Sarwan and Samuels should show a lot more dedication

If I was pained by the unforgivable collapse of West Indies on Saturday, Sunday night did not bring much good news either.

It was the early hours of Monday when we got to hear about Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif being called back home because they tested positive for banned substances.

That just about topped off a bad weekend for cricket, and hopefully things can only improve from here.

First the West Indies. They have a really tough game coming up today, and my only hope is that they are hurting after their abject defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka.

I hope the middle order realises that it is not possible for Chris Gayle to play a blinder every time he comes out to bat.

They too must take some responsibility and come into their own when the top order has not done the job.

A good side is one where one player stands up when their teammates have had a bad day.

It's no good for the middle order to fire when Gayle or Lara has taken them to the threshold of a good score. They must learn to fire when the chips are down.

An example of this was New Zealand's game on Monday. They had a terrible start, but the lower order batted around Stephen Fleming to ensure that they reached a respectable total.

I would like to see a lot more dedication from Ramnaresh Sarwan and Marlon Samuels.

They may have all the talent in the world, but it is of no use if they falter in crunch situations. They have been playing at the highest level for quite some time, and it is now time that they shared some of the responsibility.

Disastrous collapse

On the positive side, it's good that the West Indies had this disastrous collapse at a stage where it did not cost them too dearly.

It might just act as a wake-up call before the group stage.

They have had wins against both Australia and India very recently, so they should not be overawed by the prospect of playing either side.

In any case, they will have to beat all these sides at some stage or the other if they want to defend their title, so it's better sooner rather than later.

I am a bit concerned by the nature of the wicket at the Brabourne Stadium because it's too up and down in the second half to make for an even contest.

The Shoaib-Asif affair is really saddening, but I would not like to comment on it till more details emerge from Pakistan.

The Sample B test is also awaited, so I would like to wait for some time before passing judgment.

The Pakistan bowling, though depleted, showed character by restricting the in-form Sri Lankans to 254. The latter had got off to a flying start, but were restricted to an achievable target thanks to Abdul Razzaq. Adversity can often act as a unifying force.