A week of excellent cricket

The first week of the 2003 World Cup has gone by after causing a great deal of heartache for a lot of people. The biggest surprise was South Africa losing twice. And if the double blow was not bad enough for the host nation, they have lost Jonty Rhodes to an injury while Allan Donald seems to be struggling in his final hurrah.

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Talking of Donald, another great cricketer who was looking to sign off in style by winning the World Cup, Shane Warne, has sadly been forced to fly back home after failing a drugs test. I, for one, was looking forward to seeing the blonde bombshell take on the world's best batsmen. Arguably the best spin bowler of his era, Warne's loss to diuretics has taken some sheen off the World Cup. He would definitely have played a major role in the latter stages of the tournament when the tracks were expected to take increasing turn.

Despite Warne's loss, the popular wisdom is that Australia will go all the way and win the coveted Cup. But I still have my doubts regarding their batting. In the game against Pakistan, they probably got away because Waqar Younis failed to apply more pressure when his team had their opponents on the mat. As for the game against India, Australia did not even have to bat for more than 20 odd overs.

All credit, though, to Andrew Symonds for playing such a superb innings under pressure against Pakistan. Despite this, I, however, still feel that the Australian middle-order might just cave in during an important game. That is when they would sorely miss the experience of Steve Waugh, their saviour on more occasions than one. Remember, that in the previous World Cup, it was two great efforts - one by Steve Waugh and the other a brilliant spell from Warne - that took Australia to the coveted trophy.

Brian Lara's brilliant comeback has, meanwhile, revitalised the West Indies' World Cup ambitions. No team can under-estimate the batting strength of the men from the caribbean, but it is their bowling that looks a bit weak with the part-timers having to chip in with 20 overs. This will leave them exposed against a strong batting side.

India's performance thus far in this World Cup has been dismal. Their batting looks woefully short of confidence, and sadly the message that is being communicated by the body language of the senior players does not make for happy reading.

That said, I am deeply saddened by the violent reaction of some fans in India; such mindless acts will only have a negative effect on the team. It brings to mind the sad scenes towards the end of the 1996 World Cup semi-final game against Sri Lanka at Kolkata. No matter what, violence is certainly not the solution to any problem.

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I feel for the passionate fans of this wonderful game, who feel hurt and let down by the performance of the Indian team. The unhealthy extent to which the media and the commercial folks have hyped up the game is beginning to prove detrimental now. If the trend continues, Indian cricket is in real danger of suffering the fate of the proverbial golden goose.

Having said that, the Indian cricket team and the management, in particular, deserve all the criticism that is coming their way. The voices that are coming out of the Indian camp provides little reassurance. If the team management can't really make out what is going wrong with the players, then it is a serious problem that the BCCI has to address as soon as possible.

I do not doubt the talent and ability of the Indian cricketers, may it be Sourav Ganguly or Mohamad Kaif. These guys have proved to us in the past that they have it in them to do well and win games for India. With this being the case, I feel that if the foreign coach, sports psychologist, and the computer analyst work diligently, the players wouldn't be left feeling as clueless.

When it comes to giving advice, I can, for starters, tell our batsmen this - they need to work hard on their footwork! I am amazed that someone like Rahul Dravid looks so stiff and immobile at the crease. The same is the case with most of the other players - their feet are not going anywhere, and they have been playing away from the body, a cardinal sin as far as any top-notch batsman is concerned. All said, my best wishes are still with the Indian team. They now have to win the next game against Zimbabwe, though I cannot help but shudder at the very thought of it possibly being a green top at Harare.

New Zealand is one team I expect to be in the World Cup final. They have in Chris Cairns a quality all-rounder who can win a game on his own. He will certainly bowl more in the coming games and that will add a definite edge to their cricket.

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When it comes to their skipper, Sourav Ganguly should try to learn something from Stephen Fleming. It was a few tactical blunders by the Kiwi captain that lost his team their opening game against Sri Lanka. I wouldn't have expected Fleming to drop Vettori, and even decide to bowl first against Sri Lanka. The mistake was made, the game was lost, and New Zealand got off to a poor start. But importantly they did not give up.

Fleming and his boys were not willing to let their heads drop, even when South Africa scored 306 against them. Had not rain intervened, I am certain that New Zealand would have scored all the runs needed to win the game. Fleming led from the front, played a knock that was simply surreal, and took New Zealand to victory. Indeed, he richly deserves the title - Captain Marvel.

This World Cup has gotten off to a stunning start, breaking a lot of hearts and yet providing joy to millions of fans around the world. The quality of cricket too has been excellent. As we head into the second week, Australia are at their dominant best. South Africa, meanwhile, are continuing to choke. As for India, they must play for their life in the remaining games. But when it comes to picking the team that would go the distance, New Zealand still remain my favourites.

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