What a week it's been for the cricket enthusiast with the game being highlighted in all facets of the media. We've seen the news on the West Indies against India with Sachin Tendulkar getting his first century at Eden Gardens and India wrapping up the series, the Supersport Series Final has been a game with many highs and lows. The Easterns men have fought against the odds right from the start and can be proud of their performance whether they win, draw or lose today. Western Province totally dominated the first morning and then somehow let the match tilt in favour of Easterns.

The selection of the Test squad to play Sri Lanka will no doubt create much discussion but hopefully those selected will have earned their place through consistent performances and will do us all proud in the coming series against Sri Lanka which starts at the weekend. Sri Lanka have already played two matches and have failed to dominate both the SA "A" Team and the Rest of South Africa Team. While they have had good batting form they have not managed to place any ascendancy on opposing batsmen either through spin or seam bowling. We all know what Muralitharan is capable of and the Proteas will have taken a special interest in his performances to date. The captain, Sanith Jayasuria, has batted in the middle order of both matches so far and this is a clear indication of what their strategy will be. One thing is certain; they will not be as easy to beat as Bangladesh was. They are a kind of team that can beat anyone on their day.

The most disappointing aspect of the entire week has been the fact that cricket has once again been in the media for the wrong reasons as well. The entire saga surrounding the Sports Minister and the UCB has created huge negativity for the man in the street. The sooner this issue is cleared up the better for all involved in the game. With the World Cup around the corner and so much at stake for the entire country, the last thing we need is any division between supporters.

Something that has been very conspicuous in it's absence has been the fact that the Players Association has not taken any public stand whatsoever. From all accounts in the media one of their members, Jacques Kallis, seems to have been isolated and sadly has been given absolutely no opportunity to express his emotions. Remember, all UCB contracted players cannot engage in any form of media interaction and I can only imagine how Kallis must have felt seeing his name associated with the alleged statements. It wasn't long ago that we saw the Players Association taking a huge stand on the issue of contracts and I cannot help but thinking that they have missed a huge opportunity to use their influence to bring the whole matter to a head. Lets hope that Jacques Kallis and maybe even one or two other players don't decide to pack their bags and play for someone else before the World Cup. It is certainly not beyond the realms of possibility. This Association was a much-needed one, but if it is toothless and is only interested in making noises when it comes to cash, its very existence will be at stake.

The Ashes Series also starts on the coming weekend and with Mark Waugh having been axed, plenty of attention will be given to the performance of the Aussies. The Poms have an inexperienced team due to many injuries and should be no match for the Aussies at home. Steve Waugh will certainly want to end his Test career with another ashes victory. However, should the Aussies stumble and South Africa win against Sri Lanka the Aussies will then lose their number one ranking in Test cricket. Now wouldn't that be fantastic!

Over the last few seasons we've seen matches at both the Wanderers and Centurion being rain-affected and with unstable weather around at the moment, the pitch at the Wanderers for the coming Test is being watched with much trepidation. The Proteas certainly won't want to see a pitch that doesn't have good bounce.

© Pat Symcox