The Cricket World Cup 2007 appeared to have thrown quite a few surprises up for grabs over the weekend. Ireland won the match against Pakistan, and Bangladesh won the match against India. These outcomes were rather unexpected, especially the former one. The blogosphere has been buzzing with commentary and reflection on the wins and losses. Rezwan comments on the perception of the Bangladeshi team in India.

So what can you say about the above instances? Simple arrogance and looking down on others has caused India this disgrace. As a saying goes “none are more unjust in their judgments of others than those who have a high opinion of themselves”. India has took their eyes off Bangladesh who progressed a lot in 2006. Their techniques got better and they are getting used to winning albeit most of the opponents were not from the super eight of Cricket.

A wonderful collection of individual reactions at Unheard Voices who ask their readers to post

Where were you last night when Musfique hit the winning four and how did you celebrate. Share with us the story and also send one picture with the location where it was taken and we will put it up.

Meanwhile, Pakistan had a double loss. They lost to Ireland, and the team coach, Bob Woolmer died in Jamaica the next morning. NepalCricket.com Fan Club remembers the man.

He once visited Nepal – in January, 2004 as the member of High Performance Project and I attended the press conference. He was optimistic about Nepal’s chances and hopeful he will come back again (as I did) and there were journalists and all taking photographs with him. I didn’t because I wanted to take a photo with him when he would had returned to nurtured the team playing in the World Cup.

Khuram raises the issue of the media bashing the Pakistani team and Bob Woolmer for their performance in the match.

Before the news about Bob Woolmer’s initial unconsciousness, Geo TV was constantly presenting very bad insulting remarks of common audiance about Bob Woolmer, Inzimam and others, including the team as a whole. Those remarks were not making any proper sense and sounded very bad to me. I didn’t watch the match with Ireland, but the highlights were showing that Ireland, although was a new team, but was not any bad team at all. One factor behind our losing the match might be that we under-estimated a good team.

There also appears to be in India and Pakistan the utter loss of realization that this is a sport. Chowrangi for instance writes about how the team should commit suicide and not come back to the country. It highlights if perhaps more than the media, it is the fans themselves who have raised the frenzy to some sort of an unhealthy and obsessive level.

Wonderful posts in two parts (1 and 2) on World Cup Memories at One One Things. Barry's Beef writes about the weekend that Cricket won't forget too easily. More reflections on Bob Woolmer's death at DesiCritics.

Do you have it in you? sums up the situation and talks of the day when one billion people were shocked. India Uncut talks of Bangladesh and Ireland shaking it up. Chapati Mystery provides an interesting account of the two matches.

In this WC, I didn’t really expect Pakistan to do much. The top-bowlers were doped-up at home. The batting lineup is old, cranky, fat and bearded [say what you will but unless the sport in question is World’s Fastest Growing Hair Follicles – shave]. And yet, one still did not expect the #4 ODI side in the world to lose to Ireland. IRELAND! Who don’t even have a cricket team. These are injured rugby players on their physiotherapy routine, people! And those Irish beat, nay thrashed, nay smacked the jama’at out, nay drove the snakes out of our glorious team. Today, on St. Patrick’s Day, Pakistan was sent packing by Ireland. Kinya belev’t?

GreatBong bids three things a sad farewell. Bob Woolmer, Inzamam Ul Haq (the Pakistan team Captain who announced his retirement soon after the match) and “to the glorious fighting spirit that characterized Pakistan cricket for the last twenty years”. Confused talks of what he calls the St Patrick's Day Massacre.

No, to say that we lost isn’t quite enough; we were outplayed in every department of the game–massacre is the only word which comes to my mind.

Outplayed by Bangladesh, which despite their all-round improvement is a still second grade team which has only won 4 one day matches against test playing countries. A seventeen year old kid smashes our best bowler all over the park while the gladiators of the Indian team behave like whimpering, blundering idiots. And what a team we have!

More on the upsets galore at Nerve Endings Firing Away.John Cheeran on what should be the agenda for the Indian team and the coach Greg Chappell.

Failure to reach the Super Eight (and that looks like to be the most realistic scenario) would be utter disgrace for Chappell as coach. The sensible thing, in such an event, for Chappell would be to pack his bags and say a big thank you to the BCCI.
The Indian team, in the forefront those chosen 15 cricketers, deserve to be ostracized by television watching cricket fans and turnstile lovers. And advertising executives are likely to be chastened by the bitter experience of the 2007 World Cup.

PS – We know David Sasaki, the maker of the fabulous GV Digests doesn't understand cricket, but we hope this gets some prime real estate on the digest today for all the cricket loving people!