Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq. Photo / Reuters
Martin Pegan is a London-based journalist working for newzealandtimes.co.uk
This World Cup is meant to be a celebration of cricket in the splendour of the Caribbean, but for the past week the attention of the world has raced away from the action inside the boundary.
This was not due to a lack of resistance from the likes
of Bermuda, Canada, Scotland, the Netherlands or the loss of their training wheels. The Irish even celebrated St Patrick's Day by helping Pakistan to implode like only their cricket team can.
English cricket fans were left dismayed by the news that their vice captain and spiritual-and-cola leader, Andrew Flintoff had barely made it to 4am before forgetting how to (a) ride a pedalo, and (b) swim. For about 24 hours it seemed that the backlash from Super Fred's golden duck and damaged drinking rep would drag on past the final in Barbados.
But the death, now confirmed to be murder, of Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer quickly put Freddie's drunken dip into perspective.
While the media in the UK and around the world rightly focus on the murder of Woolmer, and speculate as to the motivation behind it, the New Zealand team will no doubt be trying to concentrate on winning cricket matches and the World Cup.
It was way back in 1995 when a young Stephen Fleming was in trouble for smoking dope with Matthew Hart and Dion Nash, and the lessons the skipper learned then could be passed on now to ensure each of the players avoids making headlines for the wrong reasons and instead make the semi finals.
Carrying two points from the initial group stages into the Super Eights, which will include a very winnable game against Ireland and probably another against Bangladesh, gives New Zealand a great chance of making the semis.
And as Mike from the Beige Brigade here in London said, "from there, anything is possible."
"The threat in the Super Eights definitely comes from the Australians and the slogging and slinging Sri Lankans," he added. "But if we are in trouble we can just apply the logic from the recent Chappell-Hadlee series, field first and concede 320 plus, because we know we can chase it down."
Hopefully that won't be necessary against the West Indies on March 29.
