Almost over and out for the Windies

West Indies defeat by South Africa almost signifies their exit from the World Cup. There was much expected of them in their own backyard and with their win against Pakistan in their first match, promised so much. Many fancied the West Indies doing well here with home conditions to their advantage but the dreaded curse of a home nation never winning the cup looks likely to continue.

The Windies suddenly went off the boil in the Super 8's with a series of lacklustre performances. The energy, enthusiasm and hunger seemed to be missing from the players and evident from their subdued body language on the field. Lara seemed unable to motivate his team to raise their game, seeming almost disinterested at times. There has been a distinct lack of unity within the team and one can only speculate at the reasons for this. It will all surely be reviewed when the inevitable post mortem is carried out and plans for future are discussed, especially with Lara announcing his retirement from the one day game.

The party hasn't really got going yet in this tournament, and when and if it does, the hosts look like missing out on all the fun and the coveted prize.