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The two Test series between Pakistan and West Indies was too one-sided to test the nerves of cricket fans but it served a useful purpose for both teams. Pakistan is beginning to shape up as a well-knit outfit and the killer-instinct has returned.

The West Indies learnt the hard way that there is a lot of work to be done before they can climb their way up. It is not so much a matter of talent as it is about motivation. And when a team drops as many catches as the West Indies did, some my five year old grandson would have snapped up, then one has to look beyond cricket skills to find out what ails West Indian cricket.

There is no doubt that the presence of Brian Lara would have made a difference but I don't think it would have altered the result. The difference was that one team played as a combination and the other didn't.

Both Clive Lloyd and Michael Holding are in Sharjah and both of them must have remembered the years when the West Indies ruled the cricket world and one could only imagine their torment at seeing a team that had fallen apart. I have always been an ardent fan of West Indian and though delighted to see Pakistan win was saddened by how the mighty had fallen.

Pakistan has now the best balanced team in the world. It has the fast bowlers with a few to spare, it has the spinners and Abdur Razaq a quality all-rounder. The batting came good apart from Inzamamul Haq but his father is ailing and there must have been other things on his mind. But Yousuf Youhana is going through a purple patch and has learnt to play a long innings. He has also matured as a batsman and is able to take control of an innings, to pace it as the situation demands. Younis Khan did full justice to the one-down spot and made that position his own.

Rashid Latif is not only keeping wickets splendidly but making runs and is in the same batting league as Adam Gilchrist and Mark Boucher.

I think there is a problem with the openers. I would play Shahid Afridi in both Test and the one-dayers as an opener and stick with Taufiq Umer though he seems vulnerable outside the off stump and needs to tighten his game. I was happily surprised to see that the fielding has improved. One doesn't need talent to be a good fielder. One needs hard work and this is the department that will need to be sharpened for the World Cup 2003.

I am happy that Wasim Akram is now fit though I have reservations about him being sent to Sharjah for the one-day games. We need Wasim at his peak-fitness and there should be no fears about him breaking down. Wasim is going to be one of our key players in the World Cup squad. In any case, I doubt that he will play all three matches and will be used sparingly. Why take the risk?Shoaib Akhtar bowled really fast but apart from that, he bowled with his head. He was accurate and has developed a slower ball. All in all, a fine performance and with Wasim and Waqar will make up an opening attack that will be fearsome. All good augurs for the World Cup.

Sharjah did well to hold what were virtually back to back test matches and our fears about the wicket were unfounded. Though it was disappointing to see the crowd attendance and to that extent, the atmosphere of a Test match was missing. Perhaps, had it been an India-Pakistan Test series, we might have got bigger crowds and it seems strange to say that the West Indies are no longer crowd pullers.

I also felt that the umpiring standards were not of the highest class and Darrell Hair made as many mistakes as did his counterpart. But to the extent that both sides suffered, it can be said that the umpiring was fair. There was much speculation whether Shoaib Akhtar would pass the scrutiny of Hair, one of the umpires who had reported his bowling action. But so far, all seems to be well.

But the one-day games, I am sure, will be different and the West Indies will strive to restore some pride. They are a pretty useful one-day team but fielding is crucial in this version of cricket and if they field the way they did in the Test matches, they needn't turn up for the one-day series.

A brief word about the triangular in Australia. New Zealand simply lost their way and were thrashed by South Africa who looked very charged up and organised. New Zealand seem to reserve their best for matches against Australia but against South Africa, they seem to choke up.

But all in all, it was high class tournament and the quality of cricket, particularly fielding was of the highest standard, particularly Jonty Rhodes. Every team should have a Jonty Rhodes, not just for his fielding but for the way he lifts his team and makes runs when needed. He's a champion.

© Dawn