Men and the cup

Akhtar 8212; Man among boys

CHESTER-LE-STREET: Shoaib Akhtar, the world8217;s fastest bowler, could not wipe the smile off his face. It wasn8217;t malicious, nor arrogant. For just a second, he seemed to find himself astonished by the extent of the talent with which he has been blessed. Scotland8217;s Gavin Hamilton was rubbing his bruised leg, after being caught by one of Aktar8217;s near 100-mph deliveries, and the Pakistani bowler gave him a friendly tap on the helmet as he walked back to his mark, as if to say: quot;isn8217;t itamazing? I don8217;t even know how I manage to bowl so fast myself.quot; In truth, it was men among boys when Pak unleashed Akhtar on the Scots in Durham yesterday. Olonga laps up stardomLONDON: Zimbabwean pace bowler Henry Olonga was, wisely, lapping up his sudden and unexpected World Cup stardom on Friday. He knows as well as anyone that it may not last.

Olonga turned from villain to hero in the space of five balls against India on Wednesday. The journey back could be just as quick. Zimbabwe captain Alistair Campbell admitted it was quot;a gut decision not a cricketing one.quot;