Last week, heavily favored Pakistan lost to Ireland in group play of cricket's World Cup by three wickets. With the loss, the team was eliminated from competition. Afterwards, the captain resigned and apologized for embarrassing the country, effigies of coach Bob Woolmer and his players were burned in the streets of Karachi, and the coach was found dead (likely murdered) in his hotel room. Now, police are investigating whether the coach's death was related to match-tampering. The slight odds of just 8-1 against Ireland in the match suggests to the police that some bettors knew that the fix was in (Press Trust of India).

That must have been some upset. For those of us who don't regularly follow cricket (much less understand what a three-wicket defeat to Ireland means), the international press has attempted to cobble together some analogous situations from other sports:

Christian Science Monitor
Pakistan's defeat on March 17 to debutant Ireland—akin to, say, the US Olympic ice hockey team losing to Luxembourg—has overshadowed the seven-week World Cup in the Caribbean.

Associated Press
For Pakistan, the 1992 champion, getting beat by a World Cup rookie like Ireland would be akin to Italy beating Canada in Olympic hockey.

Daily Telegraph (UK)
Neil Manthorp, who had known Mr Woolmer for 16 years and regularly played golf with him, said: "It's not coincidence that Bob was murdered just hours after the Ireland game. In soccer terms, it is like Manchester United losing to Shrewsbury Town 7-0. You have to wonder: how could it possibly happen?"

Tacoma News Tribune
Now, the fact that Pakistan suffered a three-wicket defeat to Ireland in cricket means as much to you and me as a monsoon warning broadcast in Urdu. But research reveals the Irish coup to be the international approximation of, say, No. 16 seed Jackson State beating No. 1 seed Florida in the first round [of the NCAA tournament].