Cup of Good Hope

1
ISSUE 7, FEBRUARY 2015
CUP OF GOOD HOPE

WORLD CUP 2015
AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND
TEAM PREVIEWS
INDIAS WORLD CUP WINS
1975-2011 HIGHLIGHTS
CRICKET AND TRAVEL
WHATS INSIDE
ODI the winner at

World Cup
At a time when the 50-over

game strives for relevance, the
tournament gives the game
context and promises glory
R Kaushik |
06
winningest team on the big

stage
Some luck, yes, but it was a lot of pluck and
more skill that made Australia all-conquering
at the World Cup
Shamya Dasgupta |
30
Rise of the Asian associates
The Devils, the

daredevils
1983 and 2011 campaigns

of contrast, two very
different paths to the same
celebratory end
R Kaushik |
18
Afghanistan and UAE have made a quick

climb through the ranks, but can they make
the transformation from Associates to
champions as successfully as Sri Lanka?
Karthik Lakshmanan |
41
Million-dollar MIDDLE-AGER
From modest beginnings in 1975, crickets
showpiece event is now attracting the moolah
by the millions
Manoj Narayan |
53
Final hurrahs and fond

farewells
With several players expected to hang up their
boots after World Cup 2015, the signs of a
new world order in the next four-year cycle are
already apparent
Sidhanta Patnaik |
62
FALL OF THE TITANS
By mid-1980s, West Indies fast-bowling arsenal

kept them in the hunt but their
batsmen were a byword for inconsistency
Dileep Premachandran |
23
WHATS INSIDE
4
FLASHBACK
1975 1979
12
13
1983 1987
28
38
1992 1996
50
60
Lights, colour, action!

The last time the World Cup was
in Australia and New Zealand, it
signalled the dawn of cricketainment.
Cricket as we knew it had changed
Disha Shetty |
71
Two new balls and two

powerplayS
A round-up of all the rule changes for
World Cup 2015 that aim to make the
game more attractive to fans
Himanish Bhattacharjee |
78
1999 2003
68
76
2007 2011
82
86
TEAM PREVIEWS
16
25
33
37
40
42
46
52
57
64
70
73
75
92
ON THE ROAD
Stunning harbours, picturesque cityscapes, plentiful parks, friendly people, and

cricket history peeking out at you from the most unexpected corners - a teaser
of what to see and do in Australia and New Zealand
Arundhati Sridhar |
84
Edited by: Karunya Keshav Designed by: Ashish Mohanty

All pictures published as part of Cup of Good Hope courtesy of Getty Images and
Wisden India Archive
6
WORLD CUP 2015
ODI the winner at

World Cup
At a time when the 50-over game strives for relevance, the tournament gives the game
context and promises glory
R Kaushik
Pakistan v Australia in UAE: 0-3 (3)
South Africa v West Indies in South Africa:
India v West Indies in India: 2-1 (5)
4-1 (5)
New Zealand v South Africa in New Zealand:
New Zealand v Pakistan in New Zealand:
0-2 (3)
2-0 (2)
India v Sri Lanka in India: 5-0 (5)

Australia v South Africa in Australia: 4-1 (5)
Bangladesh v Zimbabwe in Bangladesh:
5-0 (5)
Sri Lanka v England in Sri Lanka: 5-2 (7)
Pakistan v New Zealand in UAE: 2-3 (5)
hat has been the One-Day

International
between
schedule
October
2014
and now, with the New

Zealand-Pakistan
two-
New Zealand v Sri Lanka in New Zealand:
match series the last international outing
4-2 (7)
before the World Cup. Thats 12 bilateral
Australia-England-India
Australia: Australia
tri-series
in
series/tri-series, and these are the ones

only involving the Test-playing nations.
Hong Kong and Papua New Guinea played

two ODIs in Australia, while Afghanistan,
Ireland and Scotland were involved in a
triangular tournament in Dubai.
I am not sure how many of us remember
these matches, let alone the results. Yes,
perhaps West Indies tour of India, but
that only because the Caribbean team
ditched the tour midway through due to a
Classic SIX
Every cricket fan
around the globe
knows India are 2011
champions.
pay fallout between the cricket board and

the players. But beyond that, not many of
these matches or series ring more than a
faint bell.
ODI cricket finds itself between a rock
and a hard place. The very fact that so many
rule changes have been made to the 50over format is alone indicative of the need
to tell us that all three of its international
to keep the product alive and interesting
products are robust and self-sustaining, is
in an era when Twenty20 cricket has
unsurprisingly the most natural casualty
graduated from upstart to a format that
in this scenario. A seven-hour game with a
is easily the most widely followed, and
45-minute break thrown in would appear
when Test cricket, for all the supposed
neither here nor there. You could squeeze
lack of patronage, continues to hold its
in two Twenty20 games in that duration.
own because the players pay it at least lip
Compared to the 20-over slam-bang, thrill-
service and traditionalists still abound.
a-nanosecond circus, the 50-over game

is almost pedestrian. There is a touch of
The 50-over game, no matter how much
predictability to the proceedings tee off
the International Cricket Council will try
at the beginning, consolidate in the middle
8
WORLD CUP 2015
and ennui of the middle overs. Have they
worked? Hard to say from a spectator
and interest perspective, though various
ONE FOR FANS
Crickets most
glamorous contest
will be a runaway
hit.
captains have voiced their displeasure at

the increasing imbalance between bat and
ball. But thats another topic altogether.
One of the reasons why we struggle to
remember the aforementioned 12 events
is a distinct lack of context. These are
matches, series, tournaments that have
become no more than a formality. Cricket
boards have obligations towards their
broadcast partners and other sponsors,
so visibility is necessary. A 50-over game
and then go for broke at the end that
allows broadcasters the opportunity to air
makes one game no different from another,

one series eerily similar to the previous or
the next one.
Which is why, suddenly, back to one
new ball at each end. Which is why, only
one five-over block of powerplay after
There are far too many ODIs

floating around to keep track of
what is happening where. The
50-over game is almost entirely
dependent on the World Cup,
therefore, to retain its sustainability.
the mandatory first ten. Which is why,

during the 35 non-powerplay overs, only
advertisements during almost 100 breaks
four fielders are allowed to patrol the vast
between overs, not to mention every time
expanse of the outfield. All designed to take
a wicket falls or the players adjourn for
the element of predictability away from the
a drinks interval. Even when a player is
game, to retain interest all the way through
receiving treatment for injury and this
an innings, to dissipate the boredom
is particularly unique to the subcontinent
someone is trying to sell water or a soft

drink or insurance. Oh well, cricket has
long metamorphosed into a commercial
beast.
But lets return to the context. Or rather
the lack of it. Australia beating Pakistan
It has a prestigious crown and

oodles of prize money at the end of
it, but more than anything, it comes
with a tag, a label, a prefix and a
suffix that span four whole years.
Not just any prefix or suffix. World
Cup winners.
in the UAE or New Zealand crushing Sri

Lanka in their own backyard are all no more
spectator-at-the-ground interest point of
than sideshows. There are so many ODIs
view in a country like India where there
floating around the cricketing stratosphere
are nearly 20 international centres, each
that it is impossible to keep track of what
venue gets no more than one ODI a year
is happening where, no matter how ardent
but it is debatable how seriously players
and committed a cricket fan you are. The
approach these matches. This is not to
authorities will tell us that of course, every
suggest that they dont want to win every
ODI has context because unlike a Test
match they play, but look at Sri Lankas
series, ratings points are updated after
approach when they were pushed in as
every single 50-over international game.
late replacements for the runaway West
All well, to a point. But then you have
Indies in India. Or, more recently, Indias
a scenario where the ranking changes
approach in the tri-series in Australia when
hands sometimes three times a week,
they were so concerned about ironing out
and occasionally, a team that is not even
kinks and arriving at combinations for the
involved in the action briefly becomes No.
World Cup that victory was no more than
1 because someone has lost and someone
a bonus.
else has won. Context? Really?

The World Cup, of course, is a different
The 50-over game is almost entirely
entity altogether. Australia are the current
dependent on the World Cup, therefore, to
No. 1 and India are No. 2, but who is the
retain its sustainability. The ODIs are fine
world champion? Do we even care to find
from a commercial and sometimes from a
out who Nos. 3 and 4 are in the ICC ODI
10
WORLD CUP 2015
THE best
People play
the sport to be
recognised and
acknowledged as
the best.
ratings? No sir, it is about who is the World
turned the cricketing order upside down
Cup winner. Every cricket enthusiast
one emotional March night in Lahore in
around the globe and there are many,
1996.
even if that number is miniscule compared

to say football or tennis fans knows
Thats the charm, the magic, the power
that India are the defending World Cup
of the World Cup it has context. It has
champions. That Australia won the title
a prestigious crown and oodles of prize
immediately before that, in 2007. As they
money at the end of it, but more than
did in 2003. And in 1999. That West Indies
anything, it comes with a tag, a label, a
won the first two World Cups, in 1975 and
prefix and a suffix that span four whole
1979. That Kapil Dev inspired India to an
years. Not just any prefix or suffix. World
extraordinary, against-all-odds triumph
Cup winners. World champions. Now,
in 1983, Allan Borders dark horses went
thats what people play sport for. To be the
all the way in 1987, Imran Khans soldiers
best, and to be remembered and recognised
scripted a remarkable comeback in 1992
and acknowledged as the best. The other
and that Arjuna Ranatungas brave troops
series and tournaments will never provide
11
that status. Fifty-over cricket desperately
camouflage the fact that not even crickets
needs the World Cup as its flag-bearer,
apex body believed the Champions Trophy
as the mother of all ODI tournaments, as
was doing anything to promote the cause
the showpiece event that brings the top
of the 50-over game.
nations all together under one common

platform, battling each other and elements
And so here we are now, with the
alien to most but the hosts/co-hosts for
World Cup bearing the onerous task of
seven weeks, all for the winners medal
carrying the future of the 50-over game
and a slice of glory that, no matter what,
at the international level on its broad but
history will always reflect and remember.
overburdened shoulders. Most World Cups

are guaranteed to be hits, even cricket
another
World Cups that are only contested by
tournament that had the potential to
14 teams this time and ten from the next
augment the World Cups battle to further
edition onwards. That said, sometimes,
the cause of the 50-over game, but when
it is possible to make a hash of even a
teams such as the United States of
tournament as popular as the World
America started to be involved in a cricket
Cup like in the Caribbean in 2007, a
tournament that goes by the name of the
tournament that many of its billion critics
Champions Trophy, surely something is
tell us is still going on somewhere in those
amiss? In its collective wisdom, the ICC
lovely islands.
The
Champions
Trophy
is
decided that the Champions Trophy was

going nowhere, especially with the World
This 11th edition of crickets most
T20, the biennial bash, a far more lucrative
glamorous and prestigious multi-team
and viable proposition. The 2013 edition in
competition will be a runaway hit, co-hosts
England was to have been the last of the
Australia and New Zealand will ensure
Champions Trophies. It took the success
that. Despite the insular nature of these
of that same event in 2013 ah, but Indias
islands, tickets have sold like hot cakes,
surge to the title had nothing to do with
public interest is peaking to a nicety. Fifty-
it for the ICC to revisit its decision to
over cricket will be in the forefront for seven
scrap that tournament. But that could not
weeks, from February 14 to March 29,

2015. After that? Wait for 2019, I suspect.
12
Gary Gilmour: 6-14 off 12 overs and 28* off 28
1975
balls v Australia, Leeds. Match Impact: 18.08

The second-highest impact performance in the
history of ODI cricket and the highest impact
performance in World Cups came in the first
semifinal of the 1975 World Cup. In only his third
ODI, Gary Gilmour picked up six top/middle-order
English wickets and had a high Pressure-Building
Impact (taking wickets in quick succession to build
pressure) as he reduced Australia from 2 for 0 to
36 for 6. His job was not finished though: England,
chasing 94, were 39 for 6 when Gilmour came out
to bat and smacked an unbeaten 28 off 28 balls.
Not only did he have a high Runs Tally (proportion
of runs scored), Pressure and Chasing Impact, but
he also had an exceptional Strike Rate Impact,
given the low and slow scoring nature of the
match.
Final: West Indies v Australia

Favorites West Indies took on Australia in a
It was the opening round of the inaugural World Cup
in England and one-day cricket was still new. On a
warm, sunny day at Lords, Englands Dennis Amiss, the
opener, enthralled a full house with an exciting 137
off 147 balls. With half-centuries from Keith Fletcher
and Chris Old, England posted a daunting 334 for 4 in
60 overs, the highest one-day total back then. Indian
fans, hopeful of a spirited fightback, were in for a rude
FLASHBACK
shock when Sunil Gavaskar opened Indias innings in

Test-match mode. He bizarrely batted through 60 overs,
but scored only 36 runs in an unthinkable 174 balls. The
Wisden Almanack reported that after the match the
Indian team claimed Gavaskar thought Englands score
was beyond reach and so decided to get some practice.
India crawled to 132 for 3 and lost by 202 runs.
60-overs-a-side game, and were in some trouble

at 50 for 3 before a classic from Clive Lloyd, their
captain, took them to 291 for 8. Lloyd, assisted
by Rohan Kanhai (55), smashed 102 in 85 balls,
the knock including 12 fours and two sixes.
The Australians threatened, but their innings
was marked by run outs, five in all, three of
them orchestrated by Vivian Richards. The final
pair of Jeff Thompson and Dennis Lillee got their
team to within 18 runs of victory, but the day
would belong to Lloyd and his men.
13
Didnt realise I
bowled the first
World Cup ball
Madan Lal
I came to know only later that Id bowled the first ball
of the World Cup in 1975. I had no clue at that time.
Going into the 1975 World Cup, we didnt have much
idea about one-day cricket. We were not used to the
1979
We still had a Test

mindset
format, so the massive 202-run loss to England in the

opening match was not too much of a setback. There
The simple game, a shock upset and an embarrassing
were not many One-Day International tournaments
encounter with Len Hutton
in India, so we didnt have that sort of experience of

playing at a world stage. Only after the 1975 World Cup
AU n s h u m a n G a e k w a d
did we start playing more ODIs.

Playing cricket in England, particularly in the summer, is
Since we were not at all familiar with the format or the
a delightful experience. The pace of life, the greenery,
rules, the biggest challenge for us was to do well. We
the crisp air, the moist wickets and everything that
started improving somewhat only after the first World
comes along with it can be both a thrill and a challenge.
Cup, once we started playing against the top nations.
Having experienced things first hand in 1975, I was
Both 1975 and 1979 editions were not the World Cups
personally keyed up for the 1979 World Cup. But,
to remember because we didnt do well at all.
somehow, as a team, we didnt quite understand its

importance.
As told to Disha Shetty

After our failure in 1975, India made a conscious effort,
but not a professional one, to get better. The Packer
Brief scores:
revolution had just begun, but we still had a Test match
Lords, London: West Indies 291/8 in 60 overs

(Clive Lloyd 102, Rohan Kanhai 55, Keith Boyce
34, Bernard Julien 26 n.o.; Gary Gilmour 5-48, Jeff
Thomson 2-44) beat Australia 274 in 58.4 overs (Ian
Chappell 62, Alan Turner 40, Doug Walters 35, Ross
Edwards 28; Keith Boyce 4-50) by 17 runs.
MoM: Clive Lloyd
mindset and there was not much planning that went

into our campaign. For us, one-day cricket meant just
batting out the 60 overs, as it was then, and not getting
bowled out. That perhaps explains our record in the
first two editions.
My first memory of the 1979 edition is the handbook
14
After our failure in 1975, we

made a conscious effort, but not
a professional one, to get better.
For us, one-day cricket meant just
batting out the 60 overs, as it was
then, and not getting bowled out.
That perhaps explains our record in
the first two editions.
we were given upon landing. It was a tiny booklet of
around 15 pages. The tournament rules were simple
no elaborate security arrangements, and not much
restriction in terms of media commitments like there is
today because there were just a handful of journalists.
We did not have briefings on anti-corruption and dope
tests either. In that sense, the cricket was pure and
unadulterated.
Another thing about those days was, all of us shared
rooms and that fostered team spirit. But we were also
scared to go out or break team rules.
There was also plenty of fun we had as a team.
Travelling by bus, in trains, meeting local Indian families
who were gracious enough to host us, mingling freely
with friends without having to worry about cameras or
security restrictions was fun.
Coming back to the cricket, we knew it wouldnt be a
walk in the park for us. Although we lost to West Indies
and New Zealand, we were confident of beating Sri
Lanka. They were the minnows and our body language
was that of a side who had beaten them even before
we stepped onto the field. But what happened there
was quite shocking.
I still remember Venkat (S Venkataraghavan), who was

our captain, coming back into the dressing room and
not finding any of us there. He was furious, and sensing
that, we all hid in the bathroom and pretended to be
having a shower. It was only after a while did we all
come out. That loss was deflating.
Another memory of the Cricket World Cup, although
an embarrassing one, would be the one in 1975. We
were in the long room at Lords for a cocktail and dinner
party. Karsan Ghavri and I were smoking pipes and
having a quiet drink when an elderly gentleman walked
up to us and engaged us in a conversation.
Both of us put on a fake accent and started talking to
him like we would to a friend, not knowing who he was.
Karsan was from Rajkot, I was from Baroda, so you can
imagine how the Gujarati-tinged British accent we tried
to put up must have been!
After about half an hour, he introduced himself to us
as Len Hutton. We were shell shocked and immediately
put down our drinks and went looking for him in the
long room. He was gone. Sir Len Hutton!
It didnt dawn upon us then. But that is just one of
several memories I associate with England and Cricket
World Cups.
Aunshuman Gaekwad played 40 Tests and 15 ODIs for

India, and was part of the squads for the 1975 and 1979
World Cups.
As told to Shashank Kishore
15
Associates Sri Lanka beat India
Final: West Indies v England
Beaten by New Zealand in their opener by nine wickets

and with the match against West Indies called off,
Sri Lanka went into their final group game against
India missing their injured captain and with nobody
99 for 4, it seemed England had the initiative

at Lords. But that was before Vivian Richards
(138 from 157 balls) and Collis King (86 from 66
expecting a great contest.
balls) got together not just to steady the ship,
Yet, they took apart a toothless Indian attack. A 96-run
partnership was instrumental in a 286 for 9 total.
but to steer it full speed ahead. Their 139-run
stand for the second wicket between Sunil Wettimuny

(67) and Roy Dias (50) off 25 overs was followed by a
robust half-century from Duleep Mendis (64). Sudath
Pasqual, the 18-year-old, added 52 off seven overs with
The English defense began well in Mike Brearley

(64) and Geoff Boycott (57), but the runs came too
slowly. And with the dismissal of Graham Gooch
Mendis to take Sri Lanka to 238 for 5 in 60 overs.
at 183 for 3 came an almighty collapse as eight
India had to wait until Monday to begin their chase,
world supremacy for the second time in a row.
owing to a late start on Saturday. Sunil Gavaskar and
FLASHBACK
With West Indies, the defending champions, at
Aunshuman Gaekwad began strongly with a 60-run
wickets fell for just 11 runs, giving West Indies

Joel Garner was the chief destroyer, taking five
wickets, and was twice on a hat-trick.
stand, but Gundappa Viswanaths run-out on 22

sparked a flurry of wickets. Somachandra de Silva
dismissed Dilip Vengsarkar, Brijesh Patel and Mohinder
Amarnath, before Tony Opatha swept through the
Indian tail to give Sri Lanka a shock 47-run victory.
Viv Richards: 138* off 157 balls and 0-35 off 10

overs v England. Match Impact: 9.36
In the 1979 final, West Indies had been reduced
to 99 for 4 against England when Collis King
joined Viv Richards at the crease. King began
Brief scores: Final, 1979

Lords, London: West Indies 286/9 in 60 overs
(Vivian Richards 138, Collis King 86; Phil Edmonds
2-40, Ian Botham 2-44) beat England 194 in 51
overs (Mike Brearley 64, Geoff Boycott 57, Graham
Gooch 32; Joel Garner 5-38, Colin Croft 3-32) by
92 runs. MoM: Vivian Richards
the onslaught, smashing 86 off 66 in a 139-run

partnership, but it was Richards who controlled
the innings. He stabilised the innings before
going on the rampage. He had a high Runs
Tally (proportion of runs scored), Pressure and
Partnership-Building Impact. In Englands chase
of 287, they fell short by 92 runs. Richards
chipped in there too, conceding only 35 off his
ten overs (high Economy Impact). This was also a
tournament-defining performance.
INDIA
16
POOL B
Strengths
India go into the World Cup as defending champions and the second-ranked OneDay International team in the world. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the captain, likes continuity and has made no bones about his wish to have each squad member get an
extended run in the lead-up to the World Cup. The ability to thrill and frustrate notwithstanding, the selectors have shown patience with a number of players over the
last two years. That has eventually borne fruit, especially in the batting department,
as exemplified by Rohit Sharma. Unlucky to miss out on selection in 2011, Rohit has
emerged as one of the pillars in the batting. Twin double-centuries in ODIs have only
enhanced his reputation.
Virat Kohlis presence along with Suresh Raina and Dhoni gives the middle order a
power boost. The teams penchant for chasing down tall totals is sure to give opponents something to think about.
I think whenever you play one-day cricket, India will always have a chance.You look at the
batting, they have a strong line-up. ODIs are a lot easier than Test cricket so bowlers will also
do well. Ive earlier said also this is the best possible team at the moment.
- Sourav Ganguly, former India captain
Watch out for
SQUAD
MS Dhoni (capt), Rohit Sharma,
Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya
Rahane, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu,
Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Stuart
Binny, R Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar,
Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav,
Mohit Sharma.
Virat Kohli. Picked in

2011 on the back of
solid performances
in limited overs, he
thrilled on World Cup
debut by smashing a
century against Bangladesh. Sizable contributions in all the other
matches, including the
final, meant his role
even within a team of
superstars was clearly
defined. The dynamics
are different now and
he will have to shepherd a relatively inexperienced middle order.
Aggression is his middle name, and Indias new
Test captain has shown he can walk the talk. Rest
assured, there will be no backing down.
17
Weaknesses
The Indian bowling has come under the scanner for quite some time now, their frailties exposed
after a long, fruitless tour of Australia just before the World Cup. With no respite in sight, Dhoni
will have plenty of headaches as the tournament presses on. Primarily picked for their ability
to bowl at over 140 clicks, Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami have proved expensive, while
Bhuvneshwar Kumars ability when there is no swing on offer will be tested. With 76 ODIs under
his belt, Ishant Sharma was the most experienced seamer and expected to lead the attack, but
with injury ruling him out and Mohit Sharma drafted in his place before the warm-up games, it
will only add to Dhonis concerns.
India have long wished for a genuine seam bowling allrounder, which Stuart Binny offers. But
hes still a rookie at the top level, as is Axar Patel, which means Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin
will have their task cut out in the spin department. But the clear lack of experience could be a
major talking point.
Morale too will be low after failing to win a single game in the tri-series with Australia and England, and in the Tests that preceded it.
What makes this team special is that over

the last few years they have faced all kinds
of situations in limited-overs cricket and
have shown they are capable of coming out
successfully from all of them. Thats why
I say we have a good chance to win this
World Cup. A big reason for my belief is
our Champions Trophy victory in England.
We played in very foreign conditions that
didnt suit the side and yet we played so
well that we didnt lose a single match. That
shows that the side is used to winning and
thats really exciting.
- Duncan Fletcher, coach
World Cup history
With just a solitary win against East Africa across

two editions in 1975 and 1979, India caught the
world by surprise as they denied West Indies a
third title. While memories of Kapil Dev with the
trophy on the Lords balcony is an iconic image,
Dhonis winning six in 2011 is also the stuff of
legend, coming as it did after the low of 2007.
Before that, India did fairly well by reaching the
semifinal in 1987 and 1996, while they finished
runners-up to Australia in 2003.
FIXTURES
Feb 15: Pakistan, Adelaide
Feb 22: South Africa, Melbourne
Feb 28: United Arab Emirates, Perth
March 6: West Indies, Perth
March 10: Ireland, Hamilton
March 14: Zimbabwe, Auckland
- Shashank Kishore
18
WORLD CUP 2015
The Devils,
the daredevils
1983 and 2011 campaigns of contrast, two very different paths to the same
celebratory end
R Kaushik
hen Kapil Dev led
rankest of rank outsiders 66-1 outsiders,
his team out at the
to be precise. In two previous World Cups,
1983 World Cup in
they had just one win to show from six
England, satellite
matches, the one against East Africa in
TV wasnt even a
1975. Four years on, they were put in
figment of the imagination in India. The
their place even by Sri Lanka, then only
Berlin Wall continued to stand between the
an Associate member still some way short
Germanys, few outside of the Germanys
of Test status. No one believed India would
had heard of Boris Becker, Michael Jackson
even be competitive, let alone make a
was yet to burst into Grammy folklore and
serious pitch for top honours.
all Sachin Tendulkar had were stars in his

eyes and dreams in his heart.
How things had changed by the time the

2011 edition came a-calling! Tendulkar
India entered the 1983 World Cup as the
had gone from aspiring India cricketer to
19
28-year wait
From rank
outsiders in 1983
to perennial
favourites in 2011.
master of the world. India had graduated
overwhelmingly fancied. Both champions,
from no-hopers to perennial favourites.
charting different paths to glory but getting
The contrast couldnt have been starker.
to the summit nevertheless against all odds,
In 1983, Indian fans would have happily
both stirring journeys one chronicled
settled for a victory here, a close defeat
sketchily for obvious reasons, the other an
there;
than
emotional roller coaster lived out not just
Mahendra Singh Dhoni holding the cup
by the 15 men constituting the team but
aloft at the Wankhede Stadium would
a billion fans that drove the team forward
have been construed a gross, abject, total
collectively, inexorably, towards the tryst
failure.
with ultimate glory.
in
2011,
anything
less
Kapils Devils, Dhonis Daredevils. The
In 1983, no one gave Kapils Devils a
class of 83, the band of 11. Total underdogs,
chance. No one, that is, outside of the team
20
WORLD CUP 2015
Gavaskar walked in. The great opener sat
on the seat of the toilet during the length
of the meeting! And oh, forget about wives
and girlfriends on tour.
India went into that epochal tournament
with some momentum. In Berbice a few
weeks previously, they had registered their
first away win over West Indies, riding on
The Pioneers
In 1983, there was
no support staff,
no database, no
mind gurus.
Gavaskars 90. It was the spur the side

needed; the rest of the world focussed on
which of Australia or England or Pakistan
would challenge the World Cup hegemony
of Clive Lloyds men. India quietly worked
their way through the draw, beating West
Indies in their opening game on the back
of a solid innings from Yashpal Sharma to
itself. In those days, there was no fancy
convince themselves, as much as anyone
support staff, no technological support, no
else, that Berbice was no flash in the pan.
database and mind gurus and workload

management. It was the team, and PR Man
Indias path to the semifinal was strewn
Singh manager, coach, facilitator, all
with obstacles. Crushed by Australia the
rolled into one. There was no team room
first time around the four teams in each
meetings were held in the room of either
group met each other twice with the top
the captain or the manager, both of whom
two making the semis they needed to
had larger settlements than the rest of the
defeat David Hookess men in their final
players who were bunched two to a room.
group tie to make the last four. They did,
I remember Man Singh talking about one
fairly easily, but before that match, the
memorable team meeting in Kapils room,
team and its dedicated followers tracking
packed to the rafters even before Sunil
their progress on radio died a million
21
deaths against Zimbabwe in Tunbridge
Richards pulled, Kapil ran and ran and
Wells, Kapil hauling them from the mess
ran, and held on to a sensational catch.
of 9 for 4 and 17 for 5 with the single-most
Kaps, you beauty! One tremendous final
influential knock in the history of the World
push from the bowlers with Mohinder
Cup 175*, sadly unrecorded for posterity
Amarnath, soft and gentle and sleepy,
because the BBC was on strike.
trapping Michael Holding leg before, all

hell breaks loose. Champions of the world.
You felt that this was a run too good to be
Who would have thunk?
true. England, the mother nation, the host

nation, in the semis surely a bridge too
Twenty-eight years on, the script was
far? Of course not. By then, Doordarshan
written out beautifully. Tendulkars last
had woken up to the possibilities. So we
World Cup this one is for you, Master.
huddled in front of our old black and
The Master himself had a great World Cup
white Dyanora set, waiting for the bubble
centuries against South Africa and England
to burst, but eventually rejoicing in the
but no one could best Yuvraj Singh. India

meandered through the league phase, then
Then Madan Lal banged one in,

Richards pulled, Kapil ran and ran
and ran, and held on to a sensational
catch. Kaps, you beauty!
sprang to life in the knockouts. Australia

dethroned in a tense quarterfinal, Pakistan
conquered in a tenser semi. Wankhede and
Sri Lanka. Mahela Jayawardene magical.
Then enter Dhoni. Out of sorts with the
flurry of boundaries with which Sandeep
bat, walking out ahead of the flaming hot
Patil drove Bob Willis and England to their
Yuvi, a massive gamble but one designed
knees.
to negate Malinga and Murali. Worked out

quite beautifully. Gautam Gambhir was
West Indies in the final. Lords. June 25.
the ice, Dhoni the raging, unputoutable
183 all out. There we go. Awesome run,
fire. Kulasekara deposited into orbit over
outstanding run, but not enough. Nearly
long-on. Twirling bat, Sachin on shoulders,
not enough. Not with Viv, Smokin Joe, in
victory lap, the tri-colour proud and flying
the mood. Then Madan Lal banged one in,
high. It was the stuff of dreams, sending
22
WORLD CUP 2015
There was a common thread that

bound 1983 and 2011. No, not
Srikkanth; it was the multiple
allrounders India possessed.
expert, Balwinder Sandhu. Spinning ones

in 2011, making the most of the purchase
the subcontinent offered them. Yuvraj at
YUVRAJ
SINGH
The allrounder
was key to Indias
success.
the top of the list. Sehwag. Raina. Pathan,

Yusuf. And specialists Harbhajan, Ashwin
and Chawla. With Zaheer the battering
ram, reverse swing and all, producing a
wicket every time India desperately needed
one. The devourer of left-hand batsmen.
Andrew Strauss in Bangalore. Devon Smith
in Chennai. Mike Hussey in Ahmedabad.
the nation on an adrenaline rush that not
Upul Tharanga in the final.
even the immediate spoiler in the form of

IPL 4 could staunch.
India were a naturally athletic fielding

unit in 1983. A jog here, a run there, the
There was, though, a common thread
occasional trot from the ground to the
that bound 1983 and 2011. No, not
hotel. But no trainer to monitor BMI (body
Krishnamachari Srikkanth, dashing opener
mass index, apparently) or some such. No
then and selection panel chairman now. It
physio to monitor injuries, no masseur to
was in the personnel that India possessed.
untighten knots. In 2011, India had worked
Multiple allrounders. Seaming ones in 1983
towards becoming a fantastic fielding side.
that exploited the conditions in England
Scientific. Professional. Clinical. Different
beautifully.
ways then to skin a cat, each one as effective
Amarnath,
Madan,
Roger
Binny, Kapil, of course. And that swing
as the other. The Devils, the Daredevils.
23
FALL OF THE
TITANS
By mid-1980s, West Indies fast-bowling arsenal kept them in the hunt but their
batsmen were a byword for inconsistency
D i l e e p Pr e m a c h a n d r a n
n the first three World Cups, West
masters were knocked off their perch.
Indies lost just two games, both of
That may be true as far as Test cricket
them to India in 1983. In the last
is concerned, but in the 50-over format,
three, they have won just that
the cracks had become apparent nearly a
many games against established
decade earlier.
opposition. Its a sobering statistic and a

reminder of just how steep the fall from
At the time, those defeats to India were

seen as an aberration. They were not.
grace has been.

Years from now, anyone reading the
In March 1985, Pakistan comfortably
cricket history of our time will probably
defeated them in the semifinals of the
identify the mid-1990s, and specifically
World Championship of Cricket. Mohsin
Australias tour of the Caribbean in 1995,
Khan may have toiled 93 balls for his 23,
as the time when the games one-time
but there was serenity to the manner in
24
WORLD CUP 2015
which Rameez Raja (60) and Qasim Umar
(42 not out) eased past the target. The
West Indies total of 159 wasnt the result
of devastating new-ball spells from Imran
Khan and Wasim Akram either. It was the
far less threatening duo of Tahir Naqqash
(3 for 23) and Mudassar Nazar (5 for 28)
that did the damage.
TOP 5 IMPACT BOWLERS FOR

WEST INDIES IN ODIs
Joel Garner 2.95
Michael Holding 2.62
Curtly Ambrose 2.41
Malcolm Marshall 2.03
Ian Bishop 1.95
A year later, it was England, and not

West Indies, that won the Perth Challenge.
Gone were Joel Garner and Michael
On their day, the fast-bowling arsenal still
Holding, who still command a place in a
made West Indies a fearsome proposition
list of the five highest impact bowlers to
Sri Lanka were bowled out for 55, with
play ODIs for West Indies. A third, Malcolm
Courtney Walsh taking 5 for 1, in a Sharjah
Marshall, had opted to give the tournament
tournament a year before the 1987 World
a miss. The two other men who round off
Cup but the batsmen had become a
that all-time top five, Curtly Ambrose and
byword for inconsistency, especially on
Ian Bishop, would make their debuts only
slow and low surfaces.
a year later.
The black-and-white World Cup histories
Walsh, as skilled as he was, was no
often cite Walshs refusal to run out Saleem
Garner in the slog overs. In Gujranwala,
Jaffar in 1987 who had backed up too
England, with four wickets in hand, had
far as the moment when the teams
needed 91 from the last ten overs to win.
fortunes changed. Again, theres a bit of
With Allan Lamb in splendid form, that was
urban legend at work there. West Indies
whittled down to 34 off three overs, still a
had already lost their opening game of the
considerable ask. Walsh bowled overs 48
tournament to England and were a vastly
and 50. Patrick Patterson had conceded
inferior team to the one that had lost to
just five off the penultimate over, but with
India four years previously.
Walsh giving away a whopping 31 in nine
WEST INDIES
25
POOL B
Strengths
If the batting arsenal that West Indies possess fires, they could well have a great
time. While Chris Gayle and Dwayne Smith are more than capable of giving the team
a flying start, Marlon Samuels and Darren Bravo know how to build the innings.
Watch out for
Chris Gayle. A thorough entertainer, West Indies depend on

him to give them the much-needed impetus at the top. He
can single-handedly change the course of a game, but can as
easily throw away his wicket. His last hundred his 21st in the
format came 17 games ago, and his team would be hoping
he can take his T20 form into the 50-over game.
I am disappointed that we wont have as strong a team in the 50-over format without Pollard
and Bravo. Thats really a big blow for us to lose two key players. It is a ridiculous selection
from my point of view. I dont know where our cricket is headed. Its really sad. It really hurt..
- Chris Gayle
World Cup history
Champions in 1975 and 1979, and finalists in

1983, West Indies have been the major players
in the World Cup memories of many fans. From
Clive Lloyds stunning century in that first final, to
the magic of Joel Garner and Viv Richards, its an
illustrious history the team carries into any World
Cup. Unfortunately, theirs is now a team in decline.
Lloyd, now chief selector, however, has backed the
squad, saying they were chosen with an eye on
the future.
SQUAD
Jason Holder (capt), Marlon Samuels,
Chris Gayle, Darren Bravo, Lendl
Simmons, Dwayne Smith, Andre
Russell, Darren Sammy, Jonathan
Carter, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Nikita
Miller, Sheldon Cottrell, Kemar Roach,
Jerome Taylor, Sulieman Benn.
Weaknesses
Sunil Narines withdrawal came as a huge blow for

the West Indies. While they would miss his wickettaking ability, he would have been a huge factor in
curbing the run rate in the middle and death overs
as well. While Andre Russell has shown glimpses
of brilliance with the added advantage of being
familiar with local conditions thanks to a stint in
the Big Bash League the bowling doesnt quite
inspire fear. West Indies are of course going to
miss quality allrounders such as Dwayne Bravo
and Kieron Pollard, who were left out of the squad
following a turbulent few months following the
teams aborted tour of India late last year. Jason
Holders lack of experience as captain may hamper
their chances too.
FIXTURES
Feb 16: Ireland, Nelson
Feb 21: Pakistan, Christchurch
Feb 24: Zimbabwe, Canberra
FEB 27: South Africa, Sydney
March 6: India, Perth
March 15: UAE, NAPIER
- Akash Sarkar
26
WORLD CUP 2015
cow-corner cleave either. It went straight
back over Walshs head.
By the time West Indies beat Pakistan in
their final match, they had already been
eliminated. Their only other victories were
against Sri Lanka, who were still half
a decade away from becoming a force.
England won their second encounter by 34
BRIAN LARA
One of the few
who could match
up to the greats of
the 1970s and 80s.
runs, highlighting a real vulnerability in

the lower middle order.
The story was little different in 1992.
Bowlers who were still as good as any
in the game kept them in the hunt, but
the
batsmen
failed
repeatedly
when
challenged. Against South Africa a match

that deserves to be remembered if only for
Adrian Kuipers jaw-dropping slog-swept
six off Ambrose they were skittled for
136 in response to 200. Then, with a place
legal deliveries, England sauntered past
in the last four beckoning, they restricted
the target.
a strong Australian line-up to 216 at the

MCG. The response was a pitiful 159, with
Sportsmanship or not, he was no less

culpable against Pakistan. Again, 14 were
only Brian Lara (70 off 97 balls) crossing

15.
needed from the last six balls, with the

final pair of Abdul Qadir and Jaffar at the
The story pretty much ends there. The
crease. This time, Walshs sequence went
record books may say that they reached
1-1-2-6-2-2. The six that Qadir hit was no
the semifinal in 1996, and bossed it for
27
long periods until Shane Warnes dramatic
There are many theories advanced for
late intervention. But the frailties that had
why things went so wrong in the space of a
become apparent even in the Test side were
decade. Some mention the lure of American
in ample evidence during the course of a
sport. Holding, who is as passionate about
tournament in which they were thumped
West Indies cricket now as he was while
by both India and Kenya. Laras brilliance
wearing the colours, rubbishes that notion.
eliminated South Africa, the form team,
He speaks of the cyclical nature of winning
in the quarterfinal, but all Warne did was
and losing, and also of administrators who
capitalise on batting diffidence that even
have seldom had the players best interests
Kenya, the new kids on the tournament
at heart.
scene, had exploited so ruthlessly.

A cursory look at the world of sport
It was also undeniable that the region
supports his view. A generation ago,
struggled to produce players of comparable
Sports Illustrated reckoned that three
quality to the titans of the 1970s and 80s.
teams epitomised sporting dominance in
The bowling standards were maintained
the 1980s. One was West Indies. Another,
until Ambrose and Walsh called it a day, but
Liverpool Football Club, won its last league
outside of Lara, Chris Gayle and Shivnarine
title in 1990. The third, the San Francisco
Chanderpaul and hes been more grafter
49ers, have been back to the Super Bowl
than destroyer its hard to think of a
just once since winning their fifth in
batting talent fit to rank alongside Sachin
January 1995.
Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting or Inzamam-ulHaq, leave alone the incomparable Vivian

Richards.
Empires fade, and in some cases, crumble

to dust. In sport, as in life.
WORLD CUP FACTS

Australia dropped players who defected to the World Series in 1979,
while Pakistan and West Indies selected them fearing fans backlash.
28
1983
Kapil Dev: 175* off 138 balls and 1-32 off 11 overs
v Zimbabwe, Tunbridge Wells. Match Impact:
13.40
Kapil Dev scored almost 66% of his teams total. His
innings had a high Pressure, Runs Tally (proportion
of runs scored) and Partnership-Building Impact
(ability to build partnerships and occupy the
crease). It is, till date, the highest impact innings
played by any Indian in a World Cup. His allround performance he picked up a wicket and
was economical is the third-highest impact
performance by any player in World Cup history.
Final: West Indies v India

It was a match that pitted an unlikely candidate
in India against the most dominant force in world
cricket at the time. Both teams had come into the
final on the back of some strong performances.
Clive Lloyd asked India to bat at Lords and the
West Indies bowlers hunted in a pack to dismiss
them for 183. The defining moment came when
West Indies were on 57 for 2 and Kapil Dev plucked
a famous catch, running backwards, to dismiss
India desperately needed a win against Zimbabwe to
stay in the tournament, and at 17 for 5, then 78 for
7, it looked bleak. That was until Kapil Dev, the India
captain, decided to take matters into his own hands in a
merciless display of power hitting. Kapil Dev dispatched
Zimbabwes bowlers to all corners of the park as he
FLASH BACK
raced to his hundred from a mere 72 balls. By the time

Indias quota was complete, he had piled on 175 runs
from 138 deliveries with 16 fours and six sixes in what
would go down as one of the greatest innings ever.
India won that match. The Kapil magic continued in the
final, when he took a memorable catch to dismiss Viv
Richards.
Vivian Richards, who was at his destructive best.

West Indies were shot out for 140 and India
stunned the world to lift their maiden World Cup.
Brief scores:
Lords, London: India 183 in 54.4 overs (K Srikkanth
38, Mohinder Amarnath 26, Sandeep Patil 27; Andy
Roberts 3-32, Malcolm Marshall 2-24, Michael
Holding 2-26, Larry Gomes 2-49) beat West Indies
140 in 52 overs (Vivian Richards 33, Jeff Dujon 25;
Balwinder Sandhu 2-32, Madan Lal 3-31, Mohinder
Amarnath 3-12) by 43 runs. MoM: Mohinder
Amarnath
29
The team that was a family

Celebrations continued long after that historic victory against West Indies
PR Man Singh
D Govindraj, part of the Indian squad that won the
objective was to keep the unit in a happy space devoid
Test series in West Indies and England in 1971, was
of any mental pressure.
employed with State Bank of India in London in 1983.

He wanted the side then to play in his benefit match
After a game, a player waited anxiously for his friends
immediately after the World Cup, and when I proposed
to come and pick up his wife, who was staying with
the idea to Kapil Dev, or Kaptaan as I address him, the
them. Soon after that, I asked the team if they have
boys immediately agreed to it. June 26, the day after
any problem if the ladies travelled in our bus. Cheeka
the final, was a Sunday and was appropriate, as it gave
(Krishnamachari Srikkanth) had got married just two
the Indian diaspora around Londons Gymkhana Ground
months previously and wanted to spend a day with
a chance to watch their favourite players in action.
Vidya (his wife, who was staying with a relative).

Instead, I asked Roger (Binny, Srikkanths roommate) to
We had little idea then that the match would take place
shift to my room and Vidya moved in with Cheeka.
less than 24 hours after we had defeated West Indies

in the historic final and celebrated till 3am in the night.
The boards clause was that wives couldnt stay in
All the players turned up on Sunday afternoon, but the
the same hotel or travel in the team bus. I violated
effects of the spirit had not yet mellowed down.
the norms on humanitarian grounds, and when we

landed in Mumbai after the tournament, an official
The scenes at the ground, expectedly, were chaotic and
reprimanded me. I smiled and replied, Had I not done
the match had to be stopped many times. Soon after
that, we would not have won the cup.
that, we headed to my brother-in-laws house for a

dinner party and there too people gatecrashed. It was
Before the World Cup, my father had got a showcase
so euphoric that even though we fell short of food and
cleared in our Secunderabad house for the winners
liquor, no one complained.
medal that his son was to bring. It was a bit

overambitious, though I was confident of a semifinal
In the June 1983 edition of Wisden Cricket Monthly,
berth with the bits and pieces players we possessed in
David Firth, the editor, had written that India did not
our ranks, but today it is my proudest possession.
deserve to play in the World Cup. He literally had to eat

doing so!
PR Man Singh was Indias manager during the 1983

World Cup campaign.
We won because the team lived like a family.
As told to Sidhanta Patnaik
his words, and the publication carried an image of him
Differences were solved amicably, and as manager, my

30
WORLD CUP 2015
winningest team
on the big stage
Some luck, yes, but it was a lot of pluck and more skill that made Australia
all-conquering at the World Cup
S h a m ya D a s g u p ta
from
But were they the best team in the world
West Indies in the early
then? Hard to say. South Africa must feel
editions of the World
they were as good. Ditto for 1987, when
Cup, has dominated the
Australia won the World Cup for the first
tournament quite like
time, against all calculations. But win they
Australia did over two editions: 2003 and
did, in 1987 and in 1999, and then in 2003
2007. Australia fans may add 1999 there,
and 2007, twice more than West Indies and
but thats not quite fair.
India have.
team,
apart
In 1999, Australia were hardly all-
1987: The out-of-turn champions
conquering in ODIs. They could have
Allan Border had taken charge of the
crashed out of the tournament any number
Australian team at possibly the worst
of times. That they didnt, of course, is
time, quality-wise, in their history, in
a testament to their resolve and ability.
1984-85 after Kim Hughess tear-drenched
31
Elite company
Australias three
World Cup-winning
captains, with
Michael Clarke.
resignation. Dennis Lillee, Greg Chappell
the drawn series in India, but the Ashes
and Rodney Marsh had retired and a
loss pushed Australia back again. So, when
number of players were serving bans for
they went to the subcontinent for the 1987
having toured South Africa. The squad
Reliance World Cup, it wasnt with a lot of
wasnt the best, and through 1985-86, the
hope. Still, they won.
losses piled up.

The team certainly had the personnel
So bad was the situation that Border
David Boon and Geoff Marsh, the openers,
even threatened to resign. That he didnt
scored 447 and 428 runs respectively, Dean
was because the Australian Cricket Board
Jones scored 314, and Mike Veletta, down
(later Cricket Australia) staunchly backed
the order, pitched in with crucial knocks.
him, and they brought in Bob Simpson as
Then there were the young allrounders
the teams coach to help Border along.
Steve Waugh and Simon ODonnell who

added key runs and picked up important
The Border-Simpson association started

well with the tied Test in Chennai, part of
wickets. And Craig McDermott, who topped

the charts with 18 wickets.
32
WORLD CUP 2015
sweep a catch to Greg Dyer behind the
wickets is another case in point.
Luck, yes, sure. Pluck too. And we had
the second of three successive unlikely
GEOFF MARSH
World Cup winner
with Australia
as player and as
coach.
There was on display a trait that

we have come to see in big matches
as quintessentially Australian:
Winning key moments
champions of the World Cup, sandwiched
between India in 1983 and Pakistan in
1992.
1999: High after teetering on the edge
True, Pakistan emerged out of nowhere
to win the 1992 World Cup, but Australias
entry into the final of the 1999 tournament
There also was on display a trait that
was just as unexpected.
we have come to see, in big matches over

the years, as quintessentially Australian:
To start with, after beating Scotland,
Winning key moments. In the first match of
Australia slipped to a five-wicket loss to
the tournament they played, for example,
New Zealand and then a ten-run loss to
India were well on course to chasing down
Pakistan. The format of the World Cup
271 till Australia effected two run-outs
worked in their favour, with wins over
and Waugh went past Maninder Singhs
Bangladesh and West Indies enough to
defences to clinch an unlikely one-run
take them into the Super Sixes, but it was
win. The final, then, when Border brought
still a bit sticky for them.
himself on and got Mike Gatting to reverse
AUSTRALIA
33
POOL A
Strengths
A formidable batting line-up in a side that prides itself on aggression - David Warner
and Steve Smith are in especially dangerous form - and a bowling attack that will
thrive in home conditions make Australia a threat. Recent successes against South
Africa, India and England have proven the depth in their ranks and they go into the
World Cup as the No. 1 ODI side, capable of lifting their game at the big moments.
Weaknesses
Australia will be without their captain for at least the initial games in the tournament.
Michael Clarkes selection despite injury concerns he has been given till February
21 to prove his fitness could pose a distraction for the team, even as George Bailey, the stand-in captain, tries to make the team his own.
The good thing is all the quick bowlers are very quick bowlers. We can all run in and try and
hit the deck and bowl quite quick. The WACA and a couple of other grounds are nice and fast
for us. I think thats going to be our biggest strength in the bowling, having three or four quick
guys in the side.
- Pat Cummins
World Cup history
Their four wins in 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007 are

the most by any team. They were unbeaten in 34
World Cup matches, and hold the record for the
highest percentage of wins in World Cup matches.
Their 359 for 2 against India in 2003 is the highest
score in a World Cup final.
The 1979 and 2011 World Cups were the only
ones in which they exited in the group stages.
Watch out for
David Warner. Misadventures

during Indias tour have meant
hes been told by Cricket
Australia to stop looking for
trouble. But away from the
controversies, the opener has
had a purple patch. Australia
will be looking to him for an
attacking start, and he could be the difference
between a winning score and an average one.
FIXTURES
SQUAD
Michael Clarke (capt), George Bailey
(vice-capt), Pat Cummins, Xavier
Doherty, James Faulkner, Aaron
Finch, Brad Haddin, Josh Hazlewood,
Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Marsh,
Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell
Starc, David Warner, Shane Watson.
Feb 14: England, Melbourne

Feb 21: Bangladesh, Brisbane
Feb 28: New Zealand, Auckland
March 4: Afghanistan, Perth
March 8: Sri Lanka, Sydney
March 14: Scotland, Hobart
- Kritika Naidu
34
WORLD CUP 2015
So, when it came to the last Super
Sixes game, Australia had to beat South
Africa. Thats when we had the You just
dropped the World Cup, mate moment,
and Australia were in the semifinals, where
they met South Africa again. The match
was tied as South Africa messed things up
Buchanan went on to oversee a

glorious run for Australian cricket.
Then again, how could anyone
really go wrong with Gilchrist,
Hayden,
Ponting,
Martyn,
Lehmann, Bevan, Symonds, Hogg,
Bichel, Lee and McGrath?
in the last over the birth of the C-word

and Australia, having won the earlier game
the champion among them with 398 runs,
between the two sides, went through to the
including that unbeaten 120 that took
final, where Pakistan were made to wipe
Australia to the semifinals. And there was
the floor in an eight-wicket result.
the Shane Warne-Glenn McGrath combine,

which ended with 38 wickets.
It was the start of the Australian

domination, but hardly the stuff of world
champions. More than once in the group
The core of a fantastic one-day unit was

clearly taking shape.
stage, then in the Super Sixes when

Herschelle Gibbs dropped Waugh, and
2003: The team that won everything
then in the semifinal when Allan Donald
Ricky Ponting and John Buchanan
ran himself out so mindlessly, Australia
inherited the team Steve Waugh and Geoff
survived because of huge slices of luck.
Marsh had built. Marsh had quit soon after

the 1999 World Cup, and Waugh played
Yet, luck alone cannot help a team win

seven matches in a row.
a big part in Buchanan coming in as his

replacement in spite of little first-class
experience as a cricketer. There was a fair
Geoff Marsh, the coach at the time,
bit of criticism then, but Waugh liked the
has been credited widely for scripting the
quiet worker. Buchanan went on to oversee
turnaround, despite being away in the back
a glorious run for Australian cricket.
room. The entire batting order came to the

party at different stages Steve Waugh
Then again, how could anyone really go
35
wrong with Gilchrist, Hayden, Ponting,

Martyn, Lehmann, Bevan, Symonds, Hogg,
Bichel, Lee and McGrath? Remember
that withdrawn from that 2003 squad for
various reasons were Shane Warne, Jason
Gillespie and Shane Watson.
Twice they won the World Cup

when they werent anybodys
favourites, and twice they won
when there were no other favourites.
At their best or not, its impossible
to count out Australia among the
favourites in 2015
That winning run, of seven games that

had started in 1999 stretched to 18 by
even in the cricket lexicon till Buchanan,
March 23, 2003, as Australia won all their
and his laptop, hit the scene.
games, the two-wicket win over England

with two balls to spare the only time they
had been stretched.
2007: Pontings Invincibles

The sequence of wins went from 18 to 30
in a bit of blur as Australia again won every
Warne might have said then, and later,
single match they played in the Caribbean
that the role of a coach was only to ferry
in the 2007 World Cup three in the group
players from the hotel to the ground, but
stages, seven in the Super Eights, and then
Buchanan, by all accounts, played a key
the semifinal and the final.
role in that team becoming as good as it was.

He need not have bothered about talent and
The squad had changed, but only a tad,
skills, and he didnt, but he, quietly, did
and the changes only seemed to make the
the one thing a team of champion players
unit stronger Mike Hussey and Michael
needed so desperately: Managing the men;
Clarke among the men to have made the
man management, a term that wasnt
step up in the four-year gap. As in 2003,
WORLD CUP FACTS

Gary Gilmour, who with 11 wickets was the highest wicket-taker of the
1975 World Cup, played only two games, the semifinal and the final.
36
WORLD CUP 2015
in 2007 too, Australia were a league or two
ahead of the next best, so far ahead of the
pack that they were, really, No. 1 in a field
of one.
Like Clive Lloyds West Indians of the
1975 and 1979, Ricky Pontings Australians
were the best cricket team in the world in
both formats in 2003 and 2007. They had
the best opening batsmen in the world
in Hayden-Langer (Tests) and HaydenGilchrist (ODIs), the best wicketkeeperbatsman in the world in Gilchrist, a topnotch middle order with Ponting as the
2003 champs
Ponting inherited
the team Steve
Waugh and Geoff
Marsh built.
pivot around which everything revolved,

the best spin bowler in the world, Warne,
and the McGrath-led pace attack that was
the envy of the rest of the world.
When it comes to a squad that good, the
out Australia among the top favourites in
trick is probably in ensuring there are no
2015 played at home, even if they flopped
ego clashes or mistakes. Really, what else
so miserably the last time the World Cup
do you need? Injury management, maybe.
was played Down Under, in 1992. They
And suchlike stuff. Nothing a professional
are, after all, the winningest team in World
set-up cant address.
Cup history, and a team that knows how

to win can always be counted upon to dig
Twice they won the World Cup when they
just that bit deeper, find just that one extra
werent anybodys favourites, and twice they
man to put his hand up, create a moment
won when there were no other favourites.
of magic from somewhere strut their
At their best or not, its impossible to count
stuff on the biggest stage of them all.
ENGLAND
37
POOL A
Strengths
Englands strength lies in their middle-order batting, which has helped them recover
from early setbacks in recent times. Joe Root, Jos Buttler and Ian Bell have been
their most successful batsmen over the past year, and the presence of James Taylor
and Moeen Ali, who has impressed with both bat and ball, will give the three-time
losing finalists some confidence. Their decision to drop Alastair Cook seems to have
lifted the team. In the bowling department, James Anderson and Stuart Broad are
back in action, and with support from Steven Finn and Chris Woakes, they can trouble the opposition on the pace-friendly pitches in Australia and New Zealand.
Weaknesses
Englands recent ODI form has been dismal. They lost a seven-match away series to Sri Lanka 5-2
after conceding a 3-1 defeat against India at home. Nine of the 15-member squad will be playing
in their first World Cup. Eoin Morgan replaced Cook as captain only after the Sri Lanka tour, and
the team had only the tri-series in Australia where they got to the final, but lost to get used to
the changes and adapt to a new, aggressive approach.
We need to realise we have never been any good at one-day cricket even when I was
playing. I played in three World Cups and didnt get anywhere in any of them, but for the
England team now, its a chance to blaze a trail and form an identity.
- Andrew Flintoff, former England allrounder
World Cup history
The early editions of the tournament saw England

as the perennial bridesmaids, having reached the
World Cup final thrice, in 1979, 1987 and 1992,
but never lifting the cup. Its now been 25 years
since they last appeared in a World Cup final. The
2003 edition was their worst, with Nasser Hussains
side crashing out of the tournament in the group
stages, finishing ninth.
Watch out for
Jos Buttler. The 24-year-old

wicketkeeper from Somerset
has 704 runs in his kitty from
25 matches in 2014. He has
often bailed England out of
tough situations, and has
impressed with his agility
behind the stumps.
FIXTURES
SQUAD
Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, James
Anderson, Gary Ballance, Ian Bell,
Ravi Bopara, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler
(wk), Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Chris
Jordan, Joe Root, James Taylor, James
Tredwell, Chris Woakes.
Feb 14: AUSTRALIA, Melbourne

Feb 20: New Zealand, Wellington
Feb 23: Scotland, Christchurch
March 1: Sri Lanka, Wellington
March 9: Bangladesh, Adelaide
March 13: Afghanistan, Sydney
I am the greatest patriot there is,

but we do not have a cat in hells
chance.
- Graeme Swann, former England spinner
- Himanish Bhattacharjee
38
1987
England and Australia were both surprise qualifiers for

the 1987 World Cup final. Neil Foster, Eddie Hemmings
and John Emburey combined to keep Australia down
to 253 for 5, and Englands reply was going swimmingly
with Graham Gooch and Bill Athey in the middle after
Tim Robinsons early dismissal. Gooch fell after a while,
and Mike Gatting joined Athey, the momentum not
sagging for a moment and England on course to win the
trophy.
But the pictures show Allan Border and not Gatting
holding the World Cup. And the reason, at least in the
minds of many, is Gatting himself.
In the semifinal against India, Gatting had contributed
a wonderful 56 from 62 balls, but had gotten out
in a fashion considered rather bizarre at the time:
Attempting a reverse sweep. It was the cool, new stroke
of the era and Gatting rather fancied his chances with it.
Against India, he attempted it against Maninder Singh
and deflected the ball on to his stumps. Not satisfied,
he tried it against the first ball Border bowled to him in
the final. This time, Gatting, then on 41 from 44 balls,
FLASH BACK
top edged it on to his shoulder for the ball to pop up for

an easy catch for Greg Dyer, the wicketkeeper. Wisden
called it a shot too crass to contemplate.
England lost their way and Gatting has been trying to
answer questions about that moment of madness ever
since unsuccessfully.
Dave Houghton: 142 off 137 balls v New Zealand,

1987, Hyderabad. Match Impact: 9.64
Chasing New Zealands 243 in humid and energysapping conditions, Zimbabwe were 104 for 7. By
their own admission, No. 3 Dave Houghton and
Iain Butcharts plans were to save face. Eventually,
the pressure was on the New Zealanders. A
completely dehydrated Houghton got out
attempting a slog with Zimbabwe needing 18
more to win. They would eventually lose by three
runs. Houghton had an incredibly high Runs Tally
(proportion of runs scored) and Pressure Impact.
His performance was made more remarkable by
the fact that he had kept for the first 50 overs,
effecting one catch.
Final: England v Australia
In a match befitting a final, Allan Border chose to
bat after winning the toss against England at the
Eden Gardens. David Boon anchored the innings
nicely at the top, with the middle order making
vital contributions as well, while Mike Veletta
blasted a 31-ball unbeaten 45 lower down the
result being Australia got to a very competitive
253 for 5. England lost Tim Robinson early, but
the top and middle order were largely equal to
the task. However, a cluster of wickets from 170
for 3 stalled Englands progress and they finished
second best in a World Cup for the second time.
Brief scores:
Eden Gardens, Kolkata: Australia 253/5 in 50
overs (David Boon 75, Dean Jones 33, Allan Border
31, Mike Veletta 45 n.o.; Eddie Hemmings 2-48)
beat England 246/8 in 50 overs (Graham Gooch
35, Bill Athey 58, Mike Gatting 41, Allan Lamb 45;
Steve Waugh 2-37, A Border 2-38).
MoM: David Boon
39
Hat-trick and a
Gavaskar hundred
The ball trickled over and I just couldnt believe that Id
We played every match like the defending champions,
Gavaskar hit his first century. His explosive innings set
but messed up the semifinal chase
up an easy win for us. Sharing the Man of the Match
taken a hat-trick in a World Cup.

The match was more memorable because Sunil
award with a legend like Gavaskar, what more could a
C h e t a n S h a rm a
youngster like me ask for?
The 1987 World Cup didnt start on a positive note
When we boarded the flight to Mumbai from Nagpur,
for me. I had fractured a bone in my left thumb while
the airline crew cheered us a lot as we entered. That
fielding in a practice match against Pakistan at the
experience was really out of this world.
Nehru Stadium. I was very disappointed that I would

Indias 1987 World Cup campaign was very rewarding.
miss the first few matches of the tournament.
We played every match like the defending champions,

When I finally got a chance, against Australia, I wasnt
but messed up the semifinal chase. But overall, it was a
too successful.
good showing.
Against New Zealand, in a match that we needed to win
Chetan Sharma is a medium-pace bowler who played

in 23 Tests and 65 ODIs, taking 61 and 67 wickets
respectively for India.
comprehensively, it took me a while to find my rhythm.

But Kapil paaji backed me a lot throughout, he brought
me back into the attack in the 42nd over. My first wicket
(Ken Rutherford) gave me a lot of confidence. Then I
bowled a quicker one to get (Ian) Smith off the next.
Kapil paaji calmed my nerves when I was on the hat-
As told to Disha Shetty
trick ball. He said that I had done well to get those two
crucial wickets and if I didnt get a hat-trick, I wouldnt
lose anything. But what I didnt expect was that (Ewen)
Chatfield would leave so much gap between his legs.
WORLD CUP FACTS

Sachin Tendulkar, then 13, was a ball boy during the 1987 semifinal
between India and England at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.
BANGLADESH
40
POOL A
Strengths
Bangladesh have their critics, given their struggle in Tests, but the 50-over game
suits their style. That the selectors have relieved Mushfiqur Rahim, the wicketkeeperbatsman, from his captaincy duties could work in their favour, allowing him to focus
on his batting. Shakib Al Hasan, the top ranked allrounder in Tests and Twenty20s,
will be a vital contributor. As for their bowling, young talent Taskin Ahmed started
his career with impressive performances against India at home, while Taijul Islam, the
left-arm spinner, recently became the first bowler to claim a hat-trick on ODI debut.
Weaknesses
Bangladesh failed to register an ODI win for most of 2014, until their 5-0 thrashing
of Zimbabwe at the end of the year. The teams ability to put up consistent performance is in serious question, and could be a factor given the format of the tournament. The inexperienced bowling line-up will be put to a stern test. Mashrafe Mortaza is captain for this World Cup, but the pacer, though experienced, is injury prone.
I personally think that if we play with guts, we will get a good result. We have a chance to
prove ourselves. I think we may see a couple of Bangladeshi batsmen among the top five batsmen at this World Cup. Our target will be to do something special.
- Mushfiqur Rahim
World Cup history
Constant underachievers, Bangladeshs win against

India in the opening encounter of the 2007 World
Cup, saw them through to the Super Eights. That
has been the only time they have moved beyond
the first round; this time, they will have to beat
more than the Associates in their group to keep
their hopes alive.
SQUAD
Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), Tamim Iqbal,
Anamul Haque, Mominul Haque, Shakib
Al Hasan (vice-capt), Mahmudullah Riaz,
Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Nasir Hossain,
Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Al-Amin
Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Soumya Sarkar,
Sabbir Rahman, Arafat Sunny.
Watch out for
Shakib Al Hasan. A left-hand

batsman and left-arm spinner,
Shakib will be playing his
third World Cup. Despite his
troubles with the board, he
has been the teams mainstay.
Besides, he is the only one to
have experienced Australian
conditions recently, having participated in the Big
Bash Twenty20 tournament.
FIXTURES
Feb 18: AFGHANISTAN, CANBERRA
Feb 21: AUSTRALIA, Brisbane
Feb 26: SRI LANKA, MELBOURNE
March 5: SCOTLAND, NELSON
March 9: ENGLAND, ADELAIDE
March 13: NEW ZEALAND, HAMILTON
- Akash Sarkar
41
Rise of the Asian

associates
Afghanistan and UAE have made a quick climb through the ranks, but can they make the
transformation from Associates to champions as successfully as Sri Lanka?
Karthik Lakshmanan
October
4,
2013,
That
historic
October
2013
victory,
Mohammad
which Nabi called a gift to the younger
Nabi, the Afghanistan
generation, was the icing on the cake
captain,
Kenyas
after Afghanistan crickets rapid progress
Shem Ngoche through
over the years. The Afghanistan Cricket
when
hit
complete
Federation was merely 12 years old, and
the 94-run chase in Sharjah, people
just five years earlier, they were in Division
across Afghanistan took to the streets in
Five of the World Cricket League, then the
celebration. It was not an ordinary victory.
lowest division of the International Cricket
Afghanistan had just finished second in
Councils 50-over competition for non-Test
the World Cricket League Championship
playing nations.
the
midwicket
boundary
to
behind Ireland and, in the process, sealed

their qualification for the 2015 World Cup
Most sports were banned in Afghanistan
their maiden entry into the tournament.
by the ruling Taliban, but cricket was made
AFGHANISTAN
42
POOL A
Strengths
Its a young side; the number of the players in their early twenties should help them
meet the physical demands of ODI cricket. Mohammad Nabi has been the full-time
captain since 2013, and the players will have grown accustomed to his style. Nawroz Mangal has had good success at the top of the order, while 18-year-old Usman
Ghani has shown promise. The middle order with the experienced Asghar Stanikzai,
Samiullah Shenwari and Nabi wears a settled look. In Hamid Hassan, Afghanistan
have a strike bowler who can bowl fast and swing the ball both ways.
Weaknesses
A lot of the players are inexperienced. This will be Afghanistans first World Cup,
and, although the team has been a part of three World Twenty20 tournaments,
50-over cricket throws up a different set of challenges. Mangal and Shapoor Zadran
missed the teams recent triangular series in Dubai, which also featured Ireland and
Scotland, as they were denied visas, so will head into the World Cup without much
match practice. Inconsistency in batting is also an issue.
We will be the underdogs of our group. But the positive sign is we will have a good backing in
Australia and New Zealand. Fortunately, we have beaten Bangladesh in the Asia Cup last year,
which obviously has given us the confidence. We have played Australia, so know a little about
their strengths and weaknesses.
- Bashir Stanikzai, high performance manager, Afghanistan
World Cup history
This is their first appearance at the World Cup, but

as the highest ranked Associate, and having given
Zimbabwe and Bangladesh something to think
about not too far in the past, their opponents will
be loath to take Afghanistan for granted.
SQUAD
Afsar Zazai (wk), Aftab Alam, Asghar
Stanikzai, Dawlat Zadran, Gulbadin
Naib, Hamid Hassan, Javed Ahmadi,
Mirwais Ashraf, Mohammad Nabi
(capt), Najibullah Zadran, Nasir Jamal,
Nawroz Mangal, Samiullah Shenwari,
Shapoor Zadran, Usman Ghani.
Watch out for
Mohammad Nabi. The

Afghanistan captain will not
only lend stability to the
batting, but hes also effective
with his off-breaks.
FIXTURES
Feb 18: Bangladesh, Canberra
Feb 23: Sri Lanka, Dunedin
Feb 26: Scotland, Dunedin
March 4: Australia, Perth
March 8: New Zealand, Napier
March 13: England, Sydney
To obtain a qualification spot in

the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 is
something Afghanistan deserves.
- Michael Clarke, Australia captain
- Akshay Gopalakrishnan
43
Historic win
Qualification for
CWC 2015 was a
gift to the youth,
said Nabi.
an exception in 2000 after widespread
their domestic competition. Afghanistan
interest in the sport. Afghan refugees living
lost
in Pakistan had been playing the sport
many with two draws in the remaining
and the Talibans official approval led to
games. Their steady rise continued with
expats setting up the Afghanistan Cricket
Afghanistan gaining Asian Cricket Council
Federation on their return to the country
membership in 2003.
three
matches,
but
impressed
in 2001. In the same year, the sport in the

country got a major boost with the ICC
awarding it an Affiliate Member status.
The year 2006 was the turning point.

They were runners-up in the Middle East
cup, won six of their seven matches
A few months later, even as the USA-led
including victories over the second XIs of
war began in Afghanistan, the countrys
Essex, Glamorgan and Leicestershire in
cricket team was invited by the Pakistan
their maiden tour of England and finished
Cricket Board to play in the second tier of
third in the ACC Elite Cup.
44
WORLD CUP 2015
ICC in June 2013. With growth as rapid as
Players like Shapoor Zadran, the

left-arm fast bowler, Mohammad
Shahzad, the wicketkeeper, and
Nabi, the captain, became big
inspirations for a war-torn nation
and cricket gradually became a
household game.
that, it was becoming increasingly difficult

to keep Afghanistan out of the Asia Cup
and they made their tournament debut
in 2014. Afghanistan lost to Sri Lanka,
Pakistan and India but defeated hosts
Bangladesh by 32 runs in Fatullah their
first win over a Test playing nation.
They missed out on a chance to qualify

for the 2011 World Cup, but were granted
***
One-Day International status, even as they

made it to the World T20 in West Indies.
The 2015 World Cup will also mark the
That was their first tournament against
return of the United Arab Emirates to the
the full-time ICC Members. Despite some
World Cup tournament for the first time
spirited performances, they failed to make
since their maiden entry in 1996. What
it past the group stages, even as they
started as a team with first-class cricketers
continued to find success against non-Test
from other Asian countries like India,
playing nations.
Pakistan and Sri Lanka UAEs captain

Sultan Zarawani was the only native Arab
Afghanistan have been regulars in ICC
in the 1996 squad grew steadily over the
world tournaments since then. Players like
years to establish themselves as one of the
Shapoor Zadran, the left-arm fast bowler,
top Associate sides. Bangladeshs entry
Mohammad Shahzad, the wicketkeeper,
into Test cricket saw UAE taking over as
and Nabi himself became big inspirations
the top Associate nation in Asia, winning
for a war-torn nation and cricket gradually
four ACC trophies between 2000 and 2006.
became a household game. Qualifications

for the World T20s in 2012 and 2014 and
One of the biggest boosts for UAE cricket
the 2015 World Cup followed over the next
came in 2005, when the ICC shifted its
few years and amid all this, they were
headquarters to Dubai. The international
recognised as Associate Member of the
body also set up the ICC Cricket Academy,
45
a high-performance training centre, which

has helped develop cricket in the area.
There is a significant player base here
and a lot of active cricketers, and at the top
level the standard is pretty good, explained
Paul Radley, a reporter for The National, a
UAE-based daily newspaper. The current
administration at the Emirates Cricket
One of the biggest boosts for UAE

cricket came in 2005, when the ICC
shifted its headquarters to Dubai.
REVIVAL
UAE return to the
World Cup for the
first time since
1996.
Board are harnessing that better than

ever before, and there is now a solid high
performance programme in place, too.
it up with a berth in the 50-over World Cup
UAE participated in the 2004 and
2008 Asia Cups but had the knack of
when they defeated Namibia by 36 runs in

Christchurch in the World Cup qualifier.
falling at the final hurdle for World Cup

qualifications. That, however, changed in
The qualification means they got full
2013. UAE first made it to the 2014 World
ODI status, and thus extra funding, which
T20 by defeating Netherlands and followed
can go a long way towards improving

cricket here, observes Radley. However,
WORLD CUP FACTS

1992 semifinalists South Africa would have had to return home if the
referendum back home had upheld the apartheid rule. Thankfully, an
overwhelming majority voted to end it and the team stayed on.
UAE
46
POOL B
Strengths
UAE could not make the most of the Associates and Affiliates tour of Australia
and New Zealand, but pulled things back in the four-match home series against
Afghanistan, which they won 3-1. The win should have restored some confidence.
Expect Khurram Khan to be heavily relied upon as he has been most dependable
with the bat. They have generally hunted in a pack with the ball and have been
consistent in their bowling, with Manjula Guruge especially promising swing and an
ability to bowl well at the death.
Weaknesses
Its a highly inexperienced squad: all 15 members together have experience of 71

ODIs. Besides, several players are well above 30, with a couple of them, including
Mohammad Tauqir, the captain, over 40. Tauqir did not play in the four-ODI series
against Afghanistan at home and UAE played under two different captains in
Khurram and Ahmed Raza in the series, and that could unsettle them.
In 1996, no one took the UAE as seriously as they do today. There was only limited exposure
to the world. People werent sure how good UAE cricket was. But now, people have seen UAE
playing at different levels, and I think we can surprise a few people and a few teams.
- Aaqib Javed, UAE coach
World Cup history
This will be only their second appearance at a

World Cup, after nearly two decades. Their win
over Netherlands by seven wickets in that World
Cup was their first on crickets grandest stage. A
team with plenty of expats, they will be hoping to
get more wins this time around, and cause some
upsets.
SQUAD
Mohammad Tauqir (capt), Khurram
Khan (vice-capt), Swapnil Patil, Saqlain
Haider, Amjad Javed, Shaiman Anwar,
Amjad Ali, Nasir Aziz, Rohan Mustafa,
Manjula Guruge, Andri Berenger,
Fahad Al Hashmi, Muhammad
Naveed, Kamran Shahzad, K Karate.
Watch out for
Khurram Khan. Khurram has

been in blazing form the past
year. He was their top-scorer
in the qualifying tournament
and became the oldest ODI
centurion when he made an
unbeaten 132 not out against
Afghanistan a few months
ago. His left-arm spin can also come in handy.
Hopefully, losing the captaincy for policy reasons
wont affect his game.
FIXTURES
Feb 19: Zimbabwe, Nelson
Feb 25: Ireland, Brisbane
Feb 28: India, Perth
March 4: Pakistan, Napier
March 12: South Africa, Wellington
March 15: West Indies, Napier
- Akshay Gopalakrishnan
47
that is only guaranteed for four years, so

while growth in the medium term should
be good, after that it is unclear.
***
While
qualification
itself
is
Sri Lanka made their World Cup

debut in 1975, but over their first
five World Cups, won only four
matches. Then, Arjuna Ranatunga
led them to a historic World Cup
victory in 1996.
an
achievement for the teams, theyve set
before ended their final jinx by winning the
their sights high. We will rock the World
World T20 in 2014.
Cup, all the boys are in confidence, said

Nasimullah Danish, Afghanistan cricket
The Asian Associates have, obviously,
board chairman, in an interview, and
merely taken baby steps in their World
they could well start the shake-up in their
Cup ambitions and have a long way to go,
opener against Bangladesh, a side theyve
especially with a slimmed-down 2019 World
defeated. Mohammad Tauqir, the UAE
Cup being planned. Says Radley of UAE:
captain, meanwhile, has said his team are
If it is a ten-team World Cup, it is going to
looking at a couple of wins, and stretching
be extremely hard for UAE to make it back.
big brother teams like India and Pakistan.
UAE will be competing for the final two

places with well resourced full Test nations
The two sides, of course, need to look
like Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, and more
no further than their Asian counterparts
mature Associate sides like Ireland and
Sri Lanka for inspiration. Sri Lanka
Afghanistan. It is also hard to see full
made their World Cup debut in 1975, but
members giving them many opportunities
over their first five World Cups, won only
by way of bilateral ODI series in the next
four matches. Then, Arjuna Ranatunga
four years. If funding is then cut as a
led them to a historic World Cup victory in
consequence, then any progress made will
1996 and theyve since been one of the top
be immediately undermined.
sides across all formats. Runners-up in the

2007 and 2011 editions, they also came
The 2015 World Cup could then just be
second in the 2009 and 2012 World T20s,
the best place to start the long climb ahead.
I CC WO R L D C UP 201 5
DAY
1
DAY
2
DAY
3
DAY
4
DAY
5
DAY
6
DAY
7
DAY
8
DAY
9
DAY
10
DAY
11
DAY
12
DAY
13
DAY
14
DAY
15
14 FEB
NEW ZEALAND V SRI LANKA
15 FEB
SOUTH AFRICA V ZIMBABWE
16 FEB
WEST INDIES V IRELAND
17 FEB
NEW ZEALAND V SCOTLAND
18 FEB
BANGLADESH V AFGHANISTAN
SAT
SUN
MON
TUE
WED
19 FEB
THU
Match1, Pool A
Hagley Oval, Christchurch - 11:00 Local
Match3, Pool B
Seddon Park, Hamilton - 14:00 Local
AUSTRALIA V ENGLAND
Match2, Pool A
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne - 14:30 Local
INDIA V PAKISTAN
Match 4, Pool B
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide - 14:00 Local
PO
Match5, Pool B
Saxton Oval, Nelson - 11:00 Local
Match6, Pool A
University Oval, Dunedin - 11:00 Local
QUARTE
Match7, Pool A
Manuka Oval, Canberra - 14:30 Local
DAY
31
30
ZIMBABWE V UAE
18 MAR
Match 8, Pool B
20 FEB
NEW ZEALAND V ENGLAND
21 FEB
PAKISTAN V WEST INDIES
AUSTRALIA V BANGLADESH
22 FEB
SRI LANKA V AFGHANISTAN
SOUTH AFRICA V INDIA
FRI
SAT
SUN
Match9, Pool A
Regional Stadium, Wellington - 14:00 Local
Match10, Pool B
Match12, Pool A
23 FEB
ENGLAND V SCOTLAND
24 FEB
WEST INDIES V ZIMBABWE
25 FEB
IRELAND V UAE
26 FEB
AFGHANISTAN V SCOTLAND
27 FEB
SOUTH AFRICA V WEST INDIES
28 FEB
AUSTRALIA V NEW ZEALAND
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
SAT
PO
Match 11, Pool A

The Gabba, Brisbane - 13:30 Local
Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney

- 14:30 Local
DAY
32
QUARTER FINAL 3
FRI
DAY
34
24 MAR
TUE
DAY
34
29 MAR
SRI LANKA V BANGLADESH
Match 18, Pool A

Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne - 14:30 Local
Match19, Pool B
Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney - 14:30 Local
wisdenindia.com
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide

- 14:00 Local
SEMI FINAL 1
TBD V TBD
Eden Park, Auckland

- 14:00 Local
FIN
Match16, Pool B
The Gabba, Brisbane - 13:30 Local
Match2, Pool A
Eden Park, Auckland - 14:00 Local
TBD V TBD
SEMI
Match15, Pool B
Match17, Pool A
TBD V TBD
WED
20 MAR
Match 13, Pool B

Cricket Ground, Melbourne - 14:30 Local
Match14, Pool A
QUARTER FINAL 1
INDIA V UAE
Match 21, Pool B

WACA, Perth - 14:30 Local
SUN
TBD V
Melbourne Cricket Groun
( F E BRUARY 14 - M AR C H 2 9 )
PAKISTAN V ZIMBABWE
Match 23, Pool B

The Gabba, Brisbane- 13:30 Local
OOL A
ENGLAND V SRI LANKA
Match22, Pool A
SOUTH AFRICA V IRELAND
Match24, Pool B
AUSTRALIA V AFGHANISTAN
OOL B
Match 26, Pool A

PAKISTAN V UAE
Match25, Pool B
McLean Park, Napier - 14:00 Local
BANGLADESH V SCOTLAND
Match27, Pool A
INDIA V WEST INDIES
ER FINALS
QUARTER FINAL 2
TBD V TBD
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
14:30 Local -
QUARTER FINAL 4
TBD V TBD
Regional Stadium, Wellington

14:00 Local -
DAY
31
33
19 MAR
THU
DAY
33
Match28, Pool B
ZIMBABWE V IRELAND
SOUTH AFRICA V PAKISTAN
Match 30, Pool A

Bellerive Oval, Hobart - 14:30 Local
Match 29, Pool B

AUSTRALIA V SRI LANKA
NEW ZEALAND V AFGHANISTAN
Match 32, Pool A

21 MAR
Match 31, Pool A

ENGLAND V BANGLADESH
SAT
Match 33, Pool A

I FINALS
INDIA V IRELAND
SEMI FINAL 2
TBD V TBD
Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney

14:30 Local -
Match 34, Pool B

DAY
35
SRI LANKA V SCOTLAND
26 MAR
Match 35, Pool B

THU
SOUTH AFRICA V UAE
NAL
V TBD
nd, Melbourne - 14:30 Local
Match 36, Pool B

ENGLAND V AFGHANISTAN
BANGLADESH V NEW ZEALAND
Match 38, Pool A

Match 37, Pool A

AUSTRALIA V SCOTLAND
INDIA V ZIMBABWE
Match 40, Pool A

Match 39, Pool B

PAKISTAN V IRELAND
WEST INDIES V UAE
Match 42, Pool B

Match 41, Pool B

1 MAR
SUN
3 MAR
TUE
4 MAR
WED
5 MAR
THU
6 MAR
FRI
7 MAR
SAT
8 MAR
SUN
9 MAR
MON
10 MAR
TUE
11 MAR
WED
12 MAR
THU
13 MAR
FRI
14 MAR
SAT
15 MAR
SUN
DAY
16
DAY
17
DAY
18
DAY
19
DAY
20
DAY
21
DAY
22
DAY
23
DAY
24
DAY
25
DAY
26
DAY
27
DAY
28
DAY
29
50
1992
Rameez Raja: 119* off 155 balls v New Zealand,

Christchurch. Match Impact: 13.20
In their last group game, a must-win for Pakistan,
Wasim Akrams 4 for 32 and Mushtaq Ahmeds 2
for 18 shot New Zealand out for 166. Pakistan, in
their reply, were jolted early by Danny Morrison,
reduced to 9 for 2. Rameez Raja, the opener,
eased the situation with Javed Miandad. In their
third-wicket partnership, Miandads contribution
was only 30, as Rameez Raja scored a mammoth
71% runs the team made. This he did under
pressure (Pressure Impact) and made sure he
batted till the end to finish the game off (Chasing
Impact).
Final: England v Pakistan

Pakistan started the 1992 World Cup with just
one win in the first five matches. But then, four
consecutive victories later, they met England in
the final in front of an 87,182-strong crowd in
Melbourne. Pakistan rode on Imran Khan and
Javed Miandads century partnership to set
Readmitted to the International Cricket Council and
participating in their first World Cup, South Africa had
caught the imagination of the cricket world, especially
with the fielding of Jonty Rhodes, and his agility and
skill were on full show against Pakistan. Inzamam-ulHaq was spearheading Pakistans chase of South Africas
211 (reduced by rain to 194 in 36 overs) with Imran
FLASH BACK
Khan, having hit five boundaries on his way to 48 and

threatening more. Inzamam set off for a leg bye, but
was sent back by Imran. But wait! Was it a bird? Was
it a plane? Was it Superman? No! Rhodes charged in,
picked up the ball on the run with his right hand, defied
gravity and flew airborne to break the stumps. South
Africa won by 20 runs.
England 250 for victory. In reply, England were 69

for 4 before Allan Lamb and Neil Fairbrother built
a 72-run partnership. But once Wasim Akram and
Aaqib Javed removed both, Graham Goochs men
plummeted to a 22-run loss. Pakistan won their
first World Cup final and England lost their third.
Brief scores:
Melbourne Cricket Ground: Pakistan 249/6 in
50 overs (Imran Khan 72, Javed Miandad 58,
Inzamam-ul-Haq 42, Wasim Akram 33; Derek
Pringle 3-22) beat England 227 in 49.2 overs (Neil
Fairbrother 62, Allan Lamb 31; Mushtaq Ahmed
3-41, Wasim Akram 3-49, Aaqib Javed 2-27) by 22
runs. MoM: Wasim Akram
51
Long tours of
Australia are never
easy
Everyone remembers that incident with Javed, when I
appealed for a run-out and Javed started jumping
mock imitation of the appeal). So David Shepherd came

up to him and told him that if he did it again, he would
be thrown out. So it ended there.
We didnt have a good time at the World Cup, which
came at the end of a long tour. Touring Australia is
never easy anyway. Of course, if you do well, the
locals are very appreciative, and theres a big Indian
community there. But the cricket is tough. So we would
Kiran More
go out for dinner with the teammates.
The most memorable match of the 1992 World Cup

from our point of view was the game against Pakistan,
in Sydney. We batted first and scored 216 (for 7, in 49
overs) and it wasnt a bad total, which we thought was
quite a good one, even though they had Javed Miandad
and all the other batsmen. The boundaries were quite
deep, so scoring runs quickly wasnt easy. But we
werent confident a few more runs would have been
better.
But spending three-four months there can be tough.

Especially if you dont do well, that hits you more. We
were in Australia for four months, we lost four of the
five Tests, we did all right in the tri-series (West Indies
were the third team), but the World Cup didnt go well.
So it can get quite tiring.
This time also, the Indians will be in Australia for
around four months and its always good to get a break
Everyone remembers and still asks me about that

incident with Javed. I was talking, asking the bowlers
to do what I felt was right, asking them to bowl close
to his body and not give him space to hit. He got
frustrated as he couldnt score freely, and there was
an appeal for a catch down the leg side off Sachins
(Tendulkar) bowling, which I thought was out. Thats
how the chatter started. He said a few things to me and
I gave it back to him. And then that incident happened.
I appealed for a run-out and Javed started jumping (in
for 10-15 days in the middle. If you start losing, there

are always issues that crop up, on the field and off the
field; things start going wrong. There are injuries too. I
hope we win, and everyone stays fit, because it will be
a long and tough tour, as it always is when you go to
Australia.
Kiran More was a wicketkeeper who played 49 Tests and

94 ODIs for India.
As told to Shamya Dasgupta
WORLD CUP FACTS

After Pakistans terrible start in 1992, Imran Khan presented his squad
a white T-shirt with a yellow tiger on it. I want the team to play like a
cornered tiger, when its most dangerous, he said. They won the title.
SRI LANKA
52
POOL A
Strengths
Sri Lankas batting is their strength. Mahela Jayawardene, and Kumar Sangakkara
are looking for a perfect swansong, while Tillakaratne Dilshan is peaking at the right
time. Then there is Angelo Mathews (1244 runs), the captain, who along with Sangakkara (1256 runs) finished as the best ODI batsman of 2014, and will provide some
late thrust to Sri Lankas innings. There is enough depth at Mathewss disposal. Sri
Lanka can rotate their bowling well in the middle overs with a gamut of bowling
allrounders in Jeevan Mendis, Thisara Perera and Nuwan Kulasekera. Mathews will
bank on Lasith Malingas parsimony and incisiveness to lead the bowling pack.
Weaknesses
If theres a criticism of the No. 4-ranked Sri Lankan side, it is that they lack pace bowling venom. Sri Lanka
have relied heavily on Malinga; however, his participation in the tournament is subject to fitness, as he
recovers from an ankle surgery. Another pressing question is who will open the innings with Dilshan. After
Kusal Pereras replacement, Dimuth Karunaratne recalled into the side after a year failed to impress
in the New Zealand ODIs, Sri Lanka look set to hand back the role to Jayawardene. Their recent limitedovers form has also been far from convincing. They were outclassed 5-0 by India but bounced back to
defeat England 5-2 in a seven-match ODI series, before struggling against a confident New Zealand side
going into the World Cup.
Watch out for
World Cup history
SQUAD
We may not have won those two

World Cups, but reaching two finals
showed we played consistently well.
Kumar Sangakkara. His red

hot form has now extended
for well over four years and
he ended 2014 as the highest
run-getter in both ODIs and
Tests. Yet, he has announced
his plans to retire from all
international cricket after the
World Cup, although a recent double-ton in the
second Test against New Zealand, which put him
one behind Don Bradman on that count, had him
reconsider Test retirement.
Angelo Mathews (capt), Dimuth

Karunaratne, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar
Sangakkara (wk), Mahela Jayawardene,
Lahiru Thirimanne (vc), Dinesh Chandimal,
Thisara Perera, Jeevan Mendis, Suranga
Lakmal, Lasith Malinga, Dushmantha
Chameera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Rangana
Herath, Sachithra Senanayake.
Part of the World Cup since its inception in 1975,

Sri Lanka had a string of first-round exits until
they made it all the way to the title in 1996. Having made six ICC finals since then twice at the
World Cup, thrice at the World Twenty20, once
at the Champions Trophy Sri Lanka have proved
time and time again that they are a brilliant tournament side with a knack for navigating through
the knockout rounds. They are a rhythm-and-confidence side, and once they get on a roll, they are
almost unstoppable.
- Mahela Jayawardene
FIXTURES
Feb 14: New Zealand, Christchurch
Feb 22: Afghanistan, Dunedin
Feb 26: Bangladesh, Melbourne
March 1: England, Wellington
March 8: Australia, Sydney
March 11: Scotland, Hobart
- Disha Shetty
53
Million-dollar
MIDDLE-AGER
From modest beginnings in 1975, crickets showpiece event is now attracting the
moolah by the millions
M a n o j N a r aya n
If cricket was a classic rock song,
of economics and greater fan following
the World Cup would be its guitar
has taken cricket beyond the traditional
solo that bit which everyone
pockets. As those from different corners
looks forward to and remembers
of the world gather in Australia and New
long after its gone. Like the
Zealand for the 11th edition of the premier
guitar solo sells the song, the World Cup
competition, it is worth looking at the
is crickets most salable asset. The 2015
tournaments financial journey from a
World Cup will easily be the most followed,
nervous experiment to a global spectacle.
on television, on social media and on the

internet at large. The digital age is here.
Lets start with the players. Apart from

the worldwide recognition and popularity,
It wasnt always thus. There were simpler
at stake is the considerable prize money.
times when only those with a ticket could
When West Indies won the inaugural World
view the action. Now, a combination
Cup in 1975, they collected 4000 (nearly
54
WORLD CUP 2015
LUCRATIVE
Broadcasters are
rolling out the big
bucks to telecast the
World Cup.
30,000 adjusted for inflation) for their
1992, the tournament assumed a bigger,
efforts, from a total pool of 9000. The
more radical skin. Whites were dispensed
losing finalists got 2000, while the Man of
with as coloured clothing, white balls and
the Match in the final bagged 200.
floodlights were introduced to augment

day-night matches. Television took on a
As the world around it evolved, so did
bigger role and a strange rain rule triggered
the popularity of the World Cup grow.
all sorts of debates. The tournament was of
Sponsors began to pour in, TV deals were
a higher profile, and players were the direct
signed and everyone jostled for a piece
beneficiaries. Martin Crowe, the top-scorer
of the pie. The 1987 World Cup, jointly
with 456 runs from nine matches, won
hosted by India and Pakistan, received a
the Man of the Series award and walked
windfall as Reliance Industries broke the
away with a Nissan 300. In 1996, Sanath
million-buck barrier with 2.17 million as
Jayasuriya won an Audi A4.
sponsorship fee. The prize money on offer

rose substantially, too. From 66,200 in
In subsequent editions, Sachin Tendulkar
1983, to a sizeable 99,300 in 1987. In
received a golden bat (2003), while Glenn
55
McGrath was given a diamond-studded

cricket ball (2007). In keeping with the
trend of each event being more rewarding
than the previous one, the 2015 World
Cup will be the most lucrative yet. The ICC
announced a 20% increase in prize money
When West Indies won the inaugural

World Cup in 1975, they collected
4000. This edition, the winning
team stands to earn $3.975m, a
figure that could go up to over $4m
if they are undefeated
from the 2011 edition, with the total prize

money pegged at an impressive $10m. The
As far as sponsors are concerned,
winning team stands to earn $3.975m a
the World Cup has had steady backing.
figure that could go up to over $4m if they
The first three tournaments in England
are undefeated in the tournament. Each
were backed by the Prudential Assurance
win in the group stages alone is worth
Company, which invested 100,000 in
$45,000. The six teams who fail to make
1975 and signed off with 500,000 in 1983.
the quarterfinals will also be rewarded
Then came Reliance Industries in 1987,
$35,000 each.
before Benson and Hedges pumped in 3m

for the 1992 tournament. The Wills World
Keep in mind that much of this boom

happened when the rest of the world was
Cup in 1996 was the last tournament with

a title sponsor, Wills contributing 8m.
struggling through recession. People dont

get saturated with sport. Which is why the
Thereafter, the ICC took control of the
organisers the ICC are happy. How
running of the World Cup (until then the
does the ICC run something as large-scale
home boards were in charge), doing away
as the World Cup? Where does the money
with naming rights. The results could be
come from? Sponsors and broadcasters.
seen shortly into the new millennium,
WORLD CUP FACTS

Kapil Devs unbeaten 175 in 1983 was the first ODI hundred by an
Indian batsman. Before that, Kris Srikkanths 95 against Sri Lanka in
Delhi in 1982 was the highest one-day score by an Indian.
56
WORLD CUP 2015
as Global Cricket Corporation splashed
These days, television rights go for
$550m for the right to broadcast World
billions. It is the engine that drives the
Cups 2003 and 2007. ESPNStar changed
sport. When ESPNStar bought broadcast
the
rights in 2006 for the period between
broadcasting
landscape
with
mammoth deal of $1.1 billion.
2007 and 2015, they paid almost twice the

previous deal. In December 2014, the ICC
The 2015 World Cup will have a wide
announced crickets biggest-ever global
range of sponsors LG, PepsiCo, MRF
broadcast
partnership
after
awarding
Tyres, Hyundai, Reliance all of whom
rights for all ICC events for the next cycle,
have a strong presence in India. This is no
from 2015 to 2023, to Star India and Star
coincidence. With a population of over 1.2
Middle East. The exact figures were not
billion, India possess the biggest market
disclosed, but, according to the ICC, is
in cricket, and thatll inevitably influence
supposed to be significantly in excess of
both sponsors and broadcasters. The ICCs
the ICCs previous commercial deals.
World Cup 2015 Commercial Partner

forum in August last year included Star
Why are people willing to spend such
Sports, Super Sport, BSkyB, ESPN, Fox
huge amounts on broadcasting a sport
Sports Australia, Sky TV New Zealand and
that is still largely considered niche? Why
Channel Nine all leading broadcasters
is the World Cup so lucrative? The answer,
across the world, all rolling out the big
again, is in its reach. In the 2011 World
bucks to telecast the tournament to
Cup, when India and Pakistan clashed in
respective audiences.
the semifinal, an estimated 900 million
WORLD CUP FACTS
South Africa tried to bridge the communication gap between the coach
and players on field during matches by wiring Hansie Cronje and Allan
Donald to Bob Woolmer during their first game against India in 1999,
only for the match referee and ICC to intervene and bar the method.
SOUTH AFRICA
57
POOL B
Strengths
From the likes of Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers with the bat to Dale Steyn, Morne
Morkel and Vernon Philander with the ball, they are all match-winners. Records
fall by the wayside when these guys get going. De Villiers scored the fastest ODI
century, off just 31 balls against West Indies as they warmed up for the World Cup.
Amla is the quickest to reach 2000, 3000, 4000 and, most recently, 5000 runs in
terms of innings played. Steyn is the highest-ranked bowler in the tournament.
Capable of generating pace and bounce, he will be a force in Australia, but he is
likely to set fire to the field on swing-friendly conditions in New Zealand. If Steyn has
a bad day, South Africa have a tall, hit-the-deck bowler in Morkel to rely on, along
with Philander who can be devastating when offered even minimal assistance from
the pitch.
Weaknesses
As accomplished as their specialist batsmen and bowlers are, South Africa have concerns when it comes
to allrounders. JP Duminy is a capable batsman and offspinner, but on pace friendly conditions in Australia
and New Zealand, a seaming allrounder is ideal. Thats where Farhaan Behardien comes in. He lacks the
presence though. He is 31, and in his 20 ODIs since making his debut against New Zealand in 2013, he
has 313 runs and 11 wickets not the most intimidating figures. That apart, South Africa will also have to
battle their own demons: that hugely damaging chokers tag.
World Cup history
South Africa have a troubled World Cup history.

In their inaugural campaign in 1992, they were
infamously left needing 21 runs off one ball in
the semifinal against England after a brief spell of
rain. They made the quarterfinals in 1996, before
agony ensued in 1999, which worked out better
for Australia than it did for South Africa. In 2003, at
home, South Africa were knocked out in the group
stage after tying their last game against Sri Lanka
when a win was needed, and reached the semis
in 2007 but were ousted by Australia again, while
in 2011 they couldnt go past New Zealand in the
quarterfinal.
SQUAD
AB de Villiers (capt), Hashim Amla
(vice-capt), Kyle Abbott, Farhaan
Behardien, Quinton de Kock (wk), JP
Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir,
David Miller, Morne Morkel, Wayne
Parnell, Aaron Phangiso, Vernon
Philander, Rilee Rossouw, Dale Steyn.
I want bowling line-ups to look at

our batting line-up and think: We are
not going to get through there.
- AB de Villiers
Watch out for
AB de Villiers. He is the
highest-ranked ODI batsmen,
and you can see why. His
batsmanship is unorthodox
and beautiful all at once,
given his ability to twist
himself into positions that
make every delivery playable. He has an eye for
the boundary, as seen during his record century
against West Indies of 25 boundaries, 16 were
sixes.
FIXTURES
Feb 15: Zimbabwe, Hamilton
Feb 22: India, Melbourne
Feb 27: West Indies, Sydney
March 3: Ireland, Canberra
March 7: Pakistan, Auckland
March 12: UAE, Wellington
- Manoj Narayan
58
WORLD CUP 2015
Nike, with its Winner Stays campaign,
captured fans imagination as regular kids
in a neighbourhood park transformed into
their favourite players and played in front
of a packed stadium. Ambush marketing
but within the ambit of the rules that will
dot this World Cup as well.
As was the case during the 2011
World Cup. Though LG is one of ICCs
commercial partners, Sony ran its Bravia
range of television sets campaign featuring
Mahendra
Singh
Dhoni.
The
ICCs
contention was that Dhoni was in a blue

tuned in. When the two teams clash again
shirt that bore a striking resemblance to
in the group stages on February 15, that
Indias blue kit. The issue was eventually
figure is expected to hit a billion, at least.
sorted out, with Dhonis shirt colour

changed to grey in subsequent ads.
For advertisers, these figures are akin

to an all-you-can-eat buffet. You dont
To protect its commercial rights, the
have to be a commercial partner of the
ICC
tournament to be associated with it.
Integrity International (CII) to monitor any
Adidas was the official sponsor of the Fifa
infringement of its sponsors commercial
World Cup in Brazil in 2014, but while the
rights. Each ad is open to interpretation. So
brands name was plastered everywhere,
the players and teams are advised on what
the likes of McDonalds and Nike made
ads they can appear in during the World
as much of an impression with their ad
Cup, explained Roshan Gopalakrishna,
campaigns.
exuded
the legal and business head of CII. A lot
feel-good, showing common Brazilian folk
of letters have gone out to these brands,
doing extraordinary things with a football.
and it will help because it means all your
McDonalds
GOL!
has
teamed
up
with
Copyright
59
infringements are out of the way. They will
It all goes to show what an opportunity
think twice before offering tickets, they will
the World Cup is for advertisers, and their
think twice before using the colour blue.
clamour to get on board without actually
The message that gets sent out is that
being on board. According to reports, ad
there is someone monitoring all this, and
spends in India during the tournament are
so it really is up to how their marketing
expected to range around Rs 1500 crore
teams can come up with a solution to it.
around the same range as in 2011, which is
Well continuously be monitoring these
a positive given that the 2011 tournament
ads.
was held in India during prime time. Ad

rates during World Cups have increased
This
time
around,
given
that
the
exponentially as well. During the 2011
tournament will be staged in Australia and
World Cup, a ten-second spot was worth
New Zealand, protection of commercial
Rs 3-4 lakh, a figure that mushroomed as
rights is expected to be easier, at least
India progressed towards the finals. This
in these two countries. The context
time around, a ten-second spot could cost
here is of two western countries, where
around Rs 5 lakh.
enforcement of intellectual property rights

is much easier. For this World Cup, there
All these are huge figures, suggestive
is an entire list of words and terms that
of how far the tournament has come
are protected by law in Australia and New
as a commercial entity. Long before the
Zealand, said Gopalakrishna. At least in
Cricket World Cup came into being, other
those two countries, none of the rivals can
sports already had their global events in
use any of the listed terms in advertising.
place. Indeed, the 1975 World Cup was an
It still happens elsewhere, but it depends
accident of sorts, but the event has clearly
on the position of the law. For example,
come a long way since then. To paraphrase
the term Cricket World Cup is protected,
Scyld Berry, the World Cup is now a middle-
but in India, World Cup is a very generic
aged man of 40, wise and assured, but still
term, and it can apply to multiple sports.
possessing the old flamboyance of a classic
So in India, its just a case of being on the
rock star.
lookout.
60
Aravinda de Silva: 3-42 off 9 overs and 107* off
1996
124 balls v Australia, Lahore. Match Impact:

12.11
In the final, Aravinda de Silva picked up three
top/middle-order wickets, including those of the
two top-scorers in the Australian innings, Mark
Taylor and Ricky Ponting. Chasing 242, Sri Lanka
were under pressure at 23 for 2 with both Sanath
Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana back in the
pavilion. Much like the semifinal against India, de
Kenya were on an unprecedented high, having beaten
Silva took charge, showing his ability to bat under
West Indies in their previous game. But Aravinda de
pressure (Pressure Impact), build partnerships
Silva was in the form of his life and an inexperienced
(Partnership-Building Impact) and finish the match
Kenya attack only fuelled his appetite for runs as he
(Chasing Impact). Overall, this was the highest
made a 115-ball 145 in Sri Lankas crushing win.
impact tournament-defining performance by any

player in World Cups.
Coming in at 88 for 2 with a good foundation set, de

Silva took off like a bullet train, bringing up his century
off 92 balls. His partnership with Asakna Gurusinha
Final: Sri Lanka v Australia
was worth 184, the highest for Sri Lanka in ODIs for any
Sri Lanka entered the 1996 World Cup final on the
wicket at the time.
back of an unbeaten run in the tournament to face
FLASH BACK
Mark Taylors Australia at the Gaddafi Stadium in

De Silva finally fell for 145 to finish with an incredible
Lahore. Asked to bat first under overcast conditions,
strike rate of 126, as Sri Lanka missed the 400-run mark
Australia posted 241 for 7 courtesy Taylors 74,
by a whisker. He had hit 14 fours and five sixes.
along with worthy contributions from Ricky Ponting
Sri Lankas 398 for 5 was the highest World Cup total for
(45) and Michael Bevan (36 not out).
11 years till India eclipsed that record in 2007. Kenya

got to a respectable 254 for 7, but it still meant a 144-
Despite a shaky start to their chase, Aravinda de
run defeat.
Silvas unbeaten 107, and gritty knocks from Asanka

Gurusinha (65) and Ranatunga (47 not out) helped
Sri Lanka claim a seven-wicket victory, and their
only World Cup title.
Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore: Australia 241/7 in 50
overs (Mark Taylor 74, Ricky Ponting 45, Michael
Bevan 36 not out; Aravinda De Silva 3-42) lost to Sri
Lanka 245 for 3 in 46.2 overs (Aravinda De Silva 107
not out, Asanka Gurusinha 65, Arjuna Ranatunga 47
not out) by seven wickets. MoM: Aravinda De Silva
61
We have to accept
what happened
The 1996 World Cup is also remembered for the
We always raised our game a little bit when we played
Kolkata. It was bitterly disappointing, mainly because
Pakistan, no match was ever bigger than that
it came in Kolkata. We had the team, and we started
semifinal.
Unfortunately, we lost pretty badly in the semifinal in
well when I got two wickets early (Sanath Jayasuriya
J a v a g a l Sr i n a t h
and Romesh Kaluwitharana) and then got Asanka
I thought we played really well in the 1996 World Cup.
played! Anyway, we were going pretty evenly in that
It was played at home for us, and we did quite well in
match before it all went wrong. It was a sad game for
most of the matches, especially the quarterfinal against
us, and quite emotional as well.
Gurusinha. But what an innings Aravinda de Silva
Pakistan, which was a great experience.

I dont like using words like devastated, but it was
I dont know how or why, but we always raised our
pretty close to that. There were many people in the
game a little bit when we played Pakistan for me, no
stands who were crying, and even in our dressing room
match was ever bigger than a game against Pakistan. To
there were players in tears. I wasnt, and I realised
many people in both the countries, the India v Pakistan
that Sachin wasnt, so I went up to him to speak. What
game is bigger than the final of the tournament. In fact,
he told me has remained with me. He said that we
that match is the final, even if it is an exhibition game.
had played the game with conviction and still lost. It

happens, theres nothing we can do about it. Its not
I was there in 1992, when we won the match, but
the end of the world, he said. And thats so true. I wish
Pakistan won the World Cup. The Kiran More-Javed
the result had gone differently, but we have to accept
Miandad incident everyone remembers that. Even in
what happened.
1996, we had the incident between Aamer Sohail and
In India-Pakistan games, both the winner and the loser
Javagal Srinath was a fast bowler who played in 67

Tests and 229 ODIs for India. He is the countrys jointhighest wicket-taker in World Cups, picking up 44 across
four editions.
are remembered, but for entirely different reasons.
Venkatesh Prasad, my bowling partner from Karnataka.

We won that game as well. And then we won in 2003 as
well, when Sachin Tendulkar demolished Shoaib Akhtar.
Thankfully, we have won all the World Cup contests.
WORLD CUP FACTS

Australia and West Indies forfeited their 1996 World Cup group matches
in Colombo due to security concerns and still ended up as semifinalists
along with Sri Lanka, the team who won those forfeited matches.
62
WORLD CUP 2015
Final hurrahs and

fond farewells
With several players expected to hang up their boots after World Cup 2015, the signs of
a new world order in the next four-year cycle are already apparent
S i d h a n ta Pat n a i k
ve had a tremendous time playing
concluded Lara. It was a poignant exit for
for West Indies. All I ask is, did I
one of the games legend on the biggest
entertain?
stage.
Brian Lara threw this question
Eight years later, at the 2015 World Cup
to the crowd at the Kensington Oval in
in Australia and New Zealand, there will
Barbados on April 21, 2007, after West
be more men hoping to bow out on a high,
Indies lost a thriller to England, the hosts
or at least leaving with the satisfaction of
last game in the World Cup and Laras last
having entertained. This edition will draw
in Caribbean colours. The skipper had a
the curtains on the illustrious careers
poor tournament, but the crowd screamed
of
in approval of their famous son.
Vettori, and end One-Day International
Mahela
Jayawardene
and
Daniel
commitments for Kumar Sangakkara, runIf
entertained
you,
Im
happy,
machine extraordinaire; Misbah-ul-Haq,
63
Big Dream
For Tendulkar, it
was not about the
records, but winning
the World Cup.
the man responsible for comparative parity
president, Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, coaxed
in Pakistan cricket in recent times; and the
the captain to reconsider retirement and
dynamic Shahid Afridi.
nurture the 1992 World Cup team. Almost

a spent force by then, Imran used the larger
The World Cups have been the final
motivation of building Pakistans first
hurrah for many a cricketer over the
cancer hospital in memory of his mother to
years. Sure that the 1987 World Cup in
trigger his team to an inspirational win in
front of his home supporters would be his
Melbourne.
final limited-overs outing, Sunil Gavaskar

batted freely to an 88-ball 103, his only
Four years later in 1996, Javed Miandad,

the all-knowing cog in that success, became
ODI century, against New Zealand.
the first to play in six World Cups, but his

After Imran Khans Pakistan lost the
Lahore semifinal in 1987, the countrys
entertaining 19-year career ended with a

quarterfinal loss to India in Bangalore.
NEW ZEALAND
64
POOL A
Strengths
Records have been tumbling at the hands of an in-form batting unit, with Brendon
McCullum, Kane Williamson, Corey Anderson and Luke Ronchi all proving effective
not only in putting up large scores, but also chasing them down. The bowlers, meanwhile, led by Trent Boult and with the experience of Daniel Vettori heading the spin
department, have been more than dangerous. With nine wins in 16 ODIs in 2014,
and now playing in their backyard, New Zealand are the team to beat.
Weaknesses
Lower-order batting is a concern. Kyle Mills and Tim Southee, at times, have shown
glimpses of match-winning ability with the bat, but Boult, Mitchell McClenaghan and
Adam Milne are all untested.
You cant have a team-first mentality if only a few people are buying into it. When you have
players sacrificing their own personal records for what the team needs, thats what its all
about.
- Mike Hesson, coach
World Cup history
Watch out for
SQUAD
On paper, its without doubt the

strongest team Ive been with. But
World Cups arent won on paper.
New Zealand have made six semifinals in ten

World Cups, and have had several memorable
games. In 2007, McCullum scored the fastest
half-century in World Cup history, taking all of 20
balls against Canada. The 363 for 5 New Zealand
posted was their highest in the tournament. New
Zealands best figures for bowling belong to Shane
Bond, who took 6 for 23 against Australia in 2003.
Brendon McCullum (capt), Corey

Anderson, Trent Boult, Grant Elliott,
Martin Guptill, Tom Latham, Mitchell
McClenaghan , Nathan McCullum,
Kyle Mills, Adam Milne, Luke Ronchi,
Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Daniel
Vettori, Kane Williamson.
Brendon McCullum. Leading

from the front, the New
Zealand captain promises
to carry forward his recordbreaking Test form into the
limited overs. He can singlehandedly change the games,
and his team will depend on
the starts he provides at the top. Add to this his
astute captaincy and energetic fielding, and you
have a World Cup-winning combination.
- Brendon McCullum
FIXTURES
Feb 14: SRI LANKA, Christchurch
Feb 17: Scotland, Dunedin
Feb 20: England, Wellington
March 28: Australia, Auckland
March 8: Afghanistan, Napier
March 13: Bangladesh, Hamilton
- Kritika Naidu
65
Wasim Akram, at 38, was the first bowler

to reach 500 ODI wickets at the 2003
World Cup in South Africa, but he, Waqar
Younis and Saeed Anwar never played
an international again. That same year,
This edition will draw the curtains

on the illustrious careers of
Jayawardene and Vettori, and end
ODI commitments for Sangakkara,
Misbah and Afridi.
Sourav Ganguly influenced Javagal Srinath

to come out of retreat and spearhead the
died mysteriously, as did Anil Kumble
bowling unit one last time, and it proved
and Stephen Fleming. Glenn McGraths
decisive as Srinaths 16 wickets took India
farewell after Australias third consecutive
to the final. The home fans, however, were
World Cup title was a rare highlight from
disappointed. Jonty Rhodess broken hand
that controversy-marred tournament.
while attempting a catch against Kenya,

on the fourth day of the event, and Allan
Muttiah
Muralitharan,
international
Donalds lacklustre outing were anti-climax
crickets highest wicket-taker, picked up
endings too. South Africa crashed out in
New Zealands Scott Styris, also on his last
the first round after their rain-affected
leg, off his last ball at home in the 2011
game against Sri Lanka was tied. Aravinda
World Cup semifinal, and then called it a
de Silva, who made 73 in that match and
day after the final against India in Mumbai.
hero of 1996, bowed out after a semifinal

loss to Australia.
In contrast, Shoaib Akhtar, one of worlds

fastest bowlers, well past his prime, sat
In the West Indies in 2007, Inzamam-ul-
gloom-faced in the dressing room in the
Haq, Pakistans captain, quit ODIs just a
reserves, even as India defeated Pakistan
few days after Bob Woolmer, their coach,
in the other semifinal.
WORLD CUP FACTS

Sachin Tendulkar holds these batting records in World Cups: Most
runs (2278), most hundreds (6), most fifties (15) and most runs in a
tournament (673).
66
WORLD CUP 2015
Unlike football, where the club versus
country debate runs deep, crickets core
identity still revolves around international
rivalry.
Cricketers aspire to represent their
ODI exit
Jayawardene and
Sangakkara will
sign off with one
last World Cup.
country and be a part of a champion side,

and the World Cup scheduled every four
years fuels that desire.
***
Test cricket, of course, is the pinnacle,
but its legacy is in bilateral contests. The
1912 triangular series between England,
When Sachin Tendulkar says in a
Australia and South Africa, and the
television advertisement that scoring 100
Asian Test Championships in 1998-99
centuries or more than 34,000 runs was
and 2001-02 proved the impracticality of
not his biggest dream, but winning the
a multi-nation Test event. The seemingly
World Cup was, or when Srinath writes
dull prospects required the International
that playing in the tournament was his
Cricket Council to shelve the idea of the
biggest incentive growing up, they are only
World
reiterating the significance of the World
ranking system across three formats is far
Cup among players.
from consistent, the World T20 is taking
Test
Championship.
The
WORLD CUP FACTS

The 318 runs that Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid put on for the
second wicket against Sri Lanka at Taunton in 1999 is the only 300+
partnership in World Cups.
ICCs
67
baby steps, and the Champions Trophy
Within a year followed eight Test defeats
has always been viewed as a preparatory
in
England
and
Australia.
Virender
ground for the World Cup by the major
Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh,
cricket nations. Strategies have always
Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan all
been built keeping the four-year World
key members of that 2011 campaign
Cup cycle in mind.
gradually went off-piste.
After Indias first-round exit in 2007 and
So, Vettori, Jayawardene, Sangakkara,
subsequent attacks on the houses of some
Misbah and Afridi apart, there could be
players, 2011 World Cup became the teams
many more swansongs at the 2015 World
singular mission. The outcome of every
Cup some immediately, with fanfare, and
match was connected to the larger goal, and
some gradually driven by circumstances,

the way Andrew Strauss, Kevin Pietersen,
There could be more swansongs

at the 2015 World Cup some
immediately, with fanfare, and some
gradually driven by circumstances
Graeme Swann, Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting,

Michael Hussey, Brett Lee, Graeme Smith
and Jacques Kallis, among others, bid
adieu over the last four years.
it demanded immaculate planning, high
Michael
Clarkes
back
and
Lasith
fitness levels and consistent performances.
Malingas knees have been dodgy, you
Add
the
never know whats running in Dhonis
pressure from fans and sponsors, and the
mind, and Tillakaratne Dilshan, Rangana
team almost had a tunnel-vision approach.
Herath, Younis Khan, Chris Gayle and
to
it,
the
self-expectations,
Brad Haddin are already on the wrong

Finally, once India lifted the trophy on
April 2, 2011, Mahendra Singh Dhoni
side of 30, to be soon joined by Brendon

McCullum and Shane Watson.
opened up about the pressure and anxiety

in the dressing room. But, without that
The signs of a new world order in the
baggage to carry, the sudden void became
next four-year cricket cycle are already
challenging to fill.
apparent.
68
Steve Waugh: 120* off 110 v South Africa, Leeds.
1999
In all the talk of the Australian domination between

1999 and 2007, its easy to forget that Australia were
Match Impact: 8.85

In a must-win game against South Africa, Australia,
chasing 272, were 48 for 3 after 12 overs when
Steve Waugh produced the highest impact batting
performance of his career till then (it would be his
second-highest impact ODI batting performance).
Under considerable pressure, he steadied the
Australian ship and finished the chase unbeaten
(Chasing Impact) with two balls to spare as the
others played around him.
this close to being eliminated on more than once

occasion during the 1999 World Cup. And it took a lot
of drama for them to finally get where they did. At
Headingley, South Africa, riding on Herschelle Gibbss
101, put up 271 for 7 from their 50 overs, and then they
had Australia down for the count at 48 for 3. And thats
when Steve Waugh walked in. Between them, Waugh
and Ricky Ponting put together 126 runs, the You just
dropped the World Cup, mate jibe to Gibbs thrown
in along the way, when Waugh was on 56. Whether
Waugh said what he is reported to have said or not is
contentious, but Gibbs did drop the World Cup that day
for all practical purposes. Waugh went on to score an
unbeaten 120, helping Australia get into the semifinal,
where they met South Africa again.
Waugh, interestingly, scored 56 (the score he was
FLASH BACK
dropped on by Gibbs in the earlier game) as Australia

put up 213. And then, in one of the most dramatic last
overs in World Cup history, South Africa choked, not
for the first time, as we would find out later, and ended
on the same score as Australia. Match tied, but South
Africa out because they had lost to Australia earlier in
the tournament.
Final: Sri Lanka v Australia

Having won two classics against South Africa on
the way to the final, Australia won their second
World Cup in 1999 with resolute brutality,
comprehensively outplaying Pakistan. Pakistan
got to 69 for 3 before Shane Warne caused havoc.
Warne picked up four wickets for the second
consecutive game to take his wickets tally to 20,
and restricted Pakistan to a meagre 132.
Then, the Pakistan bowling was swept away with
as much ease. Adam Gilchrist reached his fifty in
33 balls while Mark Waugh passed 1000 World
Cup runs on the way to an unbeaten 37 to take
Australia over the line in just 20.1 overs with eight
wickets to spare.
Brief scores:
Lords, London: Pakistan 132 in 39 overs (Ijaz
Ahmed 22; Glenn McGrath 2-13, Tom Moody 2-17,
Shane Warne 4-33) lost to Australia 133/2 in 20.1
overs (Mark Waugh 37 n.o., Adam Gilchrist 57,
Ricky Ponting 24) by eight wickets.
MoM: Shane Warne
69
Great to go after
Shane Warne
We were really struggling, and when I went in to bat,
In England, the conditions and unexpectedly losing key
out, we would probably be bundled out for 50 or
players at various junctures were big challenges
something, which would be the most embarrassing
Rahul (Dravid) and I told each other that if we got
situation to be in. But luckily, we had a really good
Robin Singh
partnership (141 off 187).
More than anything else, coping with the weather
In fact, one of the most memorable moments from that
was strenuous for us when we landed in England to
tournament was going after Shane Warne. We took him
take part in the 1999 World Cup. I remember it was
apart in one over and they had to re-strategise after the
extremely cold when we played Kenya (in Bristol) and it
assault. That actually kind of got us back in the game,
was seaming around like you must have also seen in
but, unfortunately, we could not pull off a win.
our game against England. Interestingly, every pitch was

Doing well against Australia was satisfying, especially
different from the other in some way.
after hitting an all-time low against Zimbabwe earlier.

But the biggest setback for the team was when Sachins
Ten out of ten times you would expect to win the game
father passed away and he had to go back to India. As a
from the position we were in. We should have never
team, we had to figure out how to fill the gap and strike
lost that game.
the right balance.

In contrast, the highest point for the team was beating
Later, again, against Pakistan, though we won, we had
Pakistan. They were playing exceptionally good cricket,
to go in without Sourav (Ganguly), who was out due to
and beating them in Old Trafford was a special feeling.
an injury.
When I look back now, getting those five wickets
So, as a team, these moments when we unexpectedly
against Sri Lanka after that exceptional partnership
lost key players were the real challenge.
between Sourav and Rahul will always remain special

a match worth watching over and over again.
Personally, a big challenge was when we faced Australia

the toughest team in the tournament, apart from
Pakistan. At one stage, we were down to 17 for 4 in that
game, and then to be able to help the team come out
Robin Singh, an outstanding fielder and handy

allrounder, played 136 ODIs for India.
of that situation and manage to get to a respectable

total that was one of the biggest moments in that
As told to Himanish Bhattacharjee
World Cup for me.
SCOTLAND
70
POOL A
Strengths
The Scotland squad is a mix of youth and experience, and is full of fight. Matt
Machan, Hamish Gardiner and Richie Berrington have been among the runs in the
recent tri-series involving Afghanistan and Ireland in the United Arab Emirates. On
the bowling front, right-arm medium pacers Iain Wardlaw and Josh Davey have
struck form at the right time. Leading from the front will be Preston Mommsen,
Associate Player of the Year for 2014.
Weaknesses
Lack of experience of playing against big sides on a global platform might prove to
be Scotlands biggest obstacle going into the World Cup.
The tournament is an opportunity to get on the map.Youre trying to bring the next generation through and give them something to aspire to and everyone is looking to make progress.
Scotlands fielding is world class and its an area where we should shine.
- Paul Collingwood, coaching staff
Watch out for
World Cup history
SQUAD
Scotland havent won a game

in a World Cup before so thats
something were targeting. The team
have set out the goal over the next
few years to become the best-ever
Scottish team so putting in good
performances and getting a couple
of wins would set us on the way.
Richie Berrington. He is
the first Scotland batsman
to score a Twenty20
International century against
Bangladesh in July 2012. In
the recent tri-series in UAE,
he scored a match-winning
62 against Afghanistan while
batting at No. 6. He is also a handy right-hand
medium pacer, able to chip in with a wicket or two.
Preston Mommsen (capt), Richie

Berrington, Kyle Coetzer, Freddie
Coleman, Matthew Cross (wk),
Josh Davey, Alasdair Evans, Hamish
Gardiner, Majid Haq, Michael Leask,
Matt Machan, Calum MacLeod, Rob
Taylor, Safyaan Sharif, Iain Wardlaw.
Scotland are yet to register their first World Cup

victory after playing eight matches in the tournament in the 1999 and 2007 editions.
- Craig Wright, assistant coach
FIXTURES
Feb 14: New Zealand, Dunedin
Feb 21: England, Christchurch
Feb 26: Afghanistan, Dunedin
March 5: Bangladesh, Nelson
March 11: Sri Lanka, Hobart
March 14: Australia, Hobart
- Himanish Bhattacharjee
71
Lights, colour,
action!
The last time the World Cup was in Australia and New Zealand, it signalled the dawn of
Cricketainment. Cricket as we knew it had changed
Disha Shetty
aving narrowly scraped

into
the
knockout
A new format, 39 keenly contested

matches the most in the competitions
the
1992
history at that point played before
World
Cup,
large crowds, a new look, new rules and
Pakistan had pushed
innovations it was a tournament of
through to topple title favourites and
many firsts at a time when the commercial
co-hosts New Zealand, before beating
potential of cricket was ripe for the taking,
England in the final before a record crowd
and its success went on to define the one-
of 87,182 at the MCG. An emotional Imran
day game for years to come.
stages
Cricket
of
Khan dedicated the win to a larger goal of

building Pakistans first cancer hospital in
The 1992 World Cup broke new ground
memory of his mother. And, as the confetti
simply by being held in the southern
fell, it brought to an end a memorable
hemisphere,
tournament for more reasons than one
Australia and New Zealand welcoming the
with
trans-Tasman
rivals
72
WORLD CUP 2015
World Cup
1992 The first to
feature coloured
player jerseys.
world into their backyard. It also marked
inside the circle. Although these aspects
South Africas first appearance in a World
had been increasingly seen in One-Day
Cup, as they re-joined the International
Internationals since Kerry Packers World
Cricket Council as a Test-playing nation
Series Cricket introduced them in the late
after the end of apartheid.
1970s, they had not been a feature of the

previous four World Cups.
As for the innovations on the field, the

1992 World Cup was the first to feature
A complete round-robin format replaced
coloured player jerseys with their names
the use of two qualifying groups. While
on the back, white balls (one from each
the initial draw was released with eight
end), black sightscreens, and, significantly,
competing countries and 28 round-robin
floodlights. The fielding circle rules were
matches, South Africa were added in
refined, allowing only two men outside
late 1991, and the draw was amended to
the ring in the first 15 overs; after that
include them. The revised draw comprised
it was as before a minimum of four
36 round-robin matches all nine teams
PAKISTAN
73
POOL B
Strengths
Pakistan will bank on the experience of players such as Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan,
and Shahid Afridi. With the flamboyance of Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal, their
batting will be strong. Their unpredictability means they can spring some surprises,
espcially now that they will return to the land of their World Cup win.
Weaknesses
Inexperience and injuries haunt Pakistan. They will miss the services of a quality
world-class spinner in Saeed Ajmal, whose bowling action was cleared a little
too late for him to be a part of the squad. With a week to go for the start of the
tournament, they also lost the experienced Mohammad Hafeez to injury, while
Junaid Khan was ruled out late too. The pitches in Australia and New Zealand are
expected to help the pacers, and Mohammad Irfan and Wahab Riaz are likely to lead
the attack, but Ehsan Adil, Haris Sohail and Sohail Khan have a combined experience
of just 16 ODIs. Afridi can chip in with legspin, but Yasir Shah, who has played just
one ODI, is yet to be tested.
I dont see much of the depth in our fast bowling. Sohail Khan, Ehsan Adil and Wahab Riaz are
all yet to prove that they could be match-winners. When you lose your experienced bowlers,
for whatever reason, the first thing that should spring to your mind is to look for an experienced replacement.
- Javed Miandad, former Pakistan captain
World Cup history
Pakistan, under Imran Khan, came from behind

to win the World Cup in 1992 in style. They were
runners up in 1999, but crashed out in the pool
stage in 2003 and 2007. Their 2007 campaign was
especially messy they were eliminated after an
upset to Ireland, and their coach Bob Woolmer
died suddenly just a few hours later.
SQUAD
Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Ahmed Shehzad,
Nasir Jamshed, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk),
Younis Khan, Haris Sohail, Umar
Akmal, Sohaib Maqsood, Shahid
Afridi, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Irfan,
Rahat Ali, Ehsan Adil, Sohail Khan,
Wahab Riaz.
Watch out for
Umar Akmal. With a range

of audacious shots to offer,
Akmals immediate aim
when at the crease seems
to be to get the scoreboard
ticking. And given Pakistans
trouble in the early part of
the innings, this contribution is immense. Very few
balls that Akmal faces are dot balls.
FIXTURES
Feb 15: India, Adelaide
Feb 21: West Indies, Christchurch
MARCH 1: Zimbabwe, Brisbane
March 4: UAE, Napier
March 7: South Africa, Auckland
March 15: IRELAND, Adelaide
- Akash Sarkar
74
WORLD CUP 2015
playing each other once two semifinals
1992 WORLD CUP
and the final.

Among the less successful changes
introduced was the modification of the
rain rule, which calculated a revised
target for a team batting second in rainaffected matches. Previously, the run-rate
9 Teams
39 Matches over 33 days
456 Runs by Martin Crowe
18 Wickets by Wasim Akram
87,182 People at the MCG for
the final
of the team batting first was multiplied by

the number of overs available to the team
batting second a rule that was deemed too
at making matches more exciting and
favourable to the team chasing. To rectify
increasing crickets appeal with fans.
this, a panel of experts, including Richie

Benaud, suggested that the reduction
Today, as we dig out Jonty Rhodes
in target be proportionate to the lowest
superman run-out, Zimbabwes Eddo
scoring overs of the side batting first. It
Brandess inspired victory against England,
aimed to take into account the benefits of
Inzamam-ul-Haqs astounding 60 in 37
chasing.
balls, or Australias last-ball thriller against

India from YouTube and internet archives
However, this resulted in some absurd
and re-live the tournament in all its colour
chases, most of all when South Africa lost
over and over again, it would seem that
out on a berth in the final to England.
goal has been achieved, and then some. It
South Africa had needed 22 off 13 balls in
was Cricketainment that brought the sport
the semifinal against England when rain
into the modern era.
stopped play. When the match resumed

after a 12-minute break, they were left
Twenty-three years later, as we return to
with an impossible target of 21 off just one
the scenes of those celebrations in the age
delivery.
of Twenty20, new power structures and

cut-throat commercial interests, the sands
The tweaks to the game were aimed
of cricket are in evident shift again.
IRELAND
75
POOL B
Strengths
Ireland come into the World Cup with everyone almost expecting them to cause
upsets, as in 2007 against Pakistan and 2011 against England. The team will bank
on the firepower of Kevin OBrien, who holds the record for the fastest century in a
World Cup, the experience of William Porterfield and Ed Joyce and the flamboyance
of youth with Stuart Thompson, the pacer, who has an impressive bowling average of
14.50 and Craig Young, who picked up 5 for 46 on his ODI debut. Their recent tour
of Australia and New Zealand recently as part of the ICC High Performance Programme will have introduced them to the challenges they can expect.
Weaknesses
Their lack of big-match temperament can work against them, and they have their work cut out to prove
their wins arent flashes in the pan. They didnt have a great acclimatisation tour, winning just two out of
seven games played, although the tri-series win in Dubai against Afghanistan and Scotland would have
given them reason to celebrate.
Ireland have got a good structure. Theyre a well-drilled unit, and a lot of their players have
county experience, so you know they are going to cause problems. It will be their goal to have
an Irish Test team to keep hold of the players that have come over to England to do that.
- Paul Collingwood, former England cricketer
World Cup history
Watch out for
SQUAD
We have a very talented and

experienced. We just have to go and
play to the best of our abilities.
Ireland have played in two World Cups so far, their

come-from-behind win against England in 2011
and their three-wicket victory over Pakistan on St
Patricks Day in 2007 proving what entertainers
they can be to fans and what threat they pose to
their opposition. With games getting harder to
come by for Associates, they will believe they have
a point to prove with their performances.
William Porterfield (capt), Andrew

Balbirnie, Peter Chase, Alex Cusack,
George Dockrell, Ed Joyce, Andrew
McBrine, John Mooney, Max
Sorensen, Kevin OBrien, Niall OBrien,
Paul Stirling, Stuart Thompson, Gary
Wilson, Craig Young.
Kevin OBrien. The image

of a pink-haired Irishman
thrashing a hapless England
attack for a super-fast century
will forever be etched in the
annals of World Cup lore.
Ireland will be hoping he can
rediscover that mojo.
- Kevin OBrien
FIXTURES
Feb 16: West Indies, Nelson
Feb 25: UAE, Brisbane
MARCH 3: South Africa, Canberra
March 7: Zimbabwe, Hobart
March 10: India, Hamilton
March 15: Pakistan, Adelaide
- Akash Sarkar
76
Andy Bichel: 7-20 off 10 overs & 34* off 36 balls v
2003
England, Port Elizabeth. Match Impact: 13.94

England had a superb start, scoring 66 without
loss in the first ten overs. Andy Bichel came in
as the first change bowler and turned the tide
singlehandedly. He took the wickets of Nick
Knight, Michael Vaughan and Nasser Hussain
in quick succession (Pressure-building Impact)
to leave England at 74 for 3. Alec Stewart and
Andrew Flintoff staged a recovery from 87 for
5 with a 90-run partnership, but Bichel took
both of them out within a space of six deliveries
(Partnership-breaking Impact). England ended
at 204 for 8, seven of those wickets picked
up by Bichel. Then, with Australia at 135 for
8 and staring at defeat, Bichel and Michael
Bevan stitched together a crucial partnership
(Partnership-building Impact) under immense
pressure (Pressure Impact), to take Australia
home with two balls and two wickets to spare.
This is the second-highest impact performance by
The final against India. Damien Martyn and Ricky
any player ever in the World Cup.
FLASH BACK
Ponting in to continue the work Adam Gilchrist and

Matthew Hayden started. Ponting took his time settling
Final: Australia v India
in, needing 74 balls for his fifty, with only one boundary
India had a good run through the tournament,
along the way. However, soon after that, things changed
but in the final, a nervous bowling line-up allowed
dramatically. Ponting hit two consecutive sixes off
the Australians to run riot. Put in, the openers
Harbhajan over deep midwicket; that was a harbinger
added a punishing 105. The real fireworks,
of the carnage to be unleashed. In the last ten overs,
though, started with Ricky Ponting and Damien
Ponting hit sixes at will. He took just 47 balls to go from
Martyn. The duo added an astounding 234 in
50 to 140, the highest score by a captain in a World Cup
30.1 overs to power Australia to the highest total
final. His knock made the match a one-sided affair.
in a World Cup final, 359 for 2. Rain halted play
New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg: Australia 359/2

in 50 overs (Adam Gilchrist 57, Ricky Ponting 140 n.o.,
Damien Martyn 88 n.o.; Harbhajan Singh 2-49) beat
India 234 in 39.2 overs (Virender Sehwag 82, Rahul
Dravid 47; Glenn McGrath 3-52, Brett Lee 2-31, Andrew
Symonds 2-7) by 125 runs. MoM: Ricky Ponting
when India were 103 for 3 in 17 overs. After play

resumed, Australias strike bowlers delivered,
bundling out India for 234. It was Australias
second consecutive World Cup title, and one that
underlined their supremacy in world cricket.
77
Everyone in the team

knew his role
mostly the same teams playing. During the 2003 World
During the 2003 World Cup, there was no chopping and
me before the World Cup and told me what he wanted
changing.
from me. He was clear that if Mohammad Kaif bats at
Cup, there was no chopping and changing.

When it came to me, Ganguly made sure he spoke to
No. 7, he would play a maximum of 30-40 balls and he

would have to score at a run a ball. He said that was
M o h a mm a d K a i f
equal to a century as far as he was concerned.
In 2011, India had the advantage of playing at home

and (MS) Dhoni, he is a clever captain, he used his
Yuvraj and I were the best fielders on the team. Some
spinners and part-timers very smartly. And Yuvraj made
of our seniors like Ganguly and (Virender) Sehwag and
all the difference. He is a match-winner, he has always
(VVS) Laxman, were not as good; some of them were
been one, and his bowling made a big difference too.
not agile and athletic, but they were keen to improve
With the bat, anyway, you dont get better than Yuvraj.
their fielding. They were very committed. We knew we
It would have been nice to see him in the team for this
could bat and we could bowl, with (Javagal) Srinath,
World Cup too.
(Ashish) Nehra, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan (Singh), (Anil)

Kumble we had good understanding. The seniors had
But that sort of strategy isnt going to work in 2015, and
been playing together for a long time, and that was the
it was like that in 2003 as well. In 2003, with (Sourav)
biggest plus.
Ganguly and John Wright, the ambition was to do

well overseas. At home, we did well, that wasnt the
The new fielding rules are a bit of a problem, because
problem.
we need to have five proper bowlers. That wasnt

the case then, and we played four bowlers and Rahul
Winning abroad was the target, and we had started to
Dravid kept wickets. We have a great batting line-up,
do well, except on that tour of New Zealand. We lost
I am confident they will do well, but the bowling is
matches, we started doubting things, and then at the
not coming along, and that could be a problem at the
World Cup, we lost a practice game, then didnt do
World Cup.
well against the Netherlands and lost to Australia. But
2002, and we knew we had the ability.
Mohammad Kaif captained India to the Under-19 World

Cup title in 2000, before playing 13 Tests and 125 ODIs
for the senior side.
And we had solid plans. We knew who needed to do
then, we slowly started doing well. We had won some

tournaments, like the NatWest Trophy in England in
what. We knew what positions we were expected to

bat at and what role we needed to play. Everything was
sorted. The first XI knew they would play, the others
knew they wouldnt. Most teams that win a lot have
78
WORLD CUP 2015
Two new balls and

two powerplayS
A round-up of all the rule changes for World Cup 2015 that aim to make the game more
attractive to fans
H i m a n i s h B h at ta c h a r j e e
hange in rules, in any
if you scored a run a ball everyone said you
game,
to
had a tremendous strike-rate. Now theyre
disturb the conservative
saying you have to be 120-130. Same with
aficionados of the sport.
the bowlers. In the old days, Fanie de
But David Richardson,
Villiers got upset if he went for more than
the International Cricket Councils chief
three runs per over. Now, bowlers only get
executive, believes that the rules are bent
upset when they go for more than six runs
only to enhance the competitive spirit of
an over. Yes, things have changed. But I
the sport, and, in the long run, make every
dont necessarily think for the bad.
is
bound
format more attractive for the fans.

The switch from the 60-over format to
We just might need to change our
the 50-over game in 1987, introduction of
perceptions, he said at a press conference
cricket in coloured clothing, with a white
in Dhaka in March 2014. In the old days,
ball and in the day-night format in 1992,
79
AB DE VILLIERS
Batsmen will make
the most of the new
field restrictions.
addition of the Super Six round in 1999, the
Field restrictions
inception of the bowl out rule for knockout
This edition of the World Cup will be
games in 2007, and it being superseded by
the first to witness two sets of powerplay
the Super Over rule in 2011 a lot has
overs instead of three. The first mandatory
changed since the first World Cup, or the
period of restriction will apply to the initial
Prudential Cup, as it was known as.
ten overs, when only two fielders can be

placed outside the 30-yard inner circle,
At the end of the ICCs board and
and the second one, a five-over slab, which
committee meeting on January 29, the
is called by the batting side before the 40th
sports governing body put a final stamp
over, will allow three fielders outside the
on the revised guidelines under which
ring.
the tenth edition of the World Cup, from

February 14 to March 29, will be played.
When the powerplay overs are not on, a
80
WORLD CUP 2015
of providing pacers with a better chance of
Sub-continental teams, concerned

over losing their spinners old-ball
advantage, have opposed the idea
of the two new balls
maximum of five fielders can be deployed
outside the inner circle.
Two new balls
Law 5.1.2 of the ICC Cricket World Cup
2015 Playing Conditions reads Each
fielding team shall have two new balls for
its innings, to be used in alternate overs,
i.e. one from each end.
This rule was introduced in October 2011,
taking over from the previous procedure of
changing the ball only after 34 overs.
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri
Lanka, possibly concerned over losing
out on their spinners old-ball advantage,
opposed the idea right from its onset. But
the proposal was passed with the intention
having a go at the top-order batsmen early

on, and at the same time, making sure the
ball remains hard till the end of the innings,
so batsmen can make good contact even at
later stages of a match.
The Decision Review System (DRS)
While the Hot Spot technology wont be
used, the Real-Time Snickometer which
was not available in the 2011 edition will
be in play.
The process for reviewing leg-before
wicket decisions via the ball-tracking
technology will also be used in the
tournament. The 2.5-metre rule though,
is now set at 3 metres, beyond which not
out decisions cannot be overturned by the
television umpire.
Slow over-rate
Captains will not carry any strikes
against their name for slow over-rate into
WORLD CUP FACTS

The 1983 World Cup was the first to introduce the 30-yard fielding
circle.
81
the World Cup. The existing rule states
Higher prize money
that if a captain is involved in two slow
The ICC, in November 2014, announced
over-rate offences in the same format
a 20% increase in prize money for the
within 12 months, he will serve a ban for
2015 World Cup. The winners will now
the next match in the same format. But as
take home $3.975 million, but if a team
per the new rule, captains will enter the
remains unbeaten, that would rise to more
tournament with a clean slate.
than $4m.
Super Overs in knockout round
Overall, a total of $10 million, in contrast
In 2011, the ICC replaced the bowl-out

system with the Super Over, a one-over
to the prize money of $8.01 million in the

2011 edition, will be up for grabs.
eliminator, as the method of determining

the winner in the knockout stage of a
The team on the losing side of the March

29 final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
tournament in case of a tie.
will receive $1.75 million, while the two

In November last year though, the ICC
losing semifinalists will each get $600,000.
announced that if the 2015 World Cup final
The four losing quarter-finalists will pocket
is tied or if the match is a no-result, then
$300,000 each, while the winners of each
the teams will be declared joint winners.
group match will get $45,000 per match.
But in their most recent release, they

reverted to the idea of having a Super Over
decide the winner in case of a deadlock at
All six teams eliminated in the first stage

will get $35,000 each.
the end of the match.
WORLD CUP FACTS

The 1987 event, held for the first time in the subcontinent, was the first
to involve neutral umpires.
82
2007
Niall OBrien: 72 off 107 balls v Pakistan, Kingston.

Match Impact: 11.48
A surprise name for highest impact performance at
the World Cup, Niall OBriens runs against Pakistan
were pure gold. Having kept Pakistan to 132 runs,
Ireland were under pressure. Coming in at 15 for 2,
Niall, the wicketkeeper, built steady partnerships
even as wickets fell. He was the fifth Irish batsman
out, but of the 108 runs on the board then,
72 were scored by him. Nialls brother Kevin
completed the formalities for a memorable upset.
Almost 54% of Irelands total was scored by Niall.
Final: Australia v Sri Lanka

Australia were at their rampant best in
the tournament, defeating every side they
encountered. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, reached the
final after consistent performances. On that April
28 in Barbados, after rain delayed the start, Adam
Gilchrist (149 off 104 balls) lit up a gloomy day with
some astonishing hitting, taking Australia to 281
St Patricks Day. An Irish cultural celebration, parades,
free-flowing Guinness. And that was even before
minnows Ireland beat Pakistan in their maiden World
Cup.
Dave Langford-Smith sent back Mohammad Hafeez
early and Boyd Rankin had the measure of Younis Khan.
Rankin returned 3 for 32, Andre Botha sent back Imran
FLASH BACK
Nazir and Inzamam-ul-Haq in a spell that read 8-4-52, and all Ireland needed was to chase down 133. A
steady head from Niall OBrien despite wobbles around
him took Ireland over the line in 41.4 overs with three
wickets in hand. It was the Irish green that won the
day. The party went on just that much longer, and for a
while, everyone wanted to be Irish that March 17.
for 4 in the allotted 38 overs. Sanath Jayasuriya

(63) and Kumar Sangakkara (54) kept Sri Lanka in
the chase till the 20th over, but once they were
dismissed, the chase fell apart. Sri Lanka managed
just 215 for 8 in 36 overs, giving Australia a 53-run
win by Duckworth-Lewis method and their third
title in the fading light.
Brief Scores:
Kensington Oval, Barbados: Australia 281/4 in
38 overs (Adam Gilchrist 149, Matthew Hayden
38, Ricky Ponting 37; Lasith Malinga 2-49) beat
Sri Lanka 215/8 in 36 overs (Sanath Jayasuriya 63,
Kumar Sangakkara 54; Michael Clarke 2-33) by 53
runs (D/L method). MoM: Adam Gilchrist
83
The worst few days of

my life
sent back to bowl in the Ranji Trophy. But Rahul bhai
We needed something positive, and winning the World
As it turned out, I was in the squad, and slowly started
T20 helped all of us recover from the loss
to bowl better, but wasnt in the team for the three
(Dravid) had told me that I would be playing in the

World Cup, so I was confident.
matches we played before returning home. Munaf
Ir f a n P a t h a n
(Patel), Zaheer (Khan) and Ajit (Agarkar) were all
That World Cup just didnt work out for us.
tournament finished. I still dont know how to describe
bowling well, so I didnt get a chance. And then our

that experience, of losing to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka
We had prepared well, played quite a bit of cricket in
and crashing out. For two nights we didnt step out of
the lead-up to the World Cup. We visited West Indies in
the hotel. Those were the longest two nights for all of
2006 and won the Test series. We had a full tour there,
us. We didnt feel like doing anything, going anywhere,
which we felt would have helped us get used to the
meeting anyone. I think it took me more than two
conditions there. Then we went to South Africa as well.
weeks to fully realise what had happened. It was the
I thought our team was a strong one with a lot of very
worst few days of my life.
experienced players and a lot of quality. We also had a

lot of camps just before. So the preparation was quite
Its not an excuse, but I do feel that the format of that
good. Unfortunately, it just didnt work out for us once
tournament made it difficult for a team to come back
the World Cup started.
after a loss. I dont know what would have happened

if we hadnt won the first World Twenty20 later that
As many might remember, I was sent back home from
same year. We needed something positive, and winning
South Africa (in December 2006) because I wasnt
the World T20 helped all of us. But the memories of
bowling well. It was a strange time for me. I think I
that World Cup I still dont like talking about that
was batting beautifully then and the team was keen
World Cup.
on having me as a frontline batsman. I got runs against

good bowlers in South Africa. I got my first first-class
century on that tour as well, against Morne Morkel,
Irfan Pathan was a seam-bowling allrounder who played

29 Tests and 120 ODIs for India.
Nantie Hayward, Alfonso Thomas and others. I was at

my best as a batsman, but not as a bowler. So I was
WORLD CUP FACTS

Herschelle Gibbs became the first batsman to hit six 6s in an over
in an international match in 2007. The unfortunate bowler was the
Netherlands Daan van Bunge.
84
ICC CRICKET WORLD
CUP 2015
WORLD
CUP 2015
On the road
Arundhati Sridhar
City Overview
Brisbane
A day in ...
Dunedin
Like nearly every major city of note, life in Brisbane

choreographs itself around a river. The Brisbane
river, as it is quite simply called, runs through
the city, its every bend creating small pockets of
independent urban villages, each with a personality
of its own. The river itself is lined with plenty of
Readconstructed
the full article
on
strategically
walkways
to explore the
wisdenindia.com - ON THE ROAD
Afternoon: With one of the most textured histories

in the country, marrying strands of Scottish and
Maori cultures, the city of Dunedin deserves an
Read the full article on
introduction that brings it all together. The Toitu h a
Queenslands state capital is Australias third-largest

city, but one that has often been accused of being
the worlds largest country town, for its laidback
pace and townie vibe. But from being a penal colony
and dumping ground for murderers, rapists and
repeat offenders, to becoming one of Australias
most photogenic and liveable cities, Brisbane has
had one of the most remarkable turnarounds.
Morning: Dunedin, much like the rest of New

Zealand, finds itself surrounded by places of
incredible scenic beauty. Make the most of the crisp
morning air and indulge in an hour-long drive from
the heart of the city towards the very tip of the
picturesque Otage peninsula. At the end of a winding
trail lies the Royal Albatross Centre at Taiaroa Head,
which houses the worlds only mainland breeding
colony of Royal Albatross. Pick from the many tours
the centre offers, and enjoy the morning surrounded
by wildlife.
Eden Park, Auckland

One of the semifinal venues for the ICC Cricket World Cup
2015, New Zealands largest, most iconic stadium has
a special association with World Cups in general,
holding the record for being the only ground
to have hosted two Rugby World Cup
finals. This, in some sense, explains its
diamond-shaped layout, something that
continues to make field placements a
nightmare for all cricket captains.
MC
Melbourne
Now one of the most iconic sights in
world sport, it is hard to believe that the
mighty MCG was not always on such
firm ground. What was originally called the
Melbourne Cricket Ground in 1846, a public
parkland situated further downstream from
its current location, was constantly prone
85
Cricketers
Quote:
Adelaide
For the cricket fan:

New Zealand Cricket
Museum, Wellington
Located within the picturesque Basin Reserve, the
New Zealand Cricket Museum is a well-curated,
succinct introduction to cricketing history in the
country. Organised chronologically by decade, it
houses rare pictures, newspaper clippings, letters,
scorecards and interactive digital instalments that
walk one through the many changes that cricket
has seen from the equipment, to the stadia, to
the rules. Though the collection is limited, the
memorabilia on display like the original 1743
Addington bat is sure to delight the cricket buff.
Whenever I get to a new city,

one of my favourite things to
do is explore it by foot or by
bike, especially given that most
cities in Australia are extremely
intimate and walkable. But of
them all, Adelaide probably
has some of the prettiest cycling
tracks I have come across. And
the walks around are just as
scenic.
Greg Chappell
A visit to the museum can be clubbed with a match,

Read
thean
fulloffarticle
on earn yourself a
or you can
go on
day and
CG
ourne
to flooding when the Yarra would breach
its banks. The flooding was so severe that
the club had bigger worries than the lack of
effective drainage, and it wasnt uncommon
to find them advertising for the return of
the dressing rooms that had taken a swim
down the river.
Hagley Oval, Christchurch

The idyllic feel of the Hagley Oval, flanked by grassy
banks and the lone gentle pavilion, belies the enormity of its symbolism in the recent history of
Christchurch. Following the earthquake that
hit the city in February 2011, the ground
has gone from being a mass of rubble
at Lancaster Park to a worthy venue
for the World Cup opening match
at Hagley Park, a triumph of no
small measure.
86
2011
AB de Villiers: 107* off 105 balls v West Indies,

Delhi. Match Impact: 10.53
In a tournament where Kevin OBrien scored a
50-ball century and Andrew Strauss scored 158,
AB de Villiers innings against West Indies was the
highest impact performance. After West Indies
were bowled out for 222, South Africa were tested
by Kemar Roach and Sulieman Benn. De Villiers
walked in at a high-pressure situation at the end of
five overs, at 20 for 2, and put together a 119-run
partnership with Graeme Smith and an unbeaten
84-run stand with JP Duminy to take South Africa
home with seven wickets and seven overs to spare.
Final: India v Sri Lanka
The 2011 edition pitted two Asian giants against
each other. Before an adoring crowd at the
Wankhede, Mumbai, India made a solid start,
sending both openers back with 60 on the board.
Mahela Jayawardene (108) carried the innings and
some late hitting helped Sri Lanka post 274 for
6. The Indian openers made a poorer start, sent
back by Lasith Malinga after 31. Virat Kohli (35)
Five wickets for 31 runs and an unbeaten fifty against

Ireland the first to get a five-for and a half-century
in the same World Cup match. One century and four
fifties for India. Four Man of the Match Awards. Man
FLASH BACK
of the Tournament, with 362 runs at 90.50 to go with

15 wickets at 25.13. World Cup champion. 2011 was
Yuvraj Singhs tournament, his all-round showing game
after game we would only later learn of the trying
circumstances and the overwhelming odds under which
these performances came enthralling his many fans at
home and guiding his team to a much-awaited title.
and Gautam Gambhir (97) steadied the rocking

ship, adding 83 for the third wicket, but it was to
be the MS Dhoni (91 off 79 balls) show. The Indian
captain added 109 with Gambhir, finishing things
off with a memorable six over long-on to take India
to a World Cup win after 28 years. Jayawardene
became the first batsman to end up on the losing
side after scoring a century in the final.
Brief scores:
Wankhede, Mumbai: Sri Lanka 274/6 in 50 overs
(Kumar Sangakkara 48, Mahela Jayawardene 108;
Zaheer Khan 2-60, Yuvraj Singh 2-49) lost to India
277/4 in 48.2 overs (Gautam Gambhir 97, MS
Dhoni 91 n.o.; Lasith Malinga 2-42) by six wickets.
MoM: MS Dhoni
87
It was one of those

life-changing
moments
It was impossible to control emotions and it seemed
totally acceptable for adults to behave like children
live each and every second of it. While some players

shouted and some cried, others were keen to go ahead
with the victory lap in front of an ecstatic Wankhede
crowd.
***
Something else that made the World Cup triumph
really special was the fact that many of my teammates
S a c h i n T e n d u lk a r
dedicated the achievement to me. I felt overwhelmed.

Once we had finished with the awards ceremony and
I have to confess that I did not actually see what

millions of Indians saw with ecstasy and delight that
night. I did not see my ultimate dream being fulfilled,
the moment I had waited to savour since making my
debut in November 1989. The reason was that when
Mahendra Singh Dhoni hit the winning six at the
Wankhede Stadium, I was with Virender Sehwag in the
dressing room, praying. I wasnt asking God to help us
win. All I wanted was that God should do what was best
for us, for Indian cricket and the Indian cricket team.
the lap of honour, the scene of action moved to our

dressing room. I opened the first bottle of champagne
and subsequently made a point of getting it signed by
all my teammates. It now has pride of place in the cellar
at my house.
We tried to make the most of the moment in as
many different ways as possible. We took countless
photographs. First it was the players, then we took
some with Gary (Kirsten), who had just served out his
last match as India coach. Paddy Upton and Mike Horn,
***
both important members of our support unit, soon
Frankly, at first it was difficult to take in that we had

won the World Cup. It was almost as if there was still
joined in and it seemed totally acceptable for adults to

behave like children.
a match left in the tournament. But when I ran onto

the ground and embraced an emotional Yuvi (Yuvraj
Singh), it was impossible to control my emotions. It was
one of those life-changing moments and we wanted to
Excerpted from Playing It My Way, Sachin Tendulkars

autobiography.
WORLD CUP FACTS

Kevin OBrien, his hair dyed pink in aid of charity, hit the fastest World
Cup century, in 50 balls, in Irelands memorable win over England in
Banglalore in the 2011 edition. He made 113 in 63 deliveries.
88
Then there
were XI
One super team of the worlds best

participating in 2015 World Cup
- Shashank Kishore
Brendon
McCullum
New Zealands captain
brings a mixture of brute force and timing to
the table. He has spearheaded a remarkable
turnaround through
his ability to lead from
the front and galvanise
a team that has faded
away after promising
starts at previous editions. New Zealand are
in red hot form, and
McCullum, the leader,
has blown attacks away
his strike rate is over
115 in the past year
led a rearguard effort,
rescued the team out
of a tight corner and
instilled belief in his
outfit.
A favourite pastime of a cricket aficionado and

a debate most likely to descend to agonising
pedantry and assume the most unparliamentary,
Warnereque of proportions is an attempt to pick
a unique XI the best, the greatest, in this decade,
of all-time, between the summer solstice of 1983
and Sachins 16th birthday....
Wisden India took up the fools errand in all earnestness, looking to build a fantasy XI from the
players participating in the ICC World Cup 2015.
The World Cup hosts the most experienced at
the top of their game, the young rookies hungry
to prove a point, the old warhorses on their last
lap the 15 best cricketers from every country. To
whittle the choice down to the 2015 World Cup
XI, in batting order, we looked at ability, experience of playing in crickets biggest extravaganza
(minimum of five matches) and current form,
and we chose from teams most likely to make the
quarterfinals.
The composition of the side is simple: Seven specialist batsmen, including MS Dhoni, captain and
wicketkeeper; one allrounder in Shahid Afridi,
who can be relied on to bowl ten overs on most
days; three out and out pacers; and a spinner in
Daniel Vettori for variety. If the pitch demands an
extra seam bowling option, Angelo Mathews, the
Sri Lanka skipper at the 2015 World Cup, would
walk into the side in place of Afridi. Else, Afridi,
more experienced and higher impact, would pip
Mathewss industry.
Hashim
Amla
Amlas never-ending
thirst for runs and the
ease with which he makes them is godly. He
became the fastest to
get to 5000 ODI runs,
in just 101 innings,
eclipsing Virat Kohlis
record. One can but be
awed by those flicks and
the punch through the
off side. And with 19
ODI tons in 104 innings
five of those centuries came in 2014, two
more this year Amlas
conversion rate is the
best in international
cricket. What are the
odds of that figure just
getting better at the
2015 World Cup?
89
Virat Kohli
If The King believes
Kohli is the boss in the
shorter format, need we
say more? The swagger is
hard to miss; the timing
even better and his ability to nonchalantly put
up tall totals make him
one of the modern-day
marvels. Hot-headed
and temperamental at
times, Kohlis in-yourface attitude stems from
his ability to walk the
talk. Nineteen of his 21
centuries have come in
an Indian win, and 14
while India were chasing.
He averages 64.26 at a
strike rate of 92.84 while
chasing, better than his
average of 51.5. Why
wouldnt you want him
on your side?
Kumar
Sangakkara
With 1256 runs in 28
innings, Sangakkara
was the highest ODI
run-getter in 2014.
Artistic, elegant and
with a penchant for big
runs, while also bringing tactical acumen,
his value to a side cant
be understated. Given
the form hes been in,
even as he gets ready
to sign off, 2015 could
be Sangakkaras best
World Cup yet.
AB de Villiers
Is there anything on
the cricket field that
AB de Villiers cant do?
When he isnt keeping
wickets, he effects runouts with ease, makes
difficult catches look
like childs play, scores
centuries off just 31
balls, plays audacious
reverse sweeps for six
against bowlers who
hurl the ball in at close
to 150 clicks, and, more
importantly, reminds
his teammates that the
chokers tag is a thing
of the past.
MS Dhoni
(capt, wk)
MS Dhoni, ranked
among the best ODI
finishers of all time, will
come in at No. 6. What
the men coming above
him start, he can finish.
He has proved orthodoxy and methods have
little value in the game
if the results arent
there to back it up. Who
better than the captain
of the defending World
Cup champions and
Indias most successful
ODI captain to lead you
team?
90
Shahid
Afridi
Mitchell
Johnson
James
Anderson
Afridi is like a ticking

time bomb with both
bat and ball, one that
goes Boom Boom when
you least expect it. A
handy legspinner who
is guaranteed to give
ten overs most times,
hes also the one a
captain would look
towards to pull a team
out of a sticky situation.
From being someone

the Barmy Army
dismissed as the one
who bowled to the
left and right, hes
turned into a bowler
whose very name on the
team-sheet can give his
team a psychological
advantage. A pace of
close to 150 kph, ability
to swing the ball both in
the air and off the pitch
makes him dangerous
even on the most
docile wickets. In home
conditions, he could be
the X-factor for his side.
Englands only
representative in this
XI, he is the secondmost experienced
bowler when it comes
to World Cup, having
been part of campaigns
in 2003, 2007 and
2011. Generally a
parsimonious bowler,
he has signalled a
return to form after
a considerable injury
layoff. In Australia,
expect him to swing the
new ball and run riot.
Dale Steyn
Perhaps the most
complete bowler of the
generation, Steyn will go
down in the pantheons
of South African cricket
as one of the greats. Few
inspire the awe he does
when in full flow. The
sprint, the release, the
wrist action, the banana
swing and yorker make
him a stand out, one
who can intimidate the
opponents. In many
ways, his mannerisms
and ability is a
throwback to the West
Indian era where the
fast bowlers ruled the
roost and had the ability
to keep the batsmen
in their tracks, not by
words, but just with
their action.
91
Daniel
Vettori
The New Zealand veteran he has been a
part of World Cup campaigns since 1999 has
been plagued with injuries to his back, knee
and ankle. But months
of rigorous training
and commitment has
brought him back into
contention for perhaps
one last shot at glory.
One of the best left-arm
spinners in the modern
day, Vettoris ability to
fox the batsman in the
air, as much as he can
off the pitch, makes
him a tough proposition.
12th man:
Angelo
Mathews
Tactful, proactive and
aggressive, Mathews
had a terrific 2014 as
captain and player,
leading Sri Lanka to
their fifth Asia Cup
title, among other ODI
honours against England and Pakistan. In
all this, he brought up
his first ODI century,
against India in a series
Sri Lanka would lose.
His emergence as a leader and an allrounder
makes him vital in any
World XI side.
WORLD
CUP 15
SUPER XI
ZIMBABWE
92
POOL B
Strengths
While they arent expected to set off quakes at the 2015 World Cup, Zimbabwe have
a few players on whom they firmly place their hopes. Hamilton Masakadza, Brendan Taylor and Elton Chigumbura form the crux of their batting, and if they can get
going, they can reach a total that the likes of Tinashe Panyangara and Tendai Chatara can realistically hope to defend. In Sean Williams, left-arm spinner, and Solomon
Mire, the medium-pacer, Zimbabwe also have two useful allrounders. Crucially, Dav
Whatmore is a vastly experienced coach who won the World Cup with Sri Lanka in
1996. He has rung in the changes and Zimbabwe could finally turn a corner.
Weaknesses
When they drew blanks in the Test and one-day tour of Bangladesh, the batting line-ups propensity
to collapse was apparent. At the World Cup, Zimbabwe will face attacks far tougher than Bangladesh,
and building partnerships will be key to their survival. They also havent played preparatory ODIs for
the tournament. Their last ODI was against Bangladesh in December 1, and the build-up has consisted
of domestic cricket, an A series against Canada and a training camp in Dubai.
By 2023 we want to be contending for the World Cup. Thats the aim. Its not an aim thats
unrealistic. Its achievable. Weve got a long-term view on this.
- Alastair Campbell, Zimbabwe Cricket managing director
World Cup history
Zimbabwe have played in eight World Cups so far,

but they peaked in the 1999 and 2003 editions,
making the Super Six stage on both occasions. In
1999, they beat the likes of India and South Africa,
along with Kenya, on their way past the group
stages, while in 2003, they posted totals in excess
of 300 against Namibia and Netherlands, on their
way to the next stage.
SQUAD
Elton Chigumbura (capt), Sikandar
Raza, Regis Chakabva, Tendai
Chatara, Chamu Chibhabha, Tafadzwa
Kamungozi, Hamilton Masakadza,
Stuart Matsikenyeri, Craig Ervine,
Solomon Mire, Tawanda Mupariwa,
Tinashe Panyangara, Brendan Taylor
(wk), Prosper Utseya, Sean Williams.
Watch out for
At 31 years of age, and 14

years into his international
career, Hamilton Masakadza
will make his World Cup
debut. Inexperience, form
and injuries over the years
meant he had to be left out of
previous World Cup squads.
He has been in good form
in domestic one-dayers. As an opener, the starts
he provides will be instrumental in Zimbabwes
fortunes. He averaged 35.46 in 2014, including
half-centuries against Australia and South Africa in
the tri-series. More of the same is expected.
FIXTURES
Feb 15: SOUTH AFRICA, HAMILTON
Feb 19: UAE, NELSON
Feb 24: WEST INDIES, Canberra
March 1: PAKISTAN, BRISBANE
March 7: IRELAND, Hobart
March 14: INDIA, AUCKLAND
- Manoj Narayan
Almanack
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1

ISSUE 7, FEBRUARY 2015

CUP OF GOOD HOPE

INDIAS WORLD CUP WINS

ISSUE 7, FEBRUARY 2015

CRICKET AND TRAVEL

ISSUE 7, FEBRUARY 2015

ODI the winner at

At a time when the 50-over

winningest team on the big

Rise of the Asian associates

The Devils, the

1983 and 2011 campaigns

Afghanistan and UAE have made a quick

Final hurrahs and fond

FALL OF THE TITANS

By mid-1980s, West Indies fast-bowling arsenal

Lights, colour, action!

Two new balls and two

Stunning harbours, picturesque cityscapes, plentiful parks, friendly people, and

Edited by: Karunya Keshav Designed by: Ashish Mohanty

ODI the winner at

Pakistan v Australia in UAE: 0-3 (3)

South Africa v West Indies in South Africa:

India v West Indies in India: 2-1 (5)

New Zealand v South Africa in New Zealand:

New Zealand v Pakistan in New Zealand:

India v Sri Lanka in India: 5-0 (5)

hat has been the One-Day

and now, with the New

New Zealand v Sri Lanka in New Zealand:

match series the last international outing

before the World Cup. Thats 12 bilateral

series/tri-series, and these are the ones

Hong Kong and Papua New Guinea played

pay fallout between the cricket board and

to tell us that all three of its international

to keep the product alive and interesting

products are robust and self-sustaining, is

in an era when Twenty20 cricket has

unsurprisingly the most natural casualty

graduated from upstart to a format that

in this scenario. A seven-hour game with a

is easily the most widely followed, and

45-minute break thrown in would appear

when Test cricket, for all the supposed

neither here nor there. You could squeeze

lack of patronage, continues to hold its

in two Twenty20 games in that duration.

own because the players pay it at least lip

Compared to the 20-over slam-bang, thrill-

service and traditionalists still abound.

a-nanosecond circus, the 50-over game

The 50-over game, no matter how much

predictability to the proceedings tee off

the International Cricket Council will try

at the beginning, consolidate in the middle

ISSUE 7, FEBRUARY 2015

captains have voiced their displeasure at

and then go for broke at the end that

allows broadcasters the opportunity to air

makes one game no different from another,

There are far too many ODIs

the mandatory first ten. Which is why,