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     Volume 6 Issue 14 | April 13, 2007 |


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Sports

Surprise Surprise

Nader Rahman
Cricket fans wearing India T-shirts watch the super-eights match between South Africa and Bangladesh.

How does one escape the cliché about cricket being a game of glorious uncertainty when India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Ireland have done their best to prove it right. The current World Cup had run hot and cold, there have been some dreadfully one sided games while sandwiched between them have been some real gems. Truth be told the gems were few and far between, but what they lacked in numbers they certainly made up in excitement. To say this World Cup has been full of surprises would be an exaggeration, there have been a few but each of them has been colossal.

Pakistan had a particularly bad World Cup as their problems started even before their squad was selected. Due to their drug related offences Shoaib Akhter and Mohammad Asif were not even selected for the tournament, a blow which severely dented their bowling armoury. Yet they still went into the Cup in confidant mood only to find out that their premier all-rounder Abdul Razzak had to pull out due to injury. Along with the injuries Shahid Afridi had to sit out the first two games because he was serving the last part of an earlier suspension. Even after that, they were tipped to perform well and much to everyone's surprise they crumbled. In their first match against the West Indies they were outdone by a professional performance from the hosts. The next game was a real shocker as they went down to Ireland by 3 wickets to go crashing out of the tournament. To say the result was unexpected would be a gross understatement, the team which had been tipped as potential champions had left the World Cup at the first hurdle, and that too well beaten by Scotland. A day after the defeat their coach Bob Woolmer was found murdered in his hotel room and then cricket was the last thing on their minds. Their exit set the tone for the tournament. There would be a few surprises, but my would they be big.

Young men come out into the street revelling in Bangladesh's surprising victory over South Africa.

How can one talk of surprises and Pakistan without talking about Ireland? Even before the tournament they set the cat amongst the pigeons as they came within a whisker of beating South Africa in a warm up game. They took that form with them into the tournament as they thrillingly tied their first game with a more powerful Zimbabwean side. But just to prove that was not a flash in the pan, they next locked horns with an extremely powerful Pakistani side. They truly had the luck of the Irish as on none other than St. Patrick's day they set about beating some of the best in the world. It could not have been scripted better as their captain finished off a close match with an emphatic six. With that they all but qualified for the Super 8's at the expense of Pakistan. The Irish played with simple techniques coupled with bucket loads of energy and that was essentially the difference between them and the well established Pakistan side. They bat with sense and caution, while their bowling is steady if not outstanding. What makes them a real handful is the fact that on the field they are full of life and never willing to give up. The secret of their success is simple, just keep pegging away. And for the sake of this World Cup it has got them a long way, one feels they have a bright cricketing future ahead of them.

On St. Patrick's day the Irish were not the only underdogs celebrating, halfway across the world 150 million Bangladeshis were at it too. They turned the World Cup on its head and beat the infinitely superior team (at least on paper) of India by five wickets. With over 40,000 ODI runs between them they should have walked over Bangladesh, but they fell apart at the hands of a certain Mashrafee Mortaza. He tore through the Indian batting lineup with four wickets as Bangladesh restricted them to a respectable score. Then it was the time for the teenagers to turn the tables on India as three of Bangladesh's youngest players scored fifties to overcome the modest Indian score. Surprise, Surprise as two sub continental heavy weights had been knocked off their positions by the little men of world cricket. Bangladesh's success did not end there as they also romped over the number one team in the world later on in the tournament to really make this a World Cup to savour. Bangladesh's surprising victories may not be over yet.

One man's victory is another mans loss as at the other end of the picture India were surprisingly knocked out in the first round after losing to both Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. One billion people were silenced but the surprises were still coming thick and fast. After their disastrous exit, the topic of their World Cup performance became a national issue. The matter was taken up in parliament as the media outlets went wild with speculation as to what would happen next. They arrived for the World Cup confident that they would succeed but they missed the mark badly. Aside from playing far below their standards there was a certain air of arrogance that got them into serious trouble. Some reports have even said after winning the toss against Bangladesh even though Rahul Dravid wanted to field first he gave into pressure from his team, as they apparently wanted batting practise against the weak Bangladeshi bowling. In the end it was overconfidence that cost them, but none the less their exit was surprising as it was shocking.

For what most consider a rather dull World Cup, it has certainly had its ups and downs. Two major nations crashed out early, bur for two smaller nations it was the experience of a life time. For Pakistan, India, Ireland and Bangladesh this World Cup has been a revelation, albeit for completely different reasons. Are there any surprises left? field they are full of life and never willing to give up. The secret of their success is simple, just keep pegging away. And for the sake of this World Cup it has got them a long way, one feels they have a bright cricketing future ahead of them.

On St. Patrick's day the Irish were not the only underdogs celebrating, halfway across the world 150 million Bangladeshis were at it too. They turned the World Cup on its head and beat the infinitely superior team (at least on paper) of India by five wickets. With over 40,000 ODI runs between them they should have walked over Bangladesh, but they fell apart at the hands of a certain Mashrafee Mortaza. He tore through the Indian batting lineup with four wickets as Bangladesh restricted them to a respectable score. Then it was the time for the teenagers to turn the tables on India as three of Bangladesh's youngest players scored fifties to overcome the modest Indian score. Surprise, Surprise as two sub continental heavy weights had been knocked off their positions by the little men of world cricket. Bangladesh's success did not end there as they also romped over the number one team in the world later on in the tournament to really make this a World Cup to savour. Bangladesh's surprising victories may not be over yet.

One man's victory is another mans loss as at the other end of the picture India were surprisingly knocked out in the first round after losing to both Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. One billion people were silenced but the surprises were still coming thick and fast. After their disastrous exit, the topic of their World Cup performance became a national issue. The matter was taken up in parliament as the media outlets went wild with speculation as to what would happen next. They arrived for the World Cup confident that they would succeed but they missed the mark badly. Aside from playing far below their standards there was a certain air of arrogance that got them into serious trouble. Some reports have even said after winning the toss against Bangladesh even though Rahul Dravid wanted to field first he gave into pressure from his team, as they apparently wanted batting practise against the weak Bangladeshi bowling. In the end it was overconfidence that cost them, but none the less their exit was surprising as it was shocking.

For what most consider a rather dull World Cup, it has certainly had its ups and downs. Two major nations crashed out early, bur for two smaller nations it was the experience of a life time. For Pakistan, India, Ireland and Bangladesh this World Cup has been a revelation, albeit for completely different reasons. Are there any surprises left?


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