The photo of Fidel Castro (Diary, February 20) has him holding what appears to be a cricket ball: thus his frown. However, a few years ago in Barbados I saw him attempt cricket, but on his terms. He was travelling to unveil a memorial when he spied a cricket game. Suddenly, all the security cars and media were put into a spin as they were diverted to the cricket pitch. There, Fidel wanted to bat and the Barbados PM bowled at him. "Stop," called Fidel. He couldn't handle the bouncing ball and demanded it be delivered full, like in baseball. The Barbados PM complied and Fidel whacked it. Then he wanted to bowl. But being Fidel he pitched as in baseball. And no amount of appealing to the rules by the Barbadian PM could get him to bowl. Like his life, he played the game but with his rules. Incidentally, he has subsequently brought in cricket gear and coaches to develop the game in Cuba.
Thom Cross,
Carluke.

George Bush stated "the United States will help the people of Cuba realise the blessings of liberty". Is this the liberty of Guantanamo Bay and suspension of habeas corpus, the liberty of those Central American countries which, having democratically-elected left-wing governments, were subverted by the US, or the liberty of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi people who died after the illegal invasion of their country and the infrastructure of their country being destroyed for oil?

Gordon Brown talks about "a peaceful transition to a pluralist democracy", yet he, along with Tony Blair, was responsible for the Iraq debacle, he supports an unwinnable war in Afghanistan and refuses a referendum on Europe.

He welcomes independence in Kosovo, while at the same time denounces any thoughts of Scottish independence as "separatism".
Andrew D Mowatt,
Hamilton.