CRICKET IS JUST A GAME

The world cup 2007 has barely started, but what a week it has been! Turbulent and volatile, the 9th edition of one day cricket's premier event has rocked! And how! Lets get some facts here...

1. Hershelle Gibbs cracks 6,6,6,6,6,6 in one over.

2. Zimbabwe ties with Ireland.

3. Andrew Flintoff get tipsy, and had to be rescued from sea at 4:00 AM after his boat capsized.

4. St. Patrick's day inspired Ireland sends Pakistan reeling out of the world cup after just two matches.

5. Bob Woolmer dies mysteriously a day after his team's exit from the world cup.

6. Inzamam, the "Sultan of Multan" bids adieu to one day cricket.

7. Nasim Ashraf, the Pakistan cricket board chairman resigns.

8. Bangladesh's Manjurul Islam dies in a road accident.

9. On the same fateful day (march 17th), India loses to minnows (are they?) Bangladesh.

10. Protests erupt in India and Pakistan; more so in Pakistan.

11. India responds in style cracking 413 (record in WC), and wins by 257 runs (record in all ODIs).

So what follows next??

St. Patrick's day did the trick for Ireland- everybody loves the underdog. They defeated Pakistan and eliminated them out of the world cup, sparking off a chain of reactions starting off with the sudden death of Bob Woolmer.

The pictures: (clockwise, from top left) Dhoni's property being vandalised in Ranchi; one of the last pictures of Bob Woolmer taken before he expired; Hershelle Gibbs creates a new record of 36 runs in one over; DAILY STAR lambasts Flintoff for his boozing exploits.With all the hype and anticipation the media had created for this world cup, the reporters should be having a field day out there.

(Bangladesh celebrate their triumph against India, while irate fans burn posters of Inzamam. The scorecard says it all- highest score in the world cup which led to a victory by the highest margin of runs ever)

People were saying not too long ago: "The real World Cup starts only from the Super 8 stage..." Well if these events are just NOTHING, what is in store for us in the Super 8 stage!?

Credit to GETTY IMAGES, CRICINFO, THE HINDU and DAILY STAR for the images.