Iqbal ,Sallel,yash about---

IQBAL KHAN I'm not a cricket crazy fan at all. Though India's defeat was a huge letdown, I think it's part of the game. We should look at the defeat in true sportsman spirit. It's not right to vandalise the properties owned by cricketers. They're worshipped as demi- gods in our country and their performance sets the mood of the nation. But they're human beings at the end. There's no point feeling dejected because they tried their best. One team had to lose. The action in the series is only just beginning. I think Australia and South Africa will qualify for the finals. MINI MATHUR I'mdejectedforsure.Ourcrick- etersperformedbadlyinalldepart- mentsandwecouldn'tevenmakeit totheSuperEight. Thereactionof fansisjustifiedtosomeextentbut theyshouldnotoverdothehatred bit. Ithinktheteammanagement should introspecttoavoidsuchdis- malperformancesinfuture.The biggestregretisthatthelikesof SachinTendulkarcouldn'tdeliver onthecrucialday. Butthat'sthegameofcricket, fullofsurprises.I'msureAustralia willwintheWorldCup,thoughthey should expectatoughtimefrom the WestIndiesand SouthAfrica. SALIL ANKOLA It's one of my biggest disap- pointments. Though I'm out of the cricket scene for a decade now, I still feel humiliated thinking about the way India lost to Sri Lanka. Disappointed fans across the world have to accept the harsh reality and support the team that plays good cricket. My personal favourite is South Africa, who despite los- ing to Australia seem poised to win the World Cup. I salute their fighting spirit and consis- tency. I think our cricketers should take a lesson or two from them. YASH TONK I blame the coach Greig Chap- pel for the dismal perform- ance. He kept experimenting with the players till the last moment and it affected the team's performance. I have nothing against Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Saurav Ganguly. They tried their best. It was the coaches' whimsical demands that resulted in our being washed out of the series. Since India's defeat, I've stopped watching the match- es. I think South Africa and Australia are the favourites since they've a balanced mix of fresh talent and experience. BOBBY DARLING Ever since India lost, I've com- pletely given up watching cricket. It's such a big disap- pointment. I think the coach deliberately didn't include Irfan Pathan in the game. He could've provided the much needed teeth to the bowling attack. We hardly played against Sri Lanka. And the defeat against Bangladesh killed the team's spirits. The fans have to accept the reality and control their emotions. I think West Indies has a fair chance of winning. As told to Ruhail Amin