World Cup tainted by tragedy

By Colin Croft Former West Indies fast bowler

The players have all shown their respect for Bob Woolmer

Whichever team wins the 2007 Cricket World Cup, their triumph will always be associated with, and diminished as a result of, the murder of Bob Woolmer.

While the reasons and modus operandi for this dastardly act are still to be ascertained, for us in the Caribbean the stigma of having such a cricket luminary killed in our backyard will never be eliminated.

The correct decision to continue the tournament has already been taken and one has to wonder why some people should have been called to have it cancelled.

At the Munich 1972 Olympics, 11 Israeli athletes were killed by terrorists but there was no cancellation of the Games.

The Caribbean has invested so very heavily - financially, logistically, even emotionally - in CWC 2007, that for it all to be ground into the dust by cancelling the event would have had dire consequences.

While I am saddened by the Woolmer's death, I am at least heartened to know that Jamaicans, one of our Caribbean family, are not being blamed.

But where was the supposedly wonderful security, including world-class technology, we were promised?

On the field, and contrary to what has been written in some of the press, I see nothing wrong with the way that both India and Pakistan were eliminated. Why are Ireland and Bangladesh being blamed for their ineptitude?

Based on the form shown in the preliminary round, I think West Indies, Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka will contest the semi-finals.

Bangladesh hope to cause a surprise or two in the Super 8 stage

Australia and Sri Lanka, in particular, have looked awesome and I would not be surprised if they meet in the final.

But none of these teams should take the fun-loving Irish or Bangladeshi teams for granted, or they could end up like India and Pakistan.

I predict that Ireland and Bangladesh will pull off an upset, maybe even two, in the Super 8s and that could mean at latest two more "rated" teams having to cry all the way home.

Australia's opening batsman Mathew Hayden has been having a very productive World Cup - he demolished South Africa's bowling attack for the fastest ever century and made the highest CWC by an Australian in the Super 8 game against West Indies.

But he's not the only great batsman on show and I'm expecting heavy scoring from the likes of Sanath Jayasuriya, Steven Fleming, Paul Collingwood, and finally, our own Chris Gayle as the tournament progresses.