EDITORIAL

Australia Retains World Cup

In a victory for predictability, Australia last night retained the World Cup, after defeating India in the final at Johannesberg's Wanderers stadium.

Cynics have been heard to mutter "big deal", and well they might, after Australia posted their highest ever one-day international total, captain Ricky Ponting broke the record for the highest individual score at a World Cup and the Indian opposition folded, as had every other opponent in this World Cup, despite the late threat of rain.

For the Australians, it was a display of firepower that eerily echoed the so-called "shock and awe" tactics being used by Western forces in Iraq (see Paul Mitchell's The War On Cricket for a deeper analysis of the Australians' strategy).

Australia's domination of the game is illustrated by its perfect win-loss record in this tournament and while it is painful to say so, they seem threatened by no-one. This bodes well for the forthcoming tour of the West Indies but perhaps not so well for anyone else in the cricketing world.

That the war on Iraq has now started adds a realist tinge to Australia's fairytale run in South Africa. For while the green and gold "warriors" dance around on the pitch, singing "Beneath the Southern Cross", compiling CDs of great Australian cricket songs (did anyone notice Warnie's choice of Vanessa Amorosi?), their military counterparts are involved in an illegal and immoral war.

The war analogy has been used before in cricket and it should not surprise us that it has gained another airing now on the World Cup stage. To speak of the complicity of our cricket team in this war may be drawing a long bow - and yet Brett Lee's campaign of fast-paced bombardment, Ricky Ponting's merciless string of projectile sixes, even Andy Bichel's coming of age as a tenacious hand to hand fighter suggest a similarity of intent, for all the difference in effect.

The only truly hopeful revelation of this World Cup from an Australian point of view was the behaviour of Adam Gilchrist. Having been forced to make way for Ponting as, ahem, Waugh's vice captain on the upcoming Carribbean tour, one might have expected Gilchrist to let off a little steam.

Not so. The talented wicket-keeper and left hander first showed his true colours when he spoke with Andy Flower, the Zimbabwean batsman who had conducted a black-armband protest at his government's illegality (and at the expense of his career). Gilchrist then shocked the world by walking, having been adjudged not out by the umpire in the semi final against Sri Lanka.

My suspicion is that Gilchrist is seeking a plum job in the administration, and more power to him. We need diplomats, noble acts and dignity now more than ever. Here's hoping some poet finds enough inspiration in his performance to produce a few lines of praise, in the spirit of peace.