Cricket World Cup -2007

March 19th 2007 by HAYDN GILL in Jamaica Compliments of the Barbados Nation news

THE EVENTS of the past few days have demonstrated there are no predictable results in Cricket World Cup 2007.

As West Indies prepare to face Zimbabwe at Sabina Park today, they would have sat back and taken note of what Ireland did to Pakistan and what Bangladesh did to India on Saturday.

The shock results have thrown the notion through the window that the majority of group stage matches were going to be predictable with results in favour of the eight leading international nations against the fledgling countries.

Against that background, West Indies captain Brian Lara is not under-estimating either Zimbabwe or Ireland.

"It's going to be very competitive. Zimbabwe and Ireland have shown they cannot be taken lightly," Lara said yesterday.

"We're going to play the game with the same gusto like we had against Pakistan. A win tomorrow [today] will put us into the second stage, but it doesn't mean we have any points as yet.

"We've got a very important two games left and we're going to take each game one at a time." < Read more >

March 13th 2007 Compliments of the Barbados Nation News by HAYDN GILL in Jamaica

THE REHEARSALS and warm-ups are over. Today it is serious business. And following yesterday's final practice session at Kensington Park in Jamaica, Brian Lara and his men geared themselves mentally for their first mission of Cricket World Cup 2007 – beat the Pakistanis in today's lead-off first-round match of the tourney. Here (from left) Lara, Dwayne Smith, Kieron Pollard and Daren Powell going through a final exercise routine. (Picture by Brooks LaTouche Photography.) < Read more >

November 2006 Compliments of the Nation News West Indies' Chris Gayle holding the man-of-the-match trophy in the ICC Champions Trophy cricket tournament semi-final against South Africa in Jaipur, India. Gayle scored a brilliant 133 not out, as West Indies easily won by six wickets. (AP Picture)

October 2006 West Indies wicket-keeper Carlton Baugh taking a ride on a camel after the team held a training session in Jaipur yesterday. He and other teammates took the opportunity to take in a bit of Indian culture as they prepare to face South Africa in the second semi-final of the International Cricket Council's Champions Trophy. Compliments of the Nation News

Published on: 9/16/06. Compliments of the Nation News West Indies captain Brian Lara (left) and teammates Ramnaresh Sarwan (right) and Runako Morton (12th man) walk off the field after rain stopped play in their One-Day match against India in Kuala Lumpur Thursday. Lara was 27 not out, and Sarwan 37 not out, when the match was called off, and the regional side declared winners by the Duckworth/Lewis system. (AP Picture)

Kensington Oval in Barbados is taking shape for the 2007 International Cricket Council World Cup, key officials went on a three-hour tour of the historic ground. What they saw was a lush green outfield, a "square" taking shape and a spanking new Garfield Sobers Player Pavilion. Soil and agronomy specialists also carried out tests on the pitch and field. Here, a look at the new pavilion with the nets in the foreground. Inset, Courtney Browne (centre), the cricket operations manager for Barbados, does a turf test accompanied by Winston Reid (left), of the Barbados Local Organising Committee, and Francis Lopez, of the event's sports agronomy team. (Picture by Philip Spooner.Compliments of the Nation News)

Caribbean Cricket

Sporting islands

On a mostly unrewarding last day, one of the few breakthroughs for the home team was the clear LBW decision part-time spinner Narsingh Deonarine earned against Jacques Rudolph.
IT’S FINAL … It’s The Final ... It’s Barbados. by Haydn Gill World Cup Barbados chief executive officer Stephen Alleyne (right), Prime Minister Owen Arthur (centre) and Sir Garfield Sobers showing their delight after Barbados was awarded the 2007 World Cup final.

. < Read more >

The Cricket World Cup 2007 in the West Indies is to remain true to its name.

The eight hosting venues, chosen by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and announced at a media conference was beamed live back to the Caribbean through CMC radio and television, are all West Indian.

The only two extra-regional bids among the 12 submitted, from Broward County in the American state of Florida and from Bermuda, were unsuccessful. < Read more >

Ex West Indies cricket captain Brian Lara has faced immense and intense pressure and criticism from all quarters since the West Indies defeat by England in the third test at Kensington Oval.

But the captain has vowed he will not raise the white flag, that he will soldier on amidst the personal and team battles.

“The next five days are very important in terms of my future as captain,” he said prior to the match. “No captain, no team, wants to go down for the first time in their history as losing all their Test matches at home.”

But he had travelled the same rocky path before and he k the way out.

AS he did five years ago, Brian Lara, this Easter week end, once more transformed a situation of deep personal and team crisis into one of critical revival and triumph at the scene of his most celebrated innings.

Lara, the modern game’s greatest exponent of batsmanship took the burden of all his West Indian people on his shoulders and transformed despair into a triumph.

Ex - West Indies

(Picture by Brooks LaTouche Photography.)

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB)

Extracts from the Nation News

Learn more about Lara and Caribbean cricket