Eight teams down, eight left and still five weeks to run in this World Cup marathon as the second round Super Eights gets underway on Tuesday.
BRIDGETOWN: Eight teams down, eight left and still five weeks to run in this World Cup marathon as the second round Super Eights gets underway tomorrow. But the murder of Bob Woolmer will overshadow whatever happens on the pitches of Antigua, Guyana, Grenada and Barbados as Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, New Zealand, England, West Indies and Ireland undergo a furious round of inter-island hopping, trying to secure semi-final places.
Former West Indies fast bowler Michael Holding, who played in the 1979 and 1983 World Cups, believes the 2007 tournament will be forever associated with the murder of the Pakistan coach. “It’s not something you should just brush under the carpet,” said Holding. “It’s a sad occurrence.”
The Super Eights, where the remaining teams play six matches each, start in Antigua on Tuesday with hosts West Indies facing defending champions Australia at the Sir Vivian Richards stadium.
There are high hopes that the wicket at the new venue will have more life than the old Antigua Recreation Ground in St John’s which boasted a notorious featherbed of a pitch. Australia’s attacking batsmen are in fine form having scored 334, 358 and 377 in their three wins over Scotland, Netherlands and South Africa in the first round.
“The West Indies are a very dangerous team, they are on home soil, they should know these conditions very well,” said Australia captain Ricky Ponting who became the seventh player to pass 10,000 one-day runs in the win against South Africa.
“It starts now. Every step you take in this tournament becomes more and more exciting.”
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}