, she had lots of drips and needles stuck in her and this coupled with the nurses never finding her veins and sticking her all over freaked me out and I developed a serious fear of syringes. I can take a needle and stick my skin or use it to take out a splinter but show me a syringe and I will cringe. I took a significant risk in 1999 by not getting vaccinated for my four month trip to India and I absolutely refused to get any blood tests done until my doctor finally managed to persuade me to get one in 2005 as part of a physical check up. I still close my eyes when there is an injection being administered on tv and this is the first time since my mother died almost 14 years ago that I have had one. I think the last injection I had was in December 1993 when I had some fillings put in at the dentist.

Of National Heroes and Farcical Endings

It was apt that what has been failure of a tournament would end in a farcical manner. No one had any control over the rain but the ICC’s rules destroyed any prospect of a complete and competitive game. Once the rain had delayed play to such a large extent, the logical step would have been to play the normal 50 overs match over two days but the ICC, pandering to the television networks and focused on extracting maximum profit, had in place rules to reduce the overs and try as far as possible to finish the game in one day. It is absurd to play a final or a semi final for that matter of the most important event in international cricket in 38 overs.

Gilchrist plundered Sri Lanka’s highly rated bowling but I think that if the rain had not intervened or if Duckworth/Lewis had not come into effect, the Sri Lankans stood a good chance of chasing down the Aussie score. We will never know though, because in their greed, the ICC robbed the tournament of a really good game. The umpires and match referee obviously had to join in the act and their bizarre interpretation of the rules meant that international cricket had to be subjected to the indignity of players playing three overs in darkness. Anyone watching who was not a cricket fan would have been amazed at the silliness of it all. The ICC has repeatedly stated its aim of popularising cricket all over the world. Once again it failed miserably in its task.

Two articles expanding on the above can be read here and here.

Today is Barbados’ National Heroes Day and normally there would be activities to commemorate the lives of the ten outstanding Barbadians who played critical roles in shaping our country’s history. Hosting the final of the Cricket World Cup meant that the Day had to take a backseat this year. However, the only living Hero, Sir Garfield Sobers, was present at the presentation ceremony and presented one of the awards. It may seem strange to some people that a sporting icon is a National Hero of a country, but for the Caribbean the game is much more than a sport and is intertwined in the social, economic and political landscape of these small islands. For Barbadians, Sir Garry is more than the greatest cricketer to have walked the globe; he was a man born in a tiny British colony but who would stride the cricketing world like a giant, earning the respect and admiration of millions. Cricketing success instilled a pride in West Indians and in the words of C.L.R. James, it goes “Beyond the Boundary”.

Perennial Chokers

International cricket’s recurrent chokers lived up to their billing and handed a finals spot to the well oiled Aussie machine. Who would have thought though that the manner of choking would be of such magnanimity? I could not believe my eyes as one after the other, South Africa’s batsmen threw away their wicket, playing like primary school children. Australia bowled well, but there was nothing in the bowling to justify a score of 27/5 after 10 overs. No score attained after this would have been enough to defend and especially against a team like the Aussies. So South Africa came to the Caribbean ranked as the number one team in one day internationals. They return home with their reputation of choking on the big stage and especially in World Cups enhanced just as New Zealand go home after falling once again at the semi finals stage.

Sri Lanka versus Australia, Kensington Oval, Barbados, April 28th- can the exciting and likeable Asians defeat the arrogant Aussie juggernaut?

Have I Entertained You?

*Photos from www.cricinfo.com

Yes, bellowed the huge crowd who had turned up to say goodbye to a West Indian legend.

West Indies lost the match; appropriately many may say, as during his time playing for the regional team, it rarely won! Unlike so many times in the past though, he did not shine with the bat but it was not due to any fault of his. He was run out because of a poor piece of cricket by Marlon Samuels who symbolises much that is wrong with our cricket- lack of commitment and mental strength. Samuels will be forever remembered as the man who ran out Brian Lara in his last match. A number of fans have been saying that it was deliberate or that at the minimum selfish, as he called for the run and should have kept running and given up his wicket. Interestingly, according to press reports, when asked during his press conference if Samuels had apologised, Lara fumbled for words and then said “It would have to be a yes, or a no. So I will leave it.”

The whole affair of Lara retiring has a bitter taste to it. Only recently he had made clear his intentions to carry on playing for another couple of years until he was 40 and the manner in which he batted late last year on the tour of Pakistan demonstrated that his hunger for runs and his physical fitness have not waned. One wonders if he was, like many of our other cricketing greats, pushed out. He certainly hinted at it in his press conference. Lara has always been the consummate diplomat and once again he refused to bite at the bait the reporters threw out. However, he did say enough to let people make their own conclusions. Lara, like all of us, has his faults, but he cannot be blamed for the malaise that envelopes our cricket. For that, we must blame the administrators, their incompetence and obsession with power and money along with the way our society has moved towards a culture of mediocrity, materialism, indiscipline and instant gratification. Until we admit the deep-rooted structural problems facing us instead of finding convenient scapegoats, we will never be able to fix our beloved game. Until there is a drastic transformation instead of superficial changes to appease criticism, we will continue to languish at the bottom of the cricketing rankings. Plain and simple!

Brian Charles Lara did entertain. He entertained like no other batsman in his era. The statistics and the records are phenomenal but there was nothing like actually watching him bat. He also had the burden of playing in a team of mediocre players and of having to carry the batting for over a decade. Other great West Indian batsmen (besides George Headley) never had that burden and this makes his achievements even more admirable. We will never see that extravagant back lift, the exquisite cover drive, the deft late cut, the dismissive flick or pull; that seemingly supernatural ability to pierce fields; the utter destruction and total domination of bowling attacks all over the cricketing world. While he has left international cricket, his fans will hope that he goes on to play county cricket for a while still in England. The stage may not be as grand as that of the test arena, but it will still afford some the opportunity to see art in motion.

A transcript of Lara's interview can be seen here.

A Legitimate Sold Out Match?

The news coming out of Barbados today is that there is a mad rush for tickets for tomorrow’s match with the Barbados Defence Force and police being called out to control the crowds coming to buy tickets. It is rather ironic that the only legitimate sold out match will be because Brian Lara has announced his retirement from international cricket! Even with thousands of free tickets being given away for other matches, none have witnessed a full house.

The Aussies annihilated a team that many were saying may challenge them for the title. Well any such thoughts were laid to rest today. They just look totally unstoppable. Can the off day Australia is due come in the semis or finals?

A Legend's Announcement

“I want everybody to know that on Saturday I'll be bidding farewell to international cricket as a player. I've already spoken to the board and my players.” With these words, a batting colossus announced his retirement from all international cricket today. Saturday’s match in Barbados against the old enemy will be his last. Before the World Cup began, I had hoped to see him lift the trophy on April 28th (I knew it would require a miracle but one can still wish!) and then end his career on a high on the tour to England. It wasn’t meant to be.

Lara is a man who evokes extreme emotions in West Indians. There are people who hate Lara and nothing he does is ever right. Then there are others for whom Lara can never do any wrong. I like to see myself in the middle. I will never blame Lara for the ills that have befallen our cricket. He is just one man in a team of eleven and for most of his career he has been the only batsman (besides Chanderpaul) worthy of wearing the maroon cap. Those who attack Lara as if their life depend on it conveniently ignore the real reasons behind our failure- a complete failure of the administration of the game in the region combined with a general change in attitudes and behaviour of young people. Lara however has his faults and captaincy was not one of his strong points. Many a time he made questionable decisions on the field and those who adulate him refuse to acknowledge this. They also refuse to admit that at some points in his career he acted like a prima donna and as if he was above the rules.

At the end of the day though, Lara was a genius playing in a team of mediocre and often time poor sportsmen. For over a decade he carried the weight of the West Indies and his retirement is our loss. I am sure that if the West Indies miraculously starts doing well, his detractors will say I told you so. If the West Indies keeps declining (is it possible to go any lower?) they will say that he destroyed West Indian cricket beyond repair. Lara, as the saying goes, just cannot win. I will cherish the memories of Lara’s many great innings, from his 277 and 375 to his 153 and 400 and everything in between and after; for me he will always be one of the greatest batsmen to ever walk this earth, better than Tendulkar and better than Ponting! What I have also always admired about him is that despite being faced with criticism for his entire career, he has rarely ever hit back, instead letting his bat speak for him. I look forward to reading his memoirs and to hearing the story from his point of view.

As for Saturday, it will be fitting for him to end on a high. A century against those English whingers, one last time, for us the fans, at the home of West Indian cricket, Kensington Oval!

I Have Forgotten How to Walk!

Since January when I was put in a cast, I have gotten around using crutches and my left foot. My right foot has not been used at all. While I have been “walking” with both feet in the past two weeks, it is still with the aid of crutches and the medical boot. I had appointments with both the doctor and the physical therapist today. The doctor checked my foot and said that the physical therapy would help further healing. He also said he would give me a cortisone shot after therapy was over in a part of the foot which was still painful from the tendonitis. If within a few days the pain lessens, then it means the cortisone is working and I have to go for another shot in two weeks. If the pain is the same it means that the cortisone is not having an affect and only rest will help. Physical therapy was the same as before except that this time I had to stand on my feet at the end of the session. This was the first time I was standing on both feet without any support and besides the pain that shot up from my toes right up to my knee, I was unable to move my right foot. I almost freaked out. To widen my stance I had to hold on to a beam and then lift my foot. I had to sway from side to side about ten times in that position. After that I had to move my right foot forward so I would be standing at an angle. Once again I had to hold onto the beam and move my foot. I performed the same swaying exercise and then changed my stance (using the beam for support again) so that my left foot was now in the lead and swayed again. Using the crutches and medical boot to shuffle/walk with both feet, I had not realised that I had lost my ability to walk and so I was somewhat mortified. I thought that my foot was just stiff from the cast/ not being used and that therapy would reduce the tightness enabling me to put weight on my foot and walk normally. The body and mind is amazing. Just under three months of not using my foot and it has totally lost its ability to function! I have to do the swaying exercises at home twice a day and I guess as physical therapy continues, I will regain full mobility. It is a bit scary though.

Because of my double appointments I was only able to watch Sri Lanka’s innings which folded timidly in the face of good bowling. The only resistance came from the middle-order partnership between Chamara Silva and Mahela Jayawardene and some tail end hitting out. This was not unexpected however, as besides Sangakkara (who was the recipient of a poor umpiring decision), none of the Sri Lankans have a good record against Australia. I also don’t think that the Sri Lankans approached this match with a desire to win. They rested their two best bowlers and it appears to have been a strategic decision to play a weakened side in a match which was of little consequence- both sides had already reached the semis. The intention seems to be to spring a surprise on the Aussies in the finals rather than compete or win in a Super Eights match and then have them bounce back ruthlessly. Once they can increase the momentum in the semis and reach the finals, the tactic will have worked. The top order needs to make some runs in the last Super Eights match against Ireland on Wednesday and be in a proper frame of mind for next week.

Of Nor'easters, Irish Upsets, South African Chokers and Salvaging the World Cup

As I write, the nor’easter that has been pounding the East coast is still raging outside. I just watched the news and there has been record rainfall, flooding, damage, cancelled flights and trains and chaos in general.

I was watching the cricket this morning when I got a call. It was one of my sisters in Barbados. She was at Kensington Oval and asked me if I had just seen her on tv! The organisers were forced into making admission free today in light of the consistently poor sales and attendance at all the matches this World Cup and so two of my sisters took advantage of the “freeness” and took their kids. Unfortunately she seemed to have been on tv just when I had stepped into the kitchen to grab some breakfast. I guess they took the kids for the experience and to give them something to do. Hopefully it stimulates some interest in the little ones. They seem to be much more engrossed in playstation and cartoons! However, if I was in Barbados, there was no way I would have gone, even if they had paid me! Besides the actual play on the field, the World Cup has largely been a flop. There are a few main reasons and there are quite a few people who are to blame. They are now trying to salvage something from the tournament by giving away tickets and relaxing the regulations which had taken the Caribbean element out of the venues and deterred fans. I feel insulted by all of this and if I was there, there is no way that I would have dignified them by attending.

In the battle of the giant killers today, Ireland came out on top, convincingly dismissing the inconsistent Bangladeshis. While Ireland has had a hard time in the Super Eights, Bangladesh has been hot and cold. Whippings by New Zealand and Australia were followed by a win against South Africa and a close lost against England. Even if winning consistently against top teams is too much to ask of the Tigers, they should have won today. Instead they played like an Associate team while Ireland performed like a team of seasoned professionals. From the time the Irish captain took the bold decision to bat first so as to negate the threat of Bangladesh’s left-arm spinning trio, they dominated the game and thoroughly deserved their victory.

The World Cup has had its fair share of highs and lows (for us West Indian fans, largely lows) but as the Super Eights has progressed, it has become much more interesting. The results from the last few games mean that the match between England and South Africa on Tuesday assumes quarter-finals proportions. Speaking of South Africa, they continuously justify their tag as the perennial chokers of international cricket. They came into the World Cup as the number one ranked team in one day internationals, but have suddenly began to look very ordinary. They almost snatched defeat from the jaws of victory against Sri Lanka, lost to Bangladesh and put in a dismal performance yesterday against New Zealand. South Africa is not one of the teams I like, but at this point I am supporting anyone who may somehow halt the Aussies. When the South Africans returned to international cricket after their ban was lifted, they were right there at the top of the list of teams I dislike. A post-apartheid South African team still full of players from the white minority was a definite no for me! I did feel sorry for them in 1999 when they somehow managed to lose to Australia in the semis, but not when they botched up the Duckworth/Lewis calculations in 2003 and had to exit in the first round. As their team has become a bit more diversified (it still doesn’t reflect the country’s racial composition) I have somewhat thawed towards them, although their captain Graeme Smith remains one of the biggest whingers in cricket!

Pathetic West Indies

Another mauling in the Super Eights, this time at the hands of South Africa and it was not unexpected. What else can a team lacking in commitment and proper management give to its supporters but heartache. Its time for resignations and heads rolling but this is the Caribbean so a few minor changes will be made to appease the people and life will go on merrily.

I went to my second session of therapy yesterday. It was the same process as the first one. The therapist also told me to apply an ice pack to my foot two to three times a day and do the exercises after that. The next session is on Friday.

The Tiger Roars

*Photos from www.cricinfo.com

Even though they had upset India in the first round, heavy defeats to Australia and New Zealand meant that no one expected this from Bangladesh! The lowest ranked one day team totally outplayed the top ranked one and opened up the Super Eights. This was even bigger than their win over India and it was wonderful to watch the youthful exuberance of the Bangladesh team as they outclassed the South Africans and made a mockery of the rankings system. What the result has also done is given hope to West Indies and England and Tuesday’s match between West Indies and South Africa in Grenada will now assume much more importance for the South Africans than they would have thought this morning.

The Aussies play the English tomorrow. I can’t stand either team and when they play each other I usually back one or the other depending on the situation. During the 2006 Ashes series, I backed the Aussies because the English media and all of England for that matter were overdoing the whole “we are better than Australia” story in the lead up. They had finally beaten Australia in a series after eighteen years in 2005 and they were parading as the best in the world! 2006 certainly brought them back to earth! In the context of tomorrow’s match an Australian victory will be in West Indies’ favour and so let’s hope for an Aussie administered whipping for the English.

What about the Tebbit Test?

What would Norman Tebbit have said? England’s South Asian connections (Sajid Mahmood with four wickets and man of the match Ravi Bopara with his cool half century) almost won them the game against Sri Lanka but in the end England just was not good enough. I had expected them to be on the receiving end of a whipping but to their credit they played well to restrict Sri Lanka and then recover from 133-6 to come within three runs of victory. While an England win would have been better for our extremely slim chances of advancing to the semis, I was supporting Sri Lanka. Even though I hope for a miracle and Lara doing an Imran Khan, the sad reality is that we are not good enough and I can not see us beating England or South Africa. I also can’t stand the English cricket team (the Aussies are arrogant and crass but the English are just poor losers and whingers, and not to mention the old enemy and former colonial masters) so I was rooting for Sri Lanka all along. With the Windies seemingly on their way out and Pakistan already gone, I am backing Sri Lanka now.

Staying with England, Keith Richards has denied that he snorted his late dad’s ashes while using cocaine. The Rolling Stones guitarist claims that he was joking when in an interview with music magazine NME he said “… I couldn't resist grinding him up with a little bit of blow” and that the ashes "went down pretty well". Now I like the Stones but even by Richard’s standards this is sick and I don’t know if to believe him or not. He has done some crazy stuff, much of it narcotics related, so on the one hand this can’t be put past him, but on the other, he is a man who doesn’t care what people think so the fact that he has felt the need to come out and say that he was not serious, could mean that it was indeed said in jest. Who knows! I am not one for wasting my time reading about celebrity lifestyles but I like the Stones and the headline caught my eye.

A Cruel April Fools Joke?

April Fools Day and all the West Indian fans must have been wishing that what happened in Guyana earlier today was just a cruel joke and that the actual game is scheduled for tomorrow. The West Indies played like true minnows. Actually, it was even worse because none of the minnows has displayed this type of sickening behaviour on the field- lethargic, apathetic, lack of unity and spirit, poor body language. The Windies team of the past decade has been notorious for putting in some poor performances but I can’t remember having ever seen the players act like they did on Sunday. There was a total absence of life and it is obvious that the team is disunited and beset by internal problems like never before.

The bowling (with the exception of Powell) and fielding left a lot to be desired and as has become the norm, the batting collapsed. Chris Gayle once again confirmed that he is severely limited when it comes to mental capacity as did Dwayne Smith. Even after Lara got out, I still think that Sarwan and Chanderpaul could have pulled it off but for some odd reason they played as if it was a test match. I agree that there was a need to consolidate and rebuild after the loss of three wickets but playing out dot ball after dot ball was not the answer. Singles and with the size of this new ground twos would have kept the run rate manageable and the batsmen to follow would not have been placed under so much pressure. It is absurd that two part time bowlers can go for 20 runs off 7 overs while Muralitharan went for 59 off of 9!

Mathematically we still have a chance of qualifying for the semis, if we win our next three matches and the win/losses in the other matches go in our favour. However, while I would love for the Windies to win the World Cup, deep down, I know that they do not deserve to qualify for the semis based on how they have played. If by chance they manage to qualify, it will still not disguise the fact that West Indies cricket is in need of a serious revolution, starting with a purging of the administrators and a creation of a body that is truly transparent, democratic and accountable and followed by a proper restructuring of the game throughout the region from primary school right up to the senior level. This is the ideal. The reality is that I am speaking of the Caribbean. I need say no more.

Worries in the West Indies Camp

Thursday and the Windies made the previous day’s performance look good. Another horrible batting performance characterised by the same don’t care attitude along with an unexplainable team selection and it now is two losses in the Super Eights. It seems as if the only team the West Indies may beat is Bangladesh and even then that cannot be taken for granted. I will not waste my time going through the individual batting performances but what really baffles me is that a fast bowler is dropped for a batsman and this team of so-called batsmen can still only muster 177 runs. Nine batsmen in a team and they cannot even manage to make 200 and then with only one strike bowler, this lowly total has to be defended!

On top of the worries on the field, all the organisational problems continue to grab headlines. The stadiums are empty, fans are crying out about the expensive ticket prices/ ridiculous regulations about food, drink and musical instruments and the expectations for large numbers of tourist arrivals now seem to have been unfounded.

Is all this gloom justified or are people too quick to rush to judgement with four weeks still remaining?

Sharpeville Massacre 1960, Inzamam and the End of a Glorious Career

On March 21st, 1960, policemen of the apartheid South African state opened fire on innocent civilians participating in a Pan-Africanist Congress (PAC) organised protest against the notorious segregationist pass laws. The demonstration which numbered around 5 000 - 7 000 was a peaceful one but turned violent when the police force, unprovoked, opened fire and slaughtered sixty-nine people, including eight women and ten children. Of the 180 people who were wounded, thirty-one were women and nineteen were children. Many of the bullets fired had hit the victims in their backs, further indication that they had been trying to escape and were not attacking the police as the government claimed. The massacre was followed by protests and demonstrations and on March 30th, 1960, the apartheid regime declared a state of emergency and detained thousands of people. It also banned the PAC and the African National Congress (ANC). The Sharpeville Massacre was also greeted by international protests.

While the years leading up to Sharpeville had seen a marked increase in resistance against apartheid, the massacre proved to be a watershed as black South Africans realised that non-violence could not solely be relied on to defeat the forces of the apartheid regime. Speaking during his trial in October 1962, Nelson Mandela stated: “Government violence can do only one thing and that is to breed counter-violence. We have warned repeatedly that the Government, by resorting continually to violence, will breed in this country counter-violence among the people till ultimately if there is no dawning of sanity on the part of the Government, the dispute between the Government and my people will finish up by being settled in violence and by force”.

On this day also in 1992, a young man playing in his first World Cup would slam a 37-ball 60 against New Zealand and lead his team to a win in the semi-finals. He may not have reached anywhere near his heights of 1992 in subsequent World Cup campaigns in 1996, 1999 and 2003 but in the fifteen years since, Inzamam ul Haq proved himself over and over as one of the all time one day international batting greats. His test record is even better! Exactly fifteen years later to that semi-final game in which he announced his arrival on the big stage, Inzamam played his final one-day international. It was a far cry this March 21st from that March 21st in 1992, as this World Cup has gone from bad to worse for the great man and his team: defeated by West Indies in the first game, embarrassed by minnows Ireland and then the suspicious death of their coach Bob Woolmer in his hotel room. As captain, Inzamam may be public enemy number one in cricket crazy Pakistan at the moment, but I am sure the sight of him walking off the field in tears as he bid farewell to the cricketing world today would have softened hearts towards a man who give so much to Pakistani cricket. He was a joy to watch when in full flow and beyond his cricketing prowess he was a character, from the chubby beardless young man prone to running out his partners to the bearded elder statesman who began all his interviews and press statements with a “First of all thank you to Allah” and interspersed them with numerous “Inshaallahs”. Thank you Inzamam.

Cricket is my passion, so there!

A friend from Barbados was reading my blog today and made a comment to me on msn: "who cares about cricket". Hmmmmm. Well for one, me. It is a passion of mine and this is my blog, so I will write about cricket if I feel like! Besides me, over a billion people around the world. Cricket World Cup is the third largest sporting event after the Olympics and Football World Cup! So cricket is one of my many passions (and one of the relatively non-political, hence something I can write about in a public forum) and its World Cup time, so naturally my blog will now witness a certain bias in favour of this glorious game which for West Indians is more than just a sport.

And speaking of team sports, I will take the liberty of sharing this article on the CEO of the International Cricket Council, Malcolm Speed, hailing the West Indies cricket team as the 20th century's greatest phenomenon in world team sports. On second thoughts, I will just share the link since the whole article may make this post too lengthy. Read it if you get a chance; it is very interesting.

More Time Home, an Indian Massacre and a West Indian Struggle

I went back to the doctor again today. The swelling has diminished quite a bit but my foot is still painful. The limited walking experiment of the past few days has been called off as not only did I feel tingling sensations because of the tightness from being in a cast (which alone would have been fine) but also because my foot is still very painful. Mr. Podiatrist decided that it was best to just rest my foot and allow the tendons to heal fully and the tendonitis to disappear. He give me another cortisone shot again (which hurt more than the previous two, maybe because this one was closer to my ankle while the others were on my heel) and told me he wouldn’t cast me again as he trusted me not to abuse the boot and walk in it but keep my foot up when using the crutches. He averages that I will be home from work for a minimum of another six weeks! Thank God for the Barbadian social security system, which despite its many flaws, is still better than what prevails in many developed countries. If I was an American or living here as a normal immigrant, I would probably be out of a job by now.

The status quo was restored today when India massacred Bermuda. Actually it was restored yesterday when Australia slaughtered Netherlands. Order was also restored when West Indies won unconvincingly against Zimbabwe. There is no way that a team like Zimbabwe should have made 202 especially after losing those early wickets. The batting was not as disappointing as the bowling but it could still have been better. The openers were going along at a steady pace when Chanderpaul was drawn into a false stroke and then for the umpteenth time Gayle got out the same way he always does- caught behind the wicket. I just hope Chanderpaul can inject some life into his batting for the next match. Gayle seemed to be getting back into some sort of form but I find it so annoying that after all this time playing international cricket he still gets out the same way over and over. There is absolutely no excuse for mediocrity. Sarwan is also very annoying in his inability to play the short ball. How many times now has he been hit on his head? The way he took his eyes off the ball was also so school boyish and frankly pathetic. We saw the Samuels of old today but let’s hope that it was a one off and his new found maturity returns next match. There are many who will criticise Lara for batting so cautiously but I thought he played the perfect innings. It was a much better strategy to pace his innings and make sure he batted to the end. The fact is he should never have even been required to come out to the middle as the runs should have been knocked off with the loss of a maximum of one wicket. The batsmen who gifted their hands should be criticised, not Lara who did the smart thing and ensured a victory rather than attempting some big hitting heroics, losing his hand and overseeing the inevitable collapse. It was a captain’s innings.

Revenge of the Minnows on a Green Day

Sabina Park, Jamaica. Pakistan decked out in their green outfit versus Ireland also playing in their green team uniform; a green tinged pitch; St. Patrick’s Day.

Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad. Bangladesh dressed in their green kit playing India.

Two huge cricketing upsets, both on the same day.

Ireland did the impossible and caused one of the biggest upsets in recent cricket history. Their victory ranks with Sri Lanka v India (1979), Zimbabwe v Australia (1983), Kenya v West Indies (1996), Bangladesh v Pakistan (1999) Kenya v Sri Lanka (2003) and Canada v Bangladesh (2003) among upsets in World Cup matches. Congrats to the Irish.

Bangladesh’s victory over India, while not as much of an upset as Ireland’s win over Pakistan, was still unexpected. It was great to see a team of young players, some still in their teens, defeat an Indian team filled with modern day batting giants.

If India lose to Sri Lanka and follow Pakistan home, it will be a nightmare for international cricket’s marketing people! Imagine CWC 2007 second stage without the two teams with the largest and most fanatical fan base. Disaster for the businessmen!

A lot of people who have called for the minnows to be excluded from the World Cup will have to eat their words after today’s proceedings. Honestly though, upsets happen in every sport and add to the romanticism of these events. The fact is that they are far from the norm and order will be restored tomorrow when Australia play Netherlands and England play Canada. In my opinion, the jury still remains out on the issue.

Persistent Podiatric Woes and Musings on Cricketing Minnows

I went to the doctor again today. He delivered good and bad news. Good news is that the MRI shows that the torn tendon is healing. Bad news is that there is some new tenosynovitis and tendonitis, no improvement on the existing and there has been some worsening in two parts- Achilles tendon and posterior tibialis tendon. Even worse is that the MRI has revealed that the posterior tibialis is slightly torn. So now I have two torn tendons one on each side of my foot! My foot is also very swollen which I understand is from the tendonitis and inflammation etc. So it appears to be one step forward and two steps backward. The doctor said the MRI results sound worse than they really are. I am on antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medication for the swelling and inflammation and now wearing a special boot that allows me to “walk” on both feet while still using the crutches. I can take it off to sleep and shower. I am still supposed to rest and not put any weight on the foot if standing still. The boot is heavier than the cast but I guess the advantage is that I can take it off for showering and sleeping. The boot and continued rest are meant to heal the torn tendons and tenosynovitis and tendonitis; the medication is meant to help with the swelling, inflammation, tenosynovitis and tendonitis. The doctor also give me a cortisone shot which was the second one I have gotten. The first was in January. I have heard stories about how painful they are and so each time I expected acute pain; it actually wasn’t that bad.

I am going to be positive about this. At least the tendon which was so badly torn is healing and rest and the boot should heal the new tear. The tendonitis and tenosynovitis can also be healed by the rest and the medication. So hopefully just a few more weeks being immobile and some physical therapy afterwards and I will be ready to go.

I watched the last two hours of the Kenya/Canada game today. Kenya is in my opinion leaps and bounds ahead of the other minnows. It is a pity that the team doesn’t get to play top class opposition so often and even more of a pity that Steve Tikolo who is so much better than some batsmen in test playing teams will never get to play test cricket. I have mixed feelings about minnows competing in the World Cup. On the one hand they will never improve without competing against better opposition and to tell Ireland, Scotland, Bermuda or Canada that they shouldn’t play in the World Cup because they are not good enough is like telling Trinidad and Tobago or Jamaica that even though they qualified for the Football World Cup, they shouldn’t play because they are not good enough. Realistically however, how can two matches in a competition every three to four years help especially when they get massacred? Australia beating Scotland today by 203 runs in a one-day match is absolutely ridiculous! Not to mention, the “outstanding” and record breaking performances of players from top teams playing against minnows only serve to artificially inflate and exaggerate their averages etc.

Sir Frank Worrell- West Indian Hero

40 years ago on this day, the Caribbean lost one of its greatest leaders. He was not a Prime Minister or Premier, but the first black captain of the West Indies cricket team. Sir Frank Mortimer Maglinne Worrell succeeded in doing what no politician before him or since has been able to do- unite an archipelago of islands with a similar history but each with its own insular view of itself. It may not have been a political or economic union, but his achievement in bringing the region together through a beautiful game that is much more than a sport in the West Indies is unrivalled. Notwithstanding this, he was also a great batsman and a member of the legendary three Ws from Barbados. While Weekes was regarded as the best batsman of the trio and Walcott was a powerful hitter of the ball, Worrell was the poet and artist, being described as one who never made an ungrammatical stroke. Tragically, like quite a few other leaders and activists in the 1960s who challenged the status quo (Fanon, Malcolm X, MLK, Che, Lumumba), he died very young.

It was therefore fitting that the West Indies team which defeated Pakistan in the opening game of the World Cup today played like a cohesive unit instead of a bunch of disparate individuals like they have been doing so often in the past decade. While they started badly, once they had recovered, they never looked back. There were some questions over strategy but in the end everything worked out fine. Even more pleasing was that some of the players who have failed miserably to fulfil their obvious potential- Dwayne Smith and Marlon Samuels in particular- stepped up today and led the charge. If they continue to play like this and work on the weak areas, they can prove to be serious contenders for the Cup.