Group drama

The upcoming Group B game between India-Sri Lanka on Friday has been setup very nicely with Bangladesh defeating India and then getting hammered by Sri Lanka. Their battering has made it easier for India to qualify and Sri Lanka have virtually guaranteed themselves a spot in the Super 8’s. If India beats Sri Lanka on Friday, then statistically it becomes almost impossible for Bangladesh to qualify and India will go through. Of course, India has to win to progress, but if they do, then they will actually go into the Super8’s carrying forward 2 points for defeating Sri Lanka. Yesterday, the Sri Lankans were absolutely ruthless in dismantling Bangladesh, and defeating this classy team will not be easy. They have a great bowling attack with high quality spin, fearsome pace, wily swing and impressive seam bowlers in Murali, Malinga, Vaas and Maharoof. Their batting is solid too especially with Jayasuriya firing at the top. One has to wonder at the athletic marvel the 37 year old is. How does he still do it? His fitness and enthusiasm is just incredible.

A lot of people's World Cup travel plans including mine, have been put in suspended animation after India’s opening game loss to Bangladesh. The phone was ringing off the hook and cancellation plans were being discussed. At the same time in Jamaica, Pakistan was in the process of losing to Ireland, and a friend and I were laughing in bemusement that we might be in Barbados on April 15th watching Bangladesh vs. Ireland! Yet, it was wonderful watching the young kids from Bangladesh play cricket with no inhibitions. The 18 years old Tamim Iqbal was a joy to watch. Zaheer Khan pinged him on the neck with a quick bouncer, but the young man didn’t back down and in the same over he charged down the track and whacked Zaheer into the stands. It was just fantastic. Bangladesh has one world class bowler in Mashrafe Mortaza and by the time the next world cup comes around they would have had 4 more years to develop and they will be a real dangerous team.

Bermuda was not a real challenge for India, but the Indians were very impressive in their comprehensive victory. What I enjoyed most about that match was the over the top celebration by the Bermuda players after they got the first wicket of Robin Uthappa. Dwayne Leverock, one of the wonders of the cricket world, launched all 270lbs of his immense body into the air to his right and plucked a wonderful one handed catch and set off on a pirouetting celebratory run blowing kisses left and right. Watch the video on YouTube and you’ll understand why I was in tears listening to the accompanying commentary by David Lloyd, who has got to be one of the funniest cricket commentators. Some of his soon to be copyrighted lines were

"The big man, the fridge is opened"
"He has flown like a gazelle"
"The Earth shook"
"Oh, what a catch"
"Don't want any kisses from him"

Also tearing up was the bowler Malachi Jones, only 17 years old, playing his first World Cup game, but he was experiencing rather different emotions than me.

ICC actually has done the right thing by including the Associate Nations in the World Cup. Only a few of them will succeed and most of them will fail to even make an impact, but in order to spread the game that is a chance I am willing to take.