Good Luck to Courtney Walsh
After a glorious cricket career Courtney Andrew Walsh has said goodbye to the game that he enriched with his enthralling performance. The last bow that he took at his home ground of Sabina Park after managing his team's 130 run victory in the last test against the Proteas will be written in golden words in the annals of cricket. It is time we congratulate him for his magnificent feat of claiming 519 wickets in 132 test matches and wish him the best of luck in his future life. Despite the fact that South Africa won the test series 2–1, the West Indies consider their victory in the last test as a worthy present to Courtney Walsh on his retirement

Walsh was not only a wonderful player but also a gentleman. One does not even recall if he ever involved himself in a war of words during his distinguished career. Not only that he always gave his best to the West Indies, his contribution to Jamaica and the Gloucestershire where he served as an overseas player for 12 seasons will always be remembered. Apart from his world record of 519 test wickets that will not be easy to beat, his 1800 wickets and 4500 runs in 1st class cricket shall also stand as a phenomenal performance.

We wish you good luck, the best of health and a happy and prosperous retired life – Courtney Walsh.

Pakistan's defeat at Sharjah
The unexpected defeat of the Pakistan team after winning all the league matches of the ARY Gold Cup in a row spread a wave of gloom and disappointment among the cricket lovers in Pakistan. The people of Pakistan have such emotional involvement in the game that the shocks of such defeats have even caused some heart attacks in the past. Practically speaking, a defeat in which the team goes down fighting is taken in good spirit while a victory offered to the opponents on a platter is frustrating.

In this particular case, the team had performed so magnificently that the nation was not mentally prepared for defeat. According to newspaper reports, at least one diehard lover of the game was so upset after watching the Pakistan team lose in the final, in sheer frustration he battered his television set.

Such unexpected cum shocking defeats also give rise to a variety of speculation. Those who have not yet come out of the match-fixing syndrome blame the team for intentionally losing the match.

Others call it a big management failure and lack of strategy and planning. Commenting on Pakistan's atrocious fielding and dropping of easy catches, they really feel perplexed. The coaches can work hard on the youngsters but how to improve the standards of veterans like Waqar Younis and Inzamam ul Haq having more than 250 matches to their credit is the important question. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and its selection committee are also the targets of bitter criticism. The general opinion that I also share, is that in exuberance of forming a new team for World Cup-2003, Pakistan is exposing the youngsters in tough and nerve-wracking competitions rather prematurely. They also question the victimization of some competent players like Ijaz Ahmed by subjecting them to a cruel `in and out' policy.

Through numerous editorials and Letter to the Editor columns, the newspapers have dubbed the PCB's top brass as inefficient. An editorial suggests, "With so many defeats on the cricket battlefield, there is no real option left to the PCB Chairman to concentrate on his professional duties and leave cricket to its fate".

Cricket at Off-shore Match centers
India's decision not to participate in matches played at non-regular cricket centers is baffling. One fails to imagine whether they really mean it. If so, aren't they causing a big setback to their own cricket? Sharjah the venue of last ARY Gold Cup enjoys the distinction of staging the highest number of one-day internationals. Those who have visited the place and witnessed the matches would agree that their organization is par excellence.

The latest reports from UAE indicate that a cricket stadium of international standard in Dubai is almost complete. Another stadium is under construction at Abu Dhabi, which means that in the near future UAE will be capable of staging many more cricket tournaments.

Cricket lovers may be surprised to know that under the auspices of CBFS Sharjah, a cricket center is being established in the city of Tangiers in Morocco with financial allocation of US $6 million for the 1st phase alone. While the grassy ground and square is ready, the clubhouse is fast under completion. To start some real cricket activity, about 400 boys between age groups of 10 to 20 are being trained in Tangiers. The venue being ready for cricket matches, the organizers propose to start with tournaments between `A teams' before jumping over to one-day internationals. Pakistan and Sri Lanka are said to have agreed to participate in the inauguration ceremony preceding the 1st tournament.

Saudi Arabia is also planning to build cricket stadiums of international level at big cities like Riyadh, Jeddah and Dhahran. With no financial restraint, their progress is expected to be pretty quick. This will indicate how fast the game of cricket is growing in Asia and Africa. Toronto, Singapore, Hong Kong and even a mountain resort like Katmandu are already on the world's cricket map for holding one-day tournaments. Let us see how long India can isolate itself from the fraternity of such lovers of the game. The earlier they realize it better it would be for the game of cricket.

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