It is a fascinating Cricket World Cup that is unfolding in India and will approach its climax in another week, when the semi-finals take place on November 15 and 16, and the final on November 19.

At the time of writing, India and South Africa have already qualified to play in the semis.

There was a 'dress-rehearsal' between these two qualifiers in the league fixture on November 5. India annihilated the South Africans by amassing 326/5, then bundled them out for 83.

There's a tight finish for the next two qualifiers. The two with the best chances are Australia and New Zealand. The others in the running are Pakistan, Afghanistan, the Netherlands and Sri Lanka, but they are long shots. England and Bangladesh are out of the race.

It is an old, hackneyed expression that cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties, and this tournament has certainly brought out the truth in that. How else can one explain the defending champions of the previous World Cup in 2019, England, being hopelessly demolished in this year's tournament, humiliatingly crushed by lowly-rated teams like the Netherlands and Afghanistan? They have occupied the cellar position with Bangladesh, the only team they bettered.

The absolutely incredible performance of Afghanistan is something the cricket world should really be thankful for, as it increases competitiveness and popular teams can no longer relax and believe that they have the better of these inexperienced teams.

Afghanistan, from the first game they played, showed that they had the right idea of how to approach a 50-over game. Their batsmen appeared mature, and controlled their situation in the middle with little fuss and surprising self-confidence. Their bowlers looked the part and were more accurate than one would expect from a team with little expertise and exposure.

One must give kudos to their coach, the English former Test player Jonathan Trott. He did a great job with these cricketers. And to think, just before they left home to do their duty in India, their country was rocked by severe earthquakes, which carried a death toll in the thousands. Plus the political problems they have been experiencing in recent years are no secret.

So it has been really a show of courage and strength of character to overcome these drawbacks and play the game of cricket at a certain standard, to compete against the world's best teams, and to come out smelling of roses.

The other team whose praises one has to sing is the Netherlands. Again, with little first-class experience, but playing with a genuine love for the game, their performance and results should make them very proud. Additionally, this experience will improve their cricket, with the right approach and, hopefully, more exposure at the highest level.

Interestingly, there was a West Indian connection playing for the Netherlands. Their fast-medium opening bowler, Logan Van Beek, a bowling allrounder, who was good enough to score 59 against Sri Lanka, batting at number 8, is the grandson of the late Simpson Guillen, a Trinidadian who

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