My first look at the 16 selected to prepare for the South African tour made a great smile come to my face

Folks, I can tell you this: after the Australian tour, I am very tired, mentally and physically

Sarwan: Hope for the future Photo © CricInfo Ltd

The first final of the Carlton Series provided little difference from the usual whitewash that Australia have effected so far this season on both the West Indies and Zimbabwe in the preliminary games

This last week has been, rather quietly, one of the better weeks that West Indies cricket, on and off the field, has experienced for some time, perhaps over four years

Australia's cricketers celebrated their country's 100th anniversary on Australia Day with as comprehensive a beating as they could have inflicted on their continued hapless victims, the West Indies

After the horrendous display two days ago at the Sydney Cricket Ground, when they were dismissed by Zimbabwe for 91, the West Indies came back to win their sixth game by 77 runs with 6.4 overs left - a rather comfortable win in the end

This particular ship, the West Indies cricket team, has, in many eyes around the cricketing world, already been sunk

So far, there have been few surprises in the one-day Carlton Series

Tremendous drama unfolded at the Gabba on Saturday as West Indian Ricardo Powell, the man of the match with a powerfully struck 83 not out which included nine fours and one six, enhanced his growing reputation as a great striker of the ball

For the first time since first playing against Australia in 1930/1, in Australia, the West Indies were "white washed" by Australia, 5-0

What a day of cricket

Things have gone so badly for the West Indian cricketers on this tour of Australia, with the batsmen being the primary offenders

At about 11.40am on Wednesday, the second day of the final Test between Australia and the West Indies, Brian Lara took a sharp catch, moving to his right, from the edge of Matthew Hayden's bat

There was one overwhelming irony, one that brought smiles to many faces, especially those of West Indies supporters, as the West Indies opening batsmen Sherwin Campbell and Wavell Hinds came to the crease after the luncheon interval on day one

Happy New Year to all my readers everywhere

There has been a tremendous celebratory cry from the West Indies camp, all eleven million of them, for the "arrival" of Marlon Nathaniel Samuels, born 5th January, 1981

There is only so much the mind and the body can take

A few weeks ago, after their first innings of 82 in the First Test at Brisbane, I remember suggesting that the West Indies should have been sent home

Overall, the first three hours of the first day were good for the West Indies