We Showed Fighting Spirit Throughout
It would be tempting to sit back and blame bad luck as the reason for our current situation in the Group B table.
True, we were robbed of two points by the weather, but we also did not make the most of our opportunities in our game against Sri Lanka. We allowed at least 10 extra runs in the field, and the margin of victory for the Lankans was only six ? evidence of the fact that some of the responsibility for that heart-stopping, heart-breaking defeat lies at our doorstep.
It was a bad toss to lose, because we had enjoyed batting first in our opening game against South Africa. However, batting second was not as challenging as it had been for Pakistan against England at the same venue, and for England against India at Durban. There was swing for Chaminda Vaas, but nothing as extravagant or unplayable.
One area that just is not clicking for us in the World Cup is the opening partnership. They have not got going right through, and Brian Lara has been asked to do the rescue act once too often. He has had a very good tournament so far, and was due for a failure in that sense.
Personally speaking, I was very disappointed at being dismissed at a crucial stage in a make-or-break game. It was a great delivery to get first up, and I guess these things do happen.
After being in the doldrums, we once again came back pretty well to reach a stage where we needed 10 runs in the last over ? tough but gettable.
Full credit for this must go to Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and of course Ramnaresh Sarwan. What was disappointing was that neither Gayle nor Chanderpaul were there to guide the team till the end, and what happened to Sarwan was sheer misfortune.
Sarwan spoke about coming back to bat immediately even as he was entering the dressing room after being felled by a Fernando delivery. However, we had to ensure he was fit enough to do that, so we rushed him to a hospital immediately.
We had seen his ability to finish off games during the India tour. However, I think he ran out of time in the end. Had he got back in the middle two overs before he did, it would have been a different result.
As captain, the scenario is very disheartening. However, I am proud of the courage and character our team has shown right through this tournament. Sarwan's knock will be remembered as one of the brave chapters in World Cup history, and all the guys in the lower order tried right till the end. There was a time West Indies would fold up in 10 overs when the top order failed, but this World Cup is testimony that things are improving for us.
We have one game against Kenya, and we would like to give it our best shot. We have a theoretical shot at the Super Six still, and we must do our bit by winning convincingly against the Kenyans. Rain robbed us of two points, but if one of the other teams face the same fate, we might still be able to sneak in. It's a long shot, but stranger things have happened in cricket.
* This column by West Indies captain Carl Hooper first appeared in Gulf News.