The fallout from the Cricket World Cup has been harsh, and I don't mean the blame game going on in the Caribbean by those who haven't seen the economic boost the event was supposed to yield. Two of the top cricket nations in the world, Pakistan and India, have experienced shake-ups and finger-pointing since the event concluded April 28. Losing brings out the worst in us, and in this case it was no different. Had India or Pakistan won the Cricket World Cup, their camps would have given the impression that harmony prevailed. But since both teams were eliminated in the first round . . .

-- Pakistan captain Inzamam ul-Haq resigned from one-day cricket and later criticized the security at the Pegasus Hotel in Jamaica in wake of the death of coach Bob Woolmer. It was first called a homicide by investigators but reports have since said Woolmer died of natural causes.

-- Pakistan media manager Pervez Mir has criticized the team, saying players were more interested in praying than practicing.

-- Vice-captain Younis Khan turned down an offer of the captaincy, saying he was upset about how the team was treated when it returned home.

-- And the latest, a Pakistan Cricket Board committee blamed ul-Haq's "autocratic'' leadership and the failure of the board's chief selector -- Wasim Bari -- to stand up to him for the team's early exit from the World Cup.

In India, coach Greg Chappell resigned, and some of the infighting that was going on between the players came to light. Reports suggested that Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly conspired to make captain Rahul Dravid look bad because both desired to be captain again. It was also revealed that Chappell was not on speaking terms with some players, including Tendulkar.

Oh, and Chappell even questioned the commitment of Tendulkar, a comment the star batsman said was hurtful. And Ian Chappell, the commentator and former Australia captain, said Tendulkar appears to be just hanging on to pad his career statistics and should retire.

Both countries -- India and Pakistan -- take their cricket seriously, and the aftermath confirms that. Home fans turned on players for both countries, burning their images in effigy and even harassing their families. Will all be forgiven soon or will these feelings linger? That is left to be seen. But one this is certain. Winning helps everyone get along.

Festive start to the Cricket World Cup, then an anticlimactic finish. Not to take anything away from Australia, but I was hoping another team would win the Cricket World Cup. Dominance can become boring, and I almost feel like yelling out to the Australian team: "We get the point! You guys are the best in the world!" Nonetheless, congrats are in order to the Aussies, who completed their run toward a third consecutive World Cup title, defeating Sri Lanka by 53 runs Saturday in Barbados.

But as we bid adieu to the first World Cup held in the West Indies, let's reminisce a bit about some of the highlights the past seven weeks. With apologies to Clint Eastwood, here are the good, the bad and the ugly:

The good: A festive opening ceremony featured a dazzling fireworks show and performances from some of the Caribbean’s top artists, including Grammy winners Jimmy Cliff and Sean Paul.

The bad: Many spectators at the opening ceremony complained about the ticket prices – the lowest was $50 – but said they attended anyway because they didn’t want to miss history.

The ugly: West Indies captain Brian Lara went on an expletive-filled tirade against teammate Lendl Simmons after Simmons drank water on the field during an intrasquad game while play was underway.

The good: A near-sellout crowd watched the West Indies defeat Pakistan in the opening match at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica. The crowd did the wave and cheered almost everything the home team did.

The bad: Pakistan played poorly during the match after entering as one of the favorites, and later lost to upstart Ireland, which is tantamount to the New York Yankees losing to your local softball team.

The ugly: Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer is found unconscious in his hotel room one day after the loss to Ireland and later dies at a hospital. The death cast a pall over the event, and some even call for the tournament to be canceled.

The good: South Africa’s Herschelle Gibbs hits six sixes in one over – the equivalent of hitting home runs on six consecutive pitches. Because of Gibbs’ heroics, Habitat for Humanity is awarded $1 million.

The bad: Scotland, Canada, the Netherlands and Bermuda suffer lopsided losses, giving credence to those who said those teams shouldn’t have been allowed in the World Cup in the first place.

The ugly: India fails to advance to the second round, profoundly affecting the tournament. Many fans from the biggest cricket market in the world head home, causing the event to lose substantial revenue. The team is lambasted back home, and coach Greg Chappell resigns. In Hyderabad, India, a man suffers a fatal heart attack after watching India lose to Sri Lanka.

The good: Ireland, with its rabid fans who proved it IS easy being green, advanced to the Super 8s and earned a promotion by the ICC to player the elite teams regularly.

The bad: England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff and teammates decide to get drunk one night. Flintoff then goes in the ocean on one of those pedal boats, falls off, and has to be rescued by hotel staff.

The ugly: Flintoff is stripped of the vice-captaincy and issues an apology during a press conference.

The good: Schoolchildren are admitted free to matches in St. Lucia.

The bad: They were only admitted because the attendance was so poor in the first place.

The ugly: Many fans in Antigua are turned off by having to park almost a mile away from the new stadium and either paying to take a shuttle or walking. Also, restrictions such as no re-entry and having to register musical instruments strike a sour note.

The good: West Indies wins all three of its first-round matches to reach the Super 8s.

The bad: After consecutive losses in Antigua to Australia and New Zealand, West Indies captain Brian Lara complained about the lack of fan support.

The ugly: Fans in Guyana pack the stadium for the West Indies' match against Sri Lanka. West Indies still lose.

The good: Organizers say the Cricket World Cup netted about $30 million in revenue.

The bad: Hoteliers and local businesses say they haven't experienced the economic boom promised by the event.

The ugly: The Woolmer murder case remains unsolved.

I am of the opinion that any person who is extremely talented in one area is severely flawed in another area. Brian Lara, who retired from international cricket last week, was the most entertaining and gifted batsman of his generation. Fans of India's Sachin Tendulkar might beg to differ but most cricket insiders would probably agree with me. But for all of Lara's talents, his flaws probably blighted what could have been an even greater legacy. No batsman accumulated big scores better than Lara: 501, 400, 375, 277. And probably no West Indies cricketer has alienated teammates more than Lara. It was a telling site last Saturday when Lara left the field for the last time. Only one teammate openly showed Lara some love: fellow Trinidadian Dwayne Bravo. I predict that as time passes more former teammates will reveal horror stories about Lara's hubris. He reportedly had a fight with former West Indies bowler Franklyn Rose on an airplane years ago, and when wicket keeper Ridley Jacobs retired a couple years ago, he openly blasted Lara. Even a prominent former West Indies player spoke very unfavorably about Lara. "Go ask him for an autograph and you'll see what he tells you,'' the player said.

This is not a total indictment of Lara but more an editorial of regret. It's a shame that Lara's best years were wasted because of the team's ineptitude and his shortcomings as a captain. There were bright moments of course, such as his 153 to defeat Australia and the West Indies winning the 2004 ICC Championship Trophy. But it seems most of Lara's glorious moments were ones of individual achievement, and tales of his selfishness have been well-documented. When he scored 400 not out against England in 2004, had he declared earlier, West Indies might have had a shot at victory instead of a draw. And Lara hasn't been the epitome of discipline either. He is know to be an avid partier and his fitness has been questioned at times. Thus, he has not set a good example for the players he asked to give him 150 percent of effort.

If there's anything I do give Lara credit for is bowing out while he still has some skill left. Others have hung around too long and had to be forced out. As for his future, the price is hardly a pauper. The government of Trinidad has been generous with its favorite son and Lara should be pretty much set for life. Too bad he had to leave in a dubious way, getting run out needlessly and losing a close match to England that a better captain would have probably pulled out.

Lara has left us with great memories, and cricket will probably suffer without his presence for a while. But no one is bigger than the game, and I believe a great batsman comes along every generation. For West Indies cricket, it has been Headley, Sobers, Richards and Lara. Let's hope the next one is right around the corner.

The great Albert Einstein described insanity as "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.'' If that's the case, the West Indies Cricket Board should be fitted for a straitjacket. Brian Lara is currently in his third stint as captain, and let's just say the third time has not been the charm. The perfect Kodak moment from the Cricket World Cup occurred April 10 after West Indies allowed South Africa to score 356 runs in 50 overs, this after Lara won the toss and put the Proteas in to bat, citing "moisture" in the pitch. After Lara and his inept bunch allowed the mammoth total and returned to the comforts of the pavilion, TV cameras showed Lara joking around with teammate Ian Bradshaw. Remember, this was a do-or-die match for West Indies, and at a moment when Lara should have been hanging his head in shame after his team's tepid effort in the field and his own brain-dead captaincy (he delayed the final power play until the 45th over, helping South Africa amass 134 runs in the final 10 overs), Lara was puzzlingly amused about something.

After West Indies lost the match as expected, Lara said the team did not deserve to be in the semifinals but would play hard in its remaining two matches. Well, thanks Brian, but a little too late, don't you think. I can go through a laundry list of things wrong with West Indies cricket, including the fact some players feel no pressure to perform because they feel they are cemented into the side (for example, had Australia's Matthew Hayden failed as many times in this tournament as Chris Gayle has, he would have been dropped already). Since group play ended, West Indies players have showed no sense of urgency and at times appear utterly indifferent. There also have been reports that several players have been spotted in nightclubs in the wee hours.

Lara's decision-making at times has defied common sense. In the opening Super 8s match against Australia, West Indies got tight bowling in the beginning and it took Hayden 18 balls to get off the mark. Once he did, he constantly went down the pitch to disptach deliveries for boundaries. Lara should have simply told wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin to come up to the stumps in order to keep Hayden from advancing. He didn't, and the run-hemmorhaging continued. Lara already has said his one-day career is likely over. But he has helped to remind us that good players don't always make good captains. The great Garry Sobers was a mediocre captain himself.

Brian Lara is my favorite cricket player of all time -- let's make that clear up front. But until a few weeks ago, I had never actually spoken to him. The site was Jarrett Park in Montego Bay, Jamaica, and it was one day after the West Indies had suffered an embarrassing warm-up loss to India in which the Windies were bowled out for 85 runs. Lara seemed testy during the practice, at one point chastising teammate Lendl Simmons for drinking water on the field during play. After the session, I wanted to ask Lara a few questions about his possible final time facing old nemesis Glenn McGrath. I was nervous about approaching him, especially after witnessing the incident with Simmons and also remembering stories about Lara's moodiness. But I swallowed my pride and approached him near the team bus. He was extremely receptive, gave good quotes and answered the questions thoroughly. Afterward, he stayed a couple minutes to sign autographs for fans who gathered outside the bus. I left convinced the prickly, arrogant Lara I used to hear about was all a myth.

Fast-forward two days later, one day before the West Indies' opening match against Pakistan. After the Windies' practice session, an Indian journalist simply asked Lara if he would consider retiring after the World Cup, which might be appropriate. "I'm not going to let you or anyone else dictate when I retire,'' Lara snapped back. "I'm here to win a tournament.'' He later headed for the team bus, passing every autograph- and picture-seeker as if they didn't exist.

The following day, the West Indies posted an impressive victory against Pakistan. You'd think Lara would be in a great mood. At the post-match press conference, a reporter asked him why wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin batted before Dwayne Smith in the lineup when the scoreboard stated Smith would bat first. Lara explained that the plan all along was for Ramdin to bat first. When the reporter asked why then did the scoreboard say differently, Lara bristled: "What do you want me to say?! People make mistakes.'' He didn't get loud, but he did get to the point.

Maybe it's the pressure of trying to win the World Cup in his fifth and final try. Or maybe he's tired of hearing the same questions over and over again. But I was disappointed by Lara's behavior. I still think he's the most entertaining batsman I've ever seen, and I don't expect him to be robotic and without emotion. I guess sometimes we view our heroes from afar as flawless but when we get a closer look we realize they're only human like us -- even if they possess superhuman batting skills.

ICC chief Malcolm Speed summed it up best: "We have gone from shock to disbelief.'' He was referring to an investigation that revealed Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer was murdered in his hotel room a day after the team's humiliating loss to Ireland. Organizers of the first Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean agonized for months over infrastructure, accomodations and travel restrictions. Now look what they have to deal with: a murder. And this isn't some Agatha Christie novel. This is a tragic event that has some people saying the whole event should be called off.

We have seen the signs for years that cricket has developed an unsavory side. Some suspect Woolmer was murdered as reprisal for some match-fixing interest. Match-fixing has tainted the sport in recent years, with players such as late South Africa captain Hansie Cronje implicated. Cricket is not the highest-paying of sports, and if a player doesn't have an endorsement deal, he can't become wealthy. This is one reason some might be tempted to entertain thoughts of match-fixing. Even West Indies player Marlon Samuels was implicated before the start of the Cricket World Cup. Ever wonder why we've never heard about match-fixing in the NBA? When you make that much money, you don't need to cheat.

As the poet John Donne said: "Every man's death diminishes me.'' But I'm especially saddened that this has happened in the West Indies, the region where I was born. It took the Caribbean years to prove it could handle such an arduous hosting opportunity, and now this.

The first week of the Cricket World Cup has been a mixture of comedy and tragedy. But overall, the cricket has been entertaining. Some of the notable happenings:

-- The death of Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer cast a pall over the event, reminding us that no matter how serious we take what happens on the field, it's still only a game.

-- The opening ceremony was spectacular, an event people in the Caribbean were talking about all week. The fireworks, musical artists and costumes will be a tough act to follow. Let's hope the West Indies can live up to the hype in the end.

-- The animated Irish fans have injected humor and passion as they cheer their team, which is playing in its first Cricket World Cup. They've dressed as leprechauns and sported T-shirts saying: "Kiss Me I'm Irish." Who says it's not easy being green.

-- South Africa's Herschelle Gibbs hit six sixes in one over, the first time that has happened in an international match. The real winner was Habitat For Humanity, which got a $1 million donation because of Gibbs' feat.

-- In St. Lucia, England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff was stripped of the vice-captaincy after a drunken night that ended with him being rescued from the ocean at 4 a.m. after his small pedal boat capsized. "I'm embarrassed and ashamed by it,'' he said. Then, on Tuesday, England captain Michael Vaughan, who has been plagued by injuries since last year, tripped in a pothole in the field during practice and hurt his knee. Talk about unlucky. What's next? Will he be attacked by locusts?

-- It's obvious a couple teams didn't deserve to be in the tournament. Bermuda and Netherlands have just provided batting practice for their opponents. Five of the six biggest World Cup victory margins have already occurred in this tournament. Broadcaster Michael Holding said before the tournament that there were too many teams (16) participating and it would lead to lopsided scores. He was right, but then again, there's always an exception, such as Ireland.