Minnows

OK lets avoid the biggest story (was Woolmer murdered or not) on the World Cup today and focus on the on-field action.

Prior to the competition's start, in certain corners calls were made for the removal of the minnows (non-test playing and other weak teams) from the World Cup. And true to form teams like the Netherlands, Bermuda, Scotland, Kenya, Canada and Zimbabwe have gotten the kind of beatings that remind you of the West Indian parents of yesteryear disciplining their children. "Wait you feel you is a big man now? You think me and you is friends? Lemma get my strap!"

Well last weekend the so-called minnows struck back with Bangladesh beating India and the biggest upset so far Ireland over Pakistan.

Those wins have had serious reverberations throughout the tournament with a powerful team like Pakistan on their way home as underdog Ireland heads to the Super 8 and India another powerhouse on the brink of elimination facing a must win game tomorrow vs Sri Lanka.

So are the minnows really growing? Do they really belong?

My perspective is that in this game of cricket to quote the great bard Wycleff Jean 'Anything can happen'.

5 day Test cricket is a different ball game where certainly the minnows don't belong but in one day cricket, 50 overs a side, luck can have a greater influence so although I wont say on any given day a minnow can swim with the big fish on certain days when the stars are in the correct alignment or the pitch is playing a certain way or the luck of the toss goes your way definitely a minnow can be competitive if not win outright.

Plus its good experience for the minnows and maybe helps them to raise their game so that maybe just maybe in 4 years time they wont be minnows anymore. Who knows. Hey if 300 Spartans can go toe to toe with an entire Persian army of thousands and perform admirably, even if defeated, why not a Bermuda vs New Zealand or a Kenya vs Australia.

Stranger things have happened after all it is a game of glorious uncertainties.

p.s: West Indies best to win tomorrow!