The Biggest Shock of Them All

Wow. The last 24 hours in the Caribbean has provided so much drama and surprise -- Ireland shocking Pakistan and knocking them out of the World Cup; the Young Turks of Bangladesh celebrating what seemed like their debutante party by shellacing a confused, old Indian side; Freddy Flintoff stealing a novelty boat, flipping it, and nearly drowning after a pedestrian loss to New Zealand -- and I was preparing to write up a smartass post summarizing this crazy cricket weekend. But then the biggest shock of them all broke this afternoon, when we learned that Bob Woolmer died in a Kingston hospital after he was found unconscious in his hotel room. And, as such things seem to do, that news put the rest of it all into perspective. It certainly should have caused some overzealous Pakistan fans to rethink their cruel, savage rage.

There's a tendency to speculate wildly at times like this, but it's really not appropriate. The best way that cricket fans can honor Woolmer's memory is to bow their heads, engage in a moment or two of reflection, and then get back to watching and enjoying the cricket. Because, as Laurence Booth at the Guardian writes, the cricket will go on. And that's the way that Woolmer, a true lover of the game, would have wanted it.