You guessed it; I met up with Aussie bowler Nathan Bracken to help him with his Â鶹Éç column. He still had a grin from ear to ear, clearly delighted with his second World Cup winner’s medal - his first as a regular member of the team...

After almost two months of low crowds, overly restrictive ground regulations and one-sided games, the farcical conclusion to the final was rather fitting.

It is especially easy for journalists to become cynical, more so after so much time on the road. Watching Australia’s reaction to capturing their third successive world title helped me solve some of that.

The charge off the field at the end of the game was led by larger-than-life all-rounder Andrew Symonds shouting, “Pace yourselves boys – we’ve got a big two days ahead.”

While the celebrations kicked off inside the dressing room, Glenn McGrath – named man of the tournament after his final game – and Matthew Hayden, who had almost certainly played his last World Cup match, sat out on the balcony, nursing beers and just soaking up the atmosphere.

Delighted former Aussie stars Merv Hughes, Michael Kasprowicz and 2003 World Cup winner Andy Bichel, all of whom had watched the match from the stands, were welcomed in to join the party.

I had expected Australia’s players, so used to success, to take this in their stride but, clearly, the fact they had put in so much hard work, dealt with so much expectation, and executed their plans so clinically left them elated.

Seven weeks is a long enough time but it seems even longer since I landed in St Lucia to cover England and New Zealand’s first-round matches.

We followed from a distance the terrible news of Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer’s murder. Many considered him a friend. Many more, like me, had dealt with him on occasions and felt the loss personally as well.

That news set into context the furore closer by, over the drinking exploits of six England players following their loss to New Zealand, exploits that included Andrew Flintoff’s now famous trip in a pedalo.

Word is he only went knee deep into the sea but the episode, following problems during the one-day series in Australia, was the straw that broke the camel’s back as far as England’s management were concerned and he was stripped of the vice-captaincy.

A week later I moved to Guyana, managing to provoke a storm with a for hosting an international sporting event.

Long after Guyana has forgotten about it - I hope having accepted my apologies - members of the cricketing media will still find the episode funny, at my expense.

I managed to annoy another group while in Guyana: those who disagreed with that the inclusion of Ireland and Bangladesh in the Super 8 was a bad thing for the tournament.

Over the next month, I saw Ireland in action five times, with their victory over Bangladesh one of my highlights of the trip and their pure enjoyment of the game another.

Bangladesh upset world number one South Africa, showing they deserved a place too, but I still wonder what the Super 8 would have been like with India and Pakistan at full strength. There were few truly one-sided matches but many that were decided long before the conclusion and it is no wonder fan interest waned.

Guyana was where we began to notice the small crowds, put off by high ticket-prices, over-regulation and the disappointing form of the West Indies side.

The ICC took the blame for everything that was wrong with the tournament but to me it was the problem of a three-tiered organisation with ICC at the top, West Indies World Cup in the middle and local organising committees at the bottom.

All three passed the buck to the others and there was a real lack of common sense about simple issues, such as preventing dehydration when fans were not able to take bottled water into the ground, retaining a Caribbean atmosphere while banning unaccredited instruments and maintaining a policy against re-entry while having no prayer areas for Muslim fans.

At the Kensington Oval in Barbados, many of the problems were masked as the structure of the rebuilt ground made a decent atmosphere even when it was half-full.

Indian fans, in particular, wondered the streets aimlessly while spectators were allowed in free to watch Ireland play Bangladesh in the match which, if the tournament had gone to seeding, would have pitted India against arch-rivals Pakistan.

The venue also witnessed the final international appearance of West Indies great Brian Lara, who announced his retirement in a low-key media conference just two days before taking on England.

Were it not for the fact that both sides had already been eliminated, England’s successful chase of 300 to win would have made the match of the tournament.

Lara’s post-game media meeting stretched for 40 self-referential minutes in a room with the air con switched off, with many by the end feeling just as they had about Lara’s career: it was great to witness but it was time for it to come to an end.

Of course, by then England had parted with their coach Duncan Fletcher, which seemed inevitable after such a disappointing winter.

It was difficult to compare the confident, relaxed group of players I had seen in St Lucia with the introverted band who exited the tournament to the first boos an England side has heard for almost eight years.

With England and the grind of the Super 8 out of the way, the prospect of a week of knockout games was a much-needed boost of excitement, although all three matches ended in anticlimax.

It was not the tournament world cricket wanted, although perhaps it was what it deserved and needed to force a drastic re-think to halt the apathy that seems to have surrounded it.

Cutting through that fug, though, was Australia’s joy on Saturday night. After a wonderful trip, but a trying tournament, I was glad to be almost a part of it.

After 149 runs, just 104 deliveries faced, 13 fours and a record-equalling eight sixes there seemed little doubt that Australia’s total – in a matched reduced to 38 overs per side – would be out of sight.

Muscular forcing shots to full deliveries were pinged into the sightscreen, drives off the front foot bisected fielders perfectly and there was the odd bit of luck that few great innings can be without.

Chaminda Vaas must have been licking his lips at the prospect. Instead he was nursing his wounds after Gilchrist took 10 off successive balls in his second over.

The pitch had been tamed since its first appearance in the tournament and, given a start almost three hours later than scheduled, there was little movement in the air either.

Encouraged by the success of his early foray, Gilchrist looked to take on change bowler Dilhara Fernando and it was here he had his biggest slice of luck, the bowler putting down a difficult return chance at ankle height with the batsman on 31.

As if Fernando were not chastened enough, he was forced to watch his next three balls hit for 14, with a lofted six hitting the fire engine sitting on the long-on boundary.

Lusty blows into the leg side – where 10 of his fours and four sixes flew – were greeted by roars from the massive band of yellow-clad fans and the strains of Men at Work from the party stand DJ.

The scrabble for records lists began as Gilchrist celebrated a century opening stand with a huge hug for partner Matthew Hayden, who had contributed a scratchy 22.

Gilchrist had an opportunity to equal , scored against South Africa in the group stages.

On 94 from 65 he put so much power into a drive at Fernando that he lost hold of his bat and could have shattered his own stumps.

I missed in 2005 because I was in the queue for tea. It almost happened again.

While balancing carrot cake on a box of chicken and flying fish, I emerged into the open air to see Gilchrist slap Lasith Malinga through mid-off, leap, punch and kick the air then raise his bat to the delighted travelling band in the World Cup stand.

Reaching three figures from 72 deliveries he wiped from the record books.

Gilchrist was not done until he had become, on 111, just the 11th man to score 9,000 ODI runs, and then went on to pass Ricky Ponting’s 140 from four years ago, tying his skipper’s six count from that innings.

Gilchrist’s explosive innings was all the more surprising because he had endured an indifferent World Cup until now, managing two half centuries against smaller nations while Hayden grabbed the attention.

In his amazing return to form, though, he made sure of a share of the headlines for himself.

Perhaps they could reprise the routine that takes place with them both in a double bed in their pyjamas.

Media conferences have seen the duo bouncing one-liners off each other throughout. On Friday, with one of the biggest games of their lives less than 24 hours away, there were digs at Ponting’s golf game and McGrath’s work-rate in the nets, among others.

It is a symptom of their hyper-confidence but I don’t think it is arrogance. They have arguably worked harder than any other side on making sure they are as ready as they can be.

They are certain that, if they are at their best, they will be too much for any team in the world.

Coach John Buchanan’s long-term planning had them working for up to three hours per day in the gym in February – one of the reasons they lost the home one-day series to England.

And their programme has been designed to bring them to a peak for the final fortnight of the tournament.

Reaching their fourth successive World Cup final was never the goal, of course. They want to go one step further and have continued to work on the minutia.

The favourite maxim of English rowing legend Sir Steve Redgrave, who spoke to the Aussie side three weeks ago, was that if you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail.

On Friday Ponting and Matthew Hayden, the tournament’s leading scorer, went through net sessions which either involved bowling coach Troy Cooley delivering at a 45-degree angle or facing a bowling machine set lower than usual.

They were aiming to replicate the unorthodox action of Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga, who last faced Australia almost three years ago, in , when he took 10 wickets in all, including Ponting once and Adam Gilchrist twice.

Barely half an hour after completing victory over South Africa in Wednesday’s semi-final, Michael Clarke was able to talk in detail about the action of a bowler he has never faced, based on the video footage he had already watched.

McGrath hopped off the bus with a smile for his last-ever training session, and to be honest didn’t do much more than kick a football around and have a look at the wicket. He knows he has done everything he needs to do.

That wicket, by the way, is the one used for the , when it offered wild bounce early but baked into a spinner’s paradise as England struggled to knock off the runs.

“The pitch didn’t make it difficult – England made it difficult,” said the groundsman I spoke to.

However, the choice between batting first against Malinga or Shaun Tait, or batting second against Muttiah Muralitharan or Brad Hogg will be an intriguing one at the toss.

No doubt Ponting and McGrath will have their game faces on by then.

Australia’s batsmen barely blinked as their unbeaten run in World Cup stretched to 28 games as they reached their fourth successive final appearance, replying to South Africa’s lowest ever World Cup total.

After losing Adam Gilchrist seventh ball, then suffering a slight setback when Ricky Ponting was bowled through the gate by a pearler from Andre Nel, Matthew Hayden showed there is more to his resume than top-order biffing.

And he found a perfect ally in Michael Clarke in a third-wicket stand of 60 to get them to within touching distance, Clarke striking another clinical half-century.

Sri Lanka may make breakthroughs in the final on Saturday, but do they have the bowling to run right through this line-up? I doubt it.

In the build-up to the match, South Africa talked about their brand of Brave Cricket, but it looked foolhardy as they tried to be too aggressive against some outstanding bowling after winning the toss.

On five occasions, batsmen were dismissed straight after hitting a boundary, showing a real lack of pragmatism.

Jacques Kallis was yorked while making room to drive Glenn McGrath through the covers again, while both AB de Villiers and Herschelle Gibbs were caught behind trying to drive Shaun Tait shortly after hooking boundaries

Later, Shaun Pollock was caught and bowled by Brad Hogg off a leading edge just after cutting him to the rope in front of square and last man Charl Langeveldt was bowled trying something very strange against Shane Watson.

Given the obvious early swing being gained by Nathan Bracken, South Africa captain Graeme Smith’s decision to go down the wicket to take him on was inspired by adrenaline rather than rationale.

None of that should take anything away from the quality of Australia’s bowling, though.

Ponting preferred McGrath to Tait with the new ball with the clear intention of frustrating his opponents into mistakes.

McGrath retained his composure to deliver a beauty to Kallis, then tempt Ashwell Prince and Mark Boucher into edging successive deliveries behind.

Tait provided his usual unpredictability but was too skiddy for De Villiers and found movement off the seam to dismiss both Gibbs and Andrew Hall.

Gibbs and Justin Kemp survived some hairy moments in their sixth-wicket stand of 60 but Tait returned to split them and Kemp was forced to lead the tail.

South Africa may have preferred Makhaya Ntini in their side had they known they would be defending such a low total, but the decision to take Pollock out of the attack after three stout overs at the top of the innings was a strange one.

Pollock is just one of a clutch of South African stars who began their careers together a decade ago and may end them having never reached a World Cup final.

Most of the people I have spoken to – including South Africans – have the Aussies down as favourites but recognise that the Proteas have the firepower at the top of the order to really put Australia under pressure.

As long as they survive the early movement, South Africa are in an excellent position to do just that having won the toss.

South Africa’s coach Mickey Arthur has been repeating his mantra of “confidence, calmness and patience” and it seems to have rubbed off, with his team obviously more relaxed since beating England to qualify for the semi-final.

Australia are self-assured but coach John Buchanan will not let that become arrogance. Asked if he was worried about anything going into the clash he replied: “I’m always worried about something.”

Asked last weekend who would win the tournament, England captain Michael Vaughan said, "Whoever wins from Australia and South Africa." Both sides have already beaten Sri Lanka in the tournament, although Mahela Jayawardene's side looked outstanding against New Zealand.

Nearby Rodney Bay was abuzz on Tuesday night, with fans arriving by plane and cruise ship and a concert by reggae dancehall star Sean Paul being staged just about within hearing distance of the team hotel.

The local organising committee said on the eve of the match 18,000 tickets had been sold so far, which would be a record for this newly expanded venue, nestled in the forested hills near Gros Islet in the north of the island, but with room for 6,000 more.

The roads leading there in the morning were lined with canary yellow, with two interesting variations. There is a pastiche on the classic 1992 World Cup shirt, complete with pink stripes and the Cathy Freeman-style unitard, which must get pretty uncomfortable when you work up a sweat.

The stands in front of me are a sea of green, among the fans former South Africa captain and 2003 World Cup chief Dr Ali Bacher.

More than one South Africa jersey bears the number 438 – the total the side reached in that amazing game in Johannesburg a year ago to seal the series with Australia.

There are a few English fans and Kiwis too, whose gamble on travel plans didn’t work out. They should be in for a cracking game anyway.

South Africa coach Mickey Arthur, who helped coin the phrase “Brave Cricket” in South Africa having taken the helm two years ago believes the four sides remaining in the tournament have all found the secret.

“When I came in we looked at ways we could lead and improve in one-day cricket. It is a power-based game now. It’s all about taking risks,” said Arthur.

“And I do think some of the teams in the subcontinent, and perhaps England, are playing a far too conservative brand at the moment.

“We’ve done it, Australia have done it, New Zealand are doing it and I must say Sri Lanka do it. I don’t think there’s any coincidence they’re the four teams in the semi-final.”

Perhaps the best example of brave cricket was South Africa’s one-day-series-clinching win in Johannesburg a year ago, when they successfully chased down Australia’s world record 435.

When the odds are that stacked against you, there is no point in being worried about failure.

In his latest , England's Paul Collingwood acknowledged they know one major area they need to improve.

After looking over-burdened throughout the tournament, the pressure was off last Saturday, with qualification already ruled out, and they managed to successfully chase 300 to beat West Indies.

“We need to find a way to stop putting ourselves under so much pressure to perform because, as you saw from our batting on Saturday, you can really express yourself without the fear of failure,” said Collingwood.

South Africa's approach is the antithesis of England’s plan – to keep top-order wickets in hand before building later in the innings and to build pressure by bowling defensively.

“The phrase Brave Cricket has been over-played hugely but it’s basically having the confidence to hit balls over the top, having the confidence to take sweepers on,” Arthur explained.

“When you’re bowling, instead of becoming a defence, become an attack. We’re looking to strike a lot more.”

England also seem to be very aware of what they have achieved in the past – they have been accused of resting on their laurels after the 2005 Ashes triumph.

Asked about the possibility of becoming the first ever side to secure a World Cup “threepeat”, Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting said: “Three World Cups in a row – that’s the first I’ve even heard of it since we’ve been in the Caribbean.

“There’s been lots of things – I think we’ve won 21 consecutive [World Cup] games or something. That’s hasn’t been mentioned once around the team or in meetings.”

For someone who hasn’t talked about it, he managed to pull the correct figure out of the air quite easily but he had already made his point: it's not about a third title, it's about winning on Wednesday.

The charter plane that was supposed to be taking us, and the South Africa team, was inexplicably delayed for almost two hours but when we finally boarded we were told what had happened.

The same plane had been used to ferry Australia (and my bags) to St Lucia, leaving South Africa’s players – all kitted out in team polo shirts and khaki shorts – kicking their heels in the departure lounge.

Victory over England, though, followed by a week of taking it easy at the Barbados Hilton and surrounds, seems to have lifted their collective mood massively.

They made a conscious effort to quell the comparisons to the heart-breaking by offering the four remaining players – Shaun Pollock, Mark Boucher, Herschelle Gibbs and Jacques Kallis – to the media on Saturday.

It didn’t help the media that the news conference took place at around the same time Brian Lara came out to bat for the last time in international cricket but the players seem now to have put the comparisons behind them.

They are now safely ensconced in the same hotel from which all of six weeks ago.

And, should they win on Wednesday, they may be tempted to try the new cocktail doing the rounds, called The Flintoff and featuring rum and pineapple juice.

While the rest of the World Cup sides take to the skies, England have remained grounded as flights back to the UK are apparently full until Tuesday.

Before heading to the golf course, though, they bade farewell to their WAGs – Jessica Taylor, ex of Liberty X and current of Kevin Pietersen, was among a group at the airport.

And they gave a cheery wave to Stuart Broad, whose reward for hitting the winning runs at a sweltering Kensington Oval on Saturday is a place in the Leicestershire side to face Somerset at Grace Road on Wednesday.

After six weeks of disappointment, but it was much too late to secure a semi-final place.

Michael Vaughan’s men looked out of it when a woeful start from their the opening bowlers allowed openers Chris Gayle and Devon Smith to return to form and add 102 together in the first 15 overs, setting West Indies on course for the 300 mark.

But finally, after the stumbling displays of the last six weeks, England showed some aggression at the top of the order.

Vaughan demonstrated some wonderfully uncomplicated stroke-making in his 79 and Kevin Pietersen hit his first century as part of a one-day victory, an indication of his increasing maturity.

Again, Pietersen got out with the job not yet finished but Paul Nixon again did exactly what he was brought into the side to do, nudging, sweeping and managing England into position before an assured World Cup debut from Stuart Broad finished matters.

Vaughan’s first fifty in a one-dayer for 21 months may have eased pressure on him to concentrate on Test cricket in future.

Dwayne Bravo’s second athletic run out started the usual England mid-innings collapse, with four wickets falling in nine overs for the addition of 34 runs.

But, unlike in previous games, they were up with the pace and a self-assured seventh-wicket stand between Pietersen and Nixon kept them there.

England looked to have given the game away in the first hour, James Anderson and Liam Plunkett conceding five wides in the first two overs.

Anderson appeared ready to fly home while Plunkett, back in the side for the first time in a month, struggled to gain a consistent length and saw Chris Gayle smash 21 off his fourth over.

Broad, in his first game of the tournament, also had a difficult start, Gayle punching and cutting two boundaries in a first over costing 11, but he recovered well.

West Indies captain Lara, playing his last ever international, commanded a standing ovation from the 28,000 present as he came in to bat, while Fletcher stayed in the shadows.

He can now hand the job of building England into a World Cup contender in 2011 over to .

England performed with the pressure of qualification off their shoulders, but they must have wondered what a difference a result like this earlier in the tournament would have had on their fragile confidence.

And, for the first time in this half-hearted tournament, a stadium was packed to the refurbished rafters, Kensington Oval bathed in sunlight, bedecked in flags and banners – many made especially for the occasion - and eagerly expectant.

This could have been a meaningless World Cup signing-off by two teams that had failed to live up to expectations, already eliminated from semi-final contention with just $50,000 prize money to play for.

Instead it was an opportunity for the world of cricket, and West Indies fans in particular, to say farewell to one of the finest batsmen of all time.

Brian Charles Lara may have from all international cricket in low-key fashion but the low-key stuff stopped right there.

The antipathy with which many I spoke to greeted Lara’s announcement – probably brought on by feelings over his captaincy during such a disappointing World Cup showing – seemed to have evaporated by the time he emerged for the toss.

It looked like a plan to have Lara open the innings was shelved when Michael Vaughan put the home side in, and Chris Gayle threatened the crash the party with a roustabout 79.

Gayle deserved a ton but not at the expense of the Prince of Port of Spain, whose arrival at the top of the pavilion steps was greeted by chanting from the assembled 28,000, who were all on their feet by the time he took the field.

Welcomed to the crease by England’s fielders in a guard of honour, Lara quickly found his feet, bounding across his crease to push Andrew Flintoff on the leg side and get off the mark.

He sliced Flintoff past third man for his first boundary, flicked James Anderson fine for another then had a little luck when he edged Flintoff just past Andrew Strauss at fly slip.

Everyone was settled in for the long haul, then suddenly it was over.

Marlon Samuels pushed firmly to mid-on, called for a single, saw Kevin Pietersen field quickly and changed his mind, with Lara stranded mid-pitch.

Sometimes sport lacks a basic understanding of the script as when, 59 years ago, the great Sir Donald Bradman was dismissed for nought in his final Test, needing just four for a career batting average of 100.

As Lara exited the arena to another standing ovation, holding his arms aloft and saluting the crowd, there were already rumours of a breaking of diplomatic relations between Samuels’ Jamaica and Lara’s Trinidad.

This may still not be the last we see of BCL on the pitch. His emphasis of the word “international” in his retirement led some to think he may have another project in mind.

Perhaps that could be the planned for July or the– which grabbed headlines across the Caribbean in its first incarnation last July.

But first, he will have a party at a massive plantation house near the Kensington Oval on the night of the World Cup final, to which he , “everyone is invited”. Everyone, that is, who can afford the $125 admission fee.

With the score mounting in the West Indies innings, the party continued but the place felt a little flat after Lara’s departure. West Indies fans should get used to the feeling.

A tired, irritable Lara had already faced more than 10 minutes of questions, continually being probed on the off-field problems that have beset the side through the World Cup and on his own future, with a tour to England imminent.

There was just one last question, which was not as testing as some that had preceded it but it proved to be the straw that broke the camel’s back.

"I've already spoken to the board and my players."

And that was it. Test cricket’s all-time leading run-maker and one of the finest batsmen I have ever watched had just ended his career, right there in a humid lecture theatre.

Apparently he had planned to save the announcement either until the eve of the England game or for afterwards.

Perhaps the about-turn was more of a shock because of the , West Indies taking advantage of some decent bounce to skittle Bangladesh 99 runs short.

It counted for little except prize money as both sides had already been eliminated from the semi-finals.

At least Lara, who is 38 in a fortnight, will get the chance to bow out against England, who he has a habit of turning on his best for, like the world record Test scores of 375 in 1994 and 400 not out 10 years later.

Many believed West Indies were a dark horse to win the World Cup on home soil but the hopes of the home fans exploded as the team lost their first three games of the Super 8 stage.

Lara’s leadership has come in for criticism, with suggestions he is unable to empathise with less naturally gifted members of the side.

But there have been plenty of rumblings in the background, too, with suggestions of a rift between the selection panel and team management and an admission by team coordinator Clive Lloyd that the side lack the video technology enjoyed by most other teams.

For reasons that have gone unexplained, Lara has been moved up and down the batting order, batting at six against Bangladesh, but has provided 251 with a battling 77 against Australia.

He wanted to retire from one-day cricket some time ago but was persuaded to stay on for the first ever World Cup in the Caribbean.

In all probability disillusioned by the experience, he has gone back on a recent assertion that he would like to play Test cricket into his 40s.

Lara said he would not “go into hibernation”, suggesting he would like to continue to play a part in West Indies cricket, although the cricket board may have other ideas.

For now, we have one last chance to watch Lara in all his glory, with a demoralised England the target. Duncan Fletcher’s farewell game could be a cracker.

Instead it was down to two of the England and Wales Cricket Board’s top “suits” to do the deed, with ECB chairman David Morgan flanked by director of cricket operations John Carr to furnish the details.

Of course, by the time the massed ranks of the media moved from the baking heat of Barbados to an air-conditioned yet anonymous ballroom at the Hilton hotel, all knew that Fletcher was to stand down.

As it turned out, he made his intentions known to Carr on 10 April, the day before that tortuous victory over Bangladesh, and the subsequent delay was to wait for Morgan’s arrival in the Caribbean on Wednesday.

Fletcher has appeared more distracted than usual in the past few weeks. One colleague who is closer to Fletcher than most described him as “spitting chips” at journalists’ ability to criticise him in print while trying to be friendly in person.

His unwillingness to play the media game made it increasingly difficult to understand decisions and reduced the amount of sympathy many had for him when England began to lose.

A little surprisingly, the England team were not told of Fletcher’s departure until their Thursday training session, which began shortly after the news broke on Â鶹Éç News 24 back in the UK.

The Â鶹Éç Sport website’s will be giving his reaction on Friday but he sounded pretty down in the dumps when I spoke to him briefly after the announcement.

Not everyone will be sad to see Fletcher go, one writer expressing a widely held feeling when he lamented: “No more over the toaster in the morning.”

Morgan would not be drawn into confirming the widely accepted supposition England Academy boss Peter Moores will take over in a caretaker capacity.

But the ECB chairman’s assertion someone will be in place within the next 48 hours makes it likely that person is already under contract, limiting the options.

Moores could be handed the job in a permanent capacity but the ECB will wait until the publication of the Schofield Review – expected around the third week of May – before making any commitments.

If they want to look elsewhere they will have to move quickly, as coaching posts at Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India and New Zealand could all be vacant after the World Cup.

India’s Greg Chappell has stepped down while the other three incumbents must agree new contracts.

It is a shame that Morgan focused on England’s recent failings, apologising to fans and media for the World Cup showing, without running through Fletcher’s many achievements, including 14 victorious Test series.

Although a prepared statement from ECB chief executive David Collier was handed out, Morgan had to be asked to provide similar praise for Fletcher’s eight-year reign.

Perhaps Fletcher will make a final appearance before the cameras and dictaphones either before or after his final match in charge against West Indies on Saturday.

Perhaps he will decide, after enduring the media for eight years, he no longer has to.

Does the same apply to the World Cup, after on Tuesday ended their hopes of reaching the semi-finals?

And how can a team that beat world champions Australia in three successive matches on home soil in February now appear so poor...?

Australia, complacent after heavy early victories, had already begun extra fitness training and hence were below their best.
And those four wins made up a quarter of England's victories over the last 18 months.

While the short-term preparation for the World Cup looked well thought-out, long-term planning has been completely lacking from England's one-day side.

Over the last 18 months, comprising 42 games, 36 players have gained caps.

In case the task is too much for next week's pub quiz, here are some of the more difficult-to-remember ones: Tim Bresnan, Alex Loudon, Kabir Ali and Shaun Udal.

Many were brought in for a look then discarded when they failed to impress. Most of them were county all-rounders, not selected specifically for either batting or bowling.

Meanwhile star Test spinner Monty Panesar was not even given a chance until January.

Going into the match against South Africa, Panesar was England's second-most economical bowler - behind Andrew Flintoff - and had taken seven wickets from as many games.

There are arguably only two players among that 36 not in the World Cup 15 who would be in the Caribbean in a perfect scenario.

Pace bowler Steve Harmison retired from the one-day game came after he struggled for form with the white ball and endured a difficult Ashes tour, but he could have been a valuable asset at his best.

Marcus Trescothick's stress-related illness prevented him from taking part, although he is the only full-time opening batsman capable of exploiting the early fielding restrictions as most sides do.

Many lobbied for the inclusion of Mal Loye, whose attacking style only came off three times in seven matches in Australia.

That would probably have meant dropping Andrew Strauss, who endured a difficult winter in Australia in both Test cricket and one-day internationals.

As it happened, when the World Cup started, Strauss was initially axed from the starting line-up to accommodate Kevin Pietersen, with Ed Joyce keeping his place.

But Strauss has 14 one-day half centuries to his name, and did not need to be thrust into the cauldron of a Super 8 match against Australia having missed all four matches against non-Test nations.

This is the first time since the four-year cycles of the Ashes tour and World Cup fell into synch in 1999 that England have managed to get past the first round.

Throw in a packed English summer in 2006 and October's ICC Champions Trophy and it is little surprise that players have looked jaded.

In the same period, World Cup semi-finalists New Zealand played just 20 ODIs, and five Test matches - about 40 days less just in terms of playing, let alone travel and practice.

Then there is the effect of the Ashes whitewash itself. England were not just beaten but broken by Australia.

The one-day series win and a well-orchestrated build-up left them in good spirits going into the opening game of the World Cup.

But a dispiriting defeat to New Zealand opened all the old wounds and it was downhill from there.

Andrew Flintoff was stripped of the England vice-captaincy and banned for a game after a late-night drinking binge in St Lucia early in the World Cup.

This time it is South Africa captain Graeme Smith trying to defend his actions as one of a group of players on Saturday night, after the in Grenada.

Officials have already said the case is closed but if South Africa under-perform against England, a sports-mad public at home are unlikely to let it lie.

Smith played the whole issue down, saying: “There probably were guys who had a few drinks. After a game if a couple of guys want to go out and blow off some steam I have no issue with it.

“It’s a long tournament, there’s a lot of pressure and the guys will be prepared [for the England game].

“We have drinking rules and if guys have pushed the limit that will be discussed and dealt with.”

Pushed on the nature of those rules, Smith said: “Two days before a game, really calm down.”

Several Proteas were spotted in the pubs and clubs of on Barbados’ south coast on Sunday night, after 1am. Opinions were mixed on whether they were behaving calmly or not.

Comically, Smith almost managed to suggest it was difficult to fit drinking sessions in around games, saying: “It’s tough at the moment with the schedules.”

Then he added: “I think probably we’ve been the quietest team at this World Cup, because of where we’ve been based.”

If it was a reference to their at the start of the Super 8, they didn’t find the right places.

These late-night sessions are far from unique. In the week following Pedalogate, two players from opposing sides (neither one England, before you fret) were out in the same bar where Flintoff’s binge began.

Around 34 hours later, Player A took 22 runs off Player B’s second over. Perhaps one player handles his booze better than the other. More likely, it had little bearing.

These are professional, international sportsmen, though. Surely they should be able to make a judgement on when it is safe to push the boat out. Surely.

Their apart, they have earned extra respect for each game they have played and I’ll be sorry to miss the final game of their Odyssey as they move to Grenada to face Sri Lanka.

Whereas critics have already put the group-stage victory over Pakistan down to luck at winning the toss on a Sabina Park pitch that was very helpful to their bowlers early on, there were no such advantages come the second round.

But committed, workmanlike performances against England and South Africa in particular put them in positions from which they could have pushed for victory.

A revived performance from their top-order batting – William Porterfield the star with 85 – and the usual lower-order biffing set them on their way, then captain Trent Johnston’s canny use of his bowlers and some cavalier Bangladeshi batting helped seal a 74-run win

It provided the clincher in justifying their place in the Super 8, also gaining recognition in the ICC’s official one-day rankings by virtue of having beaten two full members.

With the gates flung wide at 11am, the ground was around two-thirds full up by the time Bangladesh started their reply.

India and Pakistan fans making the best of their teams’ absence were joined by plenty of locals – at last – and lots of light green, with large furry hats and leprechaun beards almost obligatory.

A few of the Barmy Army infiltrated the Blarney version for the afternoon and the Barmy bugler belted out Fields of Athenry and Cockles n’ Mussels instead of his usual standards.

And by the time skipper Trent Johnston took his second wicket, and danced his second chicken dance, it did not matter that this match . All that counted was another famous win for the men in clover green.

The novelty value of an Ireland team made up of truck drivers, teachers, farmers and salesmen taking on the world’s best has faded as the tournament wore on.

But it has been fun to be working around the squad and their entourage for the last three weeks as the enjoyment of playing at this level has shone through.

There have been some impressive individual performances, like for five runs in his first three overs against England and Niall O'Brien's half century in Ireland's reply.

Had Jacques Kallis not been allowed two let-offs, on a slow pitch in Guyana. Six days later, before a crazy run out began a collapse, Niall and Kevin O’Brien were beginning to .

The chicken dance has been a highlight on the pitch and on the odd dance floor along the way. “All I could see on the TV replay was a bald spot and elbows,” Johnston complained.

Chastened by the , England’s players headed back to their Georgetown hotel after beating the Irish, whose own post-match singsong lasted so late their security guards and coach driver left them to make their own way home.

Johnston’s inspirational leadership, spinner Kyle McCallan’s unflappability, Niall O’Brien’s cocky self-assuredness and Rankin’s determination have all stood out on the field.

Off it, radio commentator started out with a couple of guest spots on Â鶹Éç Test Match Special but has now been around so long he should be in line for a TMS tie, even though he has yet to gain official Test status.

John was just one of those leaping around in the press box as Bangladesh wickets fell through the afternoon. A few of the rest of us became a little less impartial than normal too.

The absence of the subcontinental big boys has meant a rather surreal atmosphere to the game but, as with every match here at the Kensington Oval, a medium-sized crowd has made plenty of noise.

In the new Greenidge & Haynes Stand, a Bangladesh chant was followed by one for Ireland by the next block of supporters, then by one for India by the next group on.

Over 22,000 tickets were either sold or issued for this match but – even though India fans have been the most populous around Bridgetown this week - stories have been doing the rounds about mass cancellations and tickets available from touts at a fraction of face value.

Generally, the India fans in the crowd have supported Ireland, who knocked Pakistan out of the competition, while the few Pakistanis shouted for Bangladesh, who eliminated India.

Meanwhile, the local organising committee waited until approximately three minutes before offering free tickets to all at 11am local time to actually advertise the fact.

They were aware of a potential problem approximately three weeks earlier.

On the field of play, it was good to see Ireland’s top order firing after a difficult last three weeks.

There were leprechauns dancing in the stands as Jeremy Bray hit his first boundary since 23 March, William Porterfield completed his first half century against a Test-playing nation and when Kevin O'Brien and Trent Johnston indulged in some late-innings biffing.

Bangladesh’s spinners did not find as much assistant bowling first rather than on a baked pitch in the afternoon, as they did against England.

And Ireland’s committed running between the wickets helped keep the scoreboard moving even when there were no boundaries on offer, even though four run outs were a natural consequence.

Will Ireland’s highest World Cup score so far be enough for them to secure their second victory? Much will depend on their performance in the middle of the innings when Andre Botha - on his return from a hamstring injury – and spinner Kyle McCallan take the stage.

It could be close but I think Ireland have a slight advantage at the interval.