World Cup Cocktail

Pakistani cricket fans in the south-eastern city of Multan held a mock funeral for their national cricket team on Saturday after a record-shattering World Cup defeat at the hands of the West Indies.

Residents of the city organised a symbolic funeral procession, replete with a coffin with several cricket bats placed over it, directing their anger at the Pakistani national team after a poor start to the tournament that has also seen it defeated by arch-rivals India.

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"This time we were really hoping for Pakistan to win," Shama Bibi, one of those taking part, told AFP.

"We don't want to watch this anymore."

Another demonstrator who gave her name only as Rafia blamed the Pakistan Cricket Board for what she said were poor selections and politicisation of the game.

Cricket fans elsewhere in the country, meanwhile, staged their own protests to show their frustration with the national side.

Chasing the West Indies's first innings total of 310 runs, Pakistan gave up its first four wickets for just one run -- the worst start in one-day international history -- before eventually losing by 150 runs.

Pakistan, winners of the 1992 World Cup, now sit at the bottom of Pool B and will resume their faltering campaign against Zimbabwe in Brisbane on March 1.

Kumble enters Hall of Fame

Former India captain Anil Kumble enters cricket's Hall of Fame on Sunday, saying he was honoured to become only the fourth player from his country to join the elite club.

"It's a great honour to be inducted into the Hall of Fame," the 44-year-old Kumble told reporters at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday. "I am proud to be part of great luminaries."

The former leg-spinner will be presented a commemorative cap in a special ceremony in front of some 80,000 spectators during the innings break of the World Cup match between South Africa and India on Sunday.

Kumble's 619 wickets is the third highest in Test cricket behind fellow spinners Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka, who has 800 wickets, and Australian Shane Warne (708).

Kumble, who retired in 2008 after a 18-year career in which he played 132 Tests and 271 one-dayers, captained India in 14 Tests between 2007 and 2008, winning three and losing five.

He is only the second bowler after Englishman Jim Laker to claim all 10 wickets in a Test innings, achieving the feat against traditional rivals Pakistan at the Ferozeshah Kotla in New Delhi in 1999.

Despite his record, Kumble admitted he lacked the skills of both Muralitharan and Warne.

"I could never compete with them because I did not have their skills," said Kumble. "But it is their friendship I will treasure all my life."

Kumble is the 77th inductee in the International Cricket Council's Hall of Fame which includes three other Indians -- Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Bishan Bedi.

Not a very Bravo day

As if being forced off with a painful hamstring injury and getting hit on the head during the West Indies' World Cup win over Pakistan weren't bad enough for Darren Bravo, the batsman also found himself reprimanded for swearing.

The International Cricket Council said Bravo had breached the section of their code of conduct relating to "language or a gesture that is obscene, offensive or insulting" during his side's 150-run thrashing of Pakistan in Christchurch.

But there was no suggestion that Bravo had verbally abused an opponent, with the ICC statement merely saying match referee David Boon had sanctioned him for using an "audible obscenity whilst batting".

That suggested Bravo, who made 49 before retiring hurt, had fallen foul of the regulations by uttering an expletive when injured out in the middle.

He was initially hit on the head before being forced off in the 32nd over with a hamstring strain that sidelined him from the rest of the match.

The 26-year-old Trinidadian was left dazed when a powerful throw from Younis Khan hit him on the side of the helmet as he scrambled through for a single.

He received treatment on the pitch before continuing to bat before eventually leaving the action on a cart with a pulled left hamstring.

Bravo was later taken to hospital for a scan on his injured leg and officials said there were doubts whether he would be fit to play in either of the West Indies' next two pool matches, against Zimbabwe in Canberra on Tuesday and South Africa in Sydney next Friday.   

– Compiled