ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 : Fever Starts

[Ammyy]

Cricket World Cup ticket sales expected to be up to Rs. 150 cr.

The upcoming cricket World Cup being organised by the International Cricket Council in the Indian sub-continent is expected to rake in up to Rs. 150 crore from ticket sales.

According to industry sources, a total of about two million tickets will be available for the public in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh with the average price starting from Rs. 250 onwards.

The nearly 45 day long tournament will be held from February 19 to April 2.

“It (prices) can go up to Rs five lakh for corporate boxes. Proceeds from the World Cup tickets will be anywhere between Rs 125 crore to Rs 150 crore,” a source said.

When contacted, Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO Neetu Bhatia of KyaZoonga -- the official ticketing partner for the mega cricketing event -- declined to share ticket sales expectations.

She, however, said: “Gate proceeds (ticket revenue) are expected to be the second largest source of income for the tournament after sponsorships at the local level.”

The three countries are co-hosting the tournament in which 14 cricketing nations will vie for the world cup in the 50 overs format of the game.

KyaZoonga had kicked off the first phase for the ticket booking in June last year through online platform in the three countries simultaneously.

While, KyaZoonga started the second phase of ticket sales in Bangladesh on January 2, the same would begin in India and Sri Lanka within this month.

“In Bangladesh, around 150 retail counters sold tickets, while India being a larger country would see tickets being sold at around 400-500 retail counters very soon,” Bhatia said.

In Bangladesh, a majority of the tickets for the twelve matches to be held in the country have already been sold, she said without disclosing details.

For India, she said, KyaZoonga will associate with ICC sponsors like Reebok, Hero Honda and money transfer company MoneyGram to make gate passes available at retail points of these companies.

“Here in India it will be a city-by-city roll out,” she said, adding the response in Bangladesh has been encouraging and ticket sales in India and Sri Lanka are expected to a success as well.

 

[Ammyy]

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Down Memory Lane: The Cricket 1983 World Cup

The third cricket World Cup in England in 1983 was once again sponsored by the Prudential Assurance Company and hence like the previous two editions, this too was known as the Prudential Cup. The seven test playing nations, England, Australia, West Indies, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe were divided into two groups. England, Pakistan, New Zealand and Sri Lanka formed group A while the rest were put into group B. There was a change in the league stage format and each team had to play the other three teams in its group twice with the top two from each group moving into the semis. There was drama right from the start of the tournament and India surprised the entire cricketing fraternity by defeating defending champions West Indies in the final at Lords to lift the title.

David Gower sweeps during his century against Sri Lanka. He was the highest wicket-taker in the 1983 World Cup.

Hosts England got off to a good start as Allan Lamb’s century propelled them past New Zealand. Good contributions from the top and middle order batsmen enabled Pakistan to defeat Sri Lanka quite comfortably. England cemented their spot at the top of the table with another victory against the Lankans. David Gower’s century helped them set a target of 334 and Graham Dilley and Vic Marks did the job with the ball, picking up 4 and 5 wickets respectively. The Kiwis got their first victory against Pakistan courtesy a superb bowling performance despite being restricted to a relatively small total by Abdul Qadir and co. England got their third win on the trot against Pakistan in a low scoring match. New Zealand replaced Pakistan at second place after defeating the Lankans thanks to half-centuries by Glenn Turner (50) and Geoff Howarth (76) after Richard Hadlee had ripped through the Pakistani line-up with a five wicket haul. New Zealand pulled off a thrilling two wicket victory over England with one ball to spare to make thing interesting in group A. Imran Khan’s 102 against the Lankans took Pakistan to victory and kept them in the hunt for a semi-final spot. England’s top order chipped in with useful cameos against Pakistan to book a semi-final spot for the hosts. Asantha de Mel’s five wicket haul, followed by half-centuries from Brendan Kuruppu and Roy Dias gave Sri Lanka their first victory of the tournament against New Zealand. England, powered by Graeme Fowler’s unbeaten 81, ended the group stage on a high with a victory over the Lankans. Pakistan faced New Zealand in the all important final match of group A with a semi-final berth on stake. Pakistan needed to win by a good margin in order to go past New Zealand on the basis net run-rate. An unbeaten 147-run stand between Zaheer Abbas (103) and Imran Khan (79) took Pakistan to a formidable total of 261. New Zealand fell short by 11 runs, but unfortunately for Pakistan that was not good enough and the Kiwis joined England in the semis as the second team from group A.

Kapil Dev drives during his match-winning 175 against Zimbabwe

Proceedings in Group B got off to a dramatic start with new-comers Zimbabwe defeating Australia on the back of Duncan Fletcher’s all-round performance and that was followed by an Indian victory over the mighty West Indies. The Windies were quick to recover from the defeat as Winston Davies’ seven wicket haul powered them past the Aussies. India, meanwhile, secured another comfortable victory over Zimbabwe. They got their first setabck against Australia as Kapil Dev’s five-wicket haul was not good enough to secure victory. Trevor Chappell’s 102 and Ken McLeay’s six-wicket haul gave the Aussies their first win of the tournament. The Windies went past Zimbabwe quite comfortably with Gordon Greenidge stealing the show with an unbeaten 105. Vivian Richards, the hero of the 1979 final, was in the thick of the action again as he smashed a classy 119 that enabled West Indies to avenge their defeat against India in their opening match. The Aussies pulled off a second consecutive victory against Zimbabwe to come back into the fray. Greenidge (90) and Richards (95) helped West Indies overcome Australia and book a semi-final berth. Zimbabwe looked set for another upset as they had India on the rocks at 17 for 5, but a brilliant 175 from skipper Kapil Dev helped them secure a victory that took them to the doorstep of a first ever semi-final appearance in a World Cup. India carried the momentum forward and sealed the semi-final spot with a 118-run triumph over the Aussies. The Windies ended the group stage in style with Desmond Haynes (88) and Faoud Bacchus (80) ensuring a 10 wicket win over Zimbabwe. Despite a loss in the opening match, the defending champions made it to the semis as the group leader with India joining them as the second placed side.

Hosts England faced first time semi-finalists India in the first semi-final at Old Trafford. Batting first, the hosts started sluggishly. India’s medium pacers kept the run-rate under check and picked up wickets at regular intervals to restrict England to 213. India too started their chase a bit slowly, but a steady 61 from Yashpal Sharma and a quickfire 32-ball 51 from Sandeep Patil took India to the victory target. In the second semi-final at Lords’ none of the Pakistani batsmen barring Mohsin Khan (70) could hang around for long as the West Indian pacers restricted them to just 184. Vivian Richards (80) and Larry Gomes (50) put together an unbeaten 132-run stand for the third wicket to see the West Indies through to their third consecutive World Cup final.

The 1983 World Cup winning squad

Defending champions and overwhelming favourites, West Indies were up against the Indians in the final at Lords on the 25th of June. The final wasn’t a high scoring affair, but there was plenty of drama for the spectators. Sunil Gavaskar missed out at the top for India, but the rest of the top 6 contributed in bits and pieces to give the bowlers something to bowl at. Krishnamachari Srikanth was the highest scorer with 38 runs followed by Mohinder Amarnath with 26. The tail too fought well but the Indians were bowled out for 183. Each of the frontline bowlers of West Indies was among the wickets and one felt that they had done well enough to be in with a great chance of winning the trophy. Balwinder Singh Sandhu gave India’s hopes a major boost when he took out Greenidge’s off stump with just two runs on the board. Viv Richards walked in and got off to a brisk start, spanking the ball to all parts of the ground. The chase seemed to be well on track until Madan Lal got Richards to top edge an attempted pull. Kapil Dev, standing at square leg, ran back to take a blinder that sent Richards back for 33 and brought India right back into the game. Suddenly, there was a spring in the strides of the Indians as Madan Lal and Amarnath ran through the rest of the West Indies line up. Jeffrey Dujon and Malcolm Marshall resisted for a while, but they couldn’t see the team through as India pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the history of the game. West Indies fell short by 43 runs and India were the new world champions.

Kapil Dev lifts the trophy after India's triumph in the 1983 World Cup

The 1983 World Cup was even more successful than the previous two editions. The Indian team, which had not progressed beyond the group stages in the 1975 and 1979 World Cup, defeated West Indies twice in the tournament and showed that they were no longer invincible. Mohinder Amarnath was awarded the man-of-the-match in the final for his all-round performance, 26 runs with the bat and 3 for 12 with the ball. Amarnath, who was also the man-of-the-match in the semi-final, was also awarded the man-of-the-series. England’s David Gower ended the tournament as the highest run-getter whereas India’s Roger Binny was the highest wicket-taker. India’s victory in this tourney led to massive celebrations back home. After the 1983 Cup, a decision was taken to move the World Cup outside England in order to spread the game to other parts of the world. Thus, it was decided that the 1987 edition would be hosted jointly by India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

 

[Ammyy]

11 players to watch at WC 2011

The 2011 World Cup is almost here, and it’s that time of the season for predictions. This time there are no clear favorites, with the top 5 teams more or less equal in strength. My predictions for the semifinals lineup would be India, Sri Lanka, South Africa and England; and my choices for the 11 players to watch out for, reflect this sentiment. Australia might still be top dog in the official rankings, but in their present state of mind, it is hard to envision them playing with much confidence. New Zealand and West Indies are in disarray, while Bangladesh and Pakistan are eternal dark horses. Without much further ado, here are the 11 players to watch out for in this World cup:

1. Hashim Amla (SA): A year ago, Amla was not even an automatic pick in the South African ODI team, let alone being considered in a dream ODI XI. He did have a good ODI career till the end of 2009, but in the past year, he exploded with a vengeance. He topped the batting charts for the year with 1058 runs at an average of 75.57 and SR of 104.23. What will make him a doubly dangerous prospect is his performance in the subcontinent, where he averages 62.42 with a SR of 97.76. In a team filled with dangerous big hitters, he brings an eerie sense of calm and steel, which will be a big plus for his team, who are known to choke on the big stage.

2. Sachin Tendulkar (Ind): How can any dream ODI XI be complete without the ‘Bradman of ODIs’? He played only two ODIs in 2010, but he made one of them very memorable, by scoring the only double ton in ODI history. Tendulkar always reserves his best for World Cup encounters, where he topped the charts in 1996 and 2003. In what could be his final World Cup, he will be desperate to win the silverware in front of his home crowd and add one more glittering achievement to an epic career.

3. Virat Kohli (Ind): One of the most exciting young batsmen in international cricket, Kohli is perhaps the only person who will not complain about playing Sri Lanka more often. More than half his innings have been played against them, and he averages a healthy 41 with 5 half centuries and 1 century. That shouldn’t distract from the fact, that he has scored runs against other teams, when he got the opportunities. He has married aggression and maturity, which has transformed him into a dangerous player, in a short period of time. In the last year, he established himself in the team, and was the second highest run getter behind Amla. It should also help him, that the World Cup is being held in the subcontinent, which he has barely played outside of. Lastly, he knows all about winning the World Cup, having led the India U-19 squad to glory in 2008.

4. AB de Villiers (SA): A player who is all set to become a legend in the coming years, de Villiers is one batsman, bowlers hate to bowl to in the shorter forms of the game. He had a good tournament in the West Indies four years ago, and he is coming back off a good couple of seasons in ODIs. He is a batsman who can switch gears effortlessly, and his record in the subcontinent will ensure that he will enter the tournament with a fearless mindset, and top billing by his competitors. Expect some explosive innings from his blade if South Africa are going to advance far.

5. Eoin Morgan (Eng): This diminutive Irishman is a batsman made for ODI cricket. He has established his reputation as one of the finest finishers in the game, with some good performances against Australia and Pakistan recently. Possessed with a calm head and an array of inventive strokes, Morgan suggests that he has the skills to succeed in the biggest stage of all. In what is expected to be a high scoring tournament, expect some deft and audacious shots from this man while setting a target or chasing down one.

6. Angelo Mathews (SL): One of the few genuine allrounders around, Mathews played his part in one of the best matches of 2010, when he along with Malinga scripted an amazing comeback against Australia. As a batsman, he has the ability to construct an innings if the team is in trouble, or give a final flourish at the end of a team innings. As a bowler he has the invaluable knack of taking wickets at crucial junctures of a game, and is also a handy fielder. Most importantly, he has shown the consistency to perform game after game, and in a long tournament like the World Cup, Sri Lanka will expect much from him.

7. MS Dhoni (Ind): He is one of the best ODI batsmen in the world, who can easily set up an innings as he can help scale it down. He entered the international scene as a dasher, but in the wake of captaincy, he has toned down his batting to become a more dangerous player. He may not be an aesthetic player to watch, but his value to the side is unquestioned, as he gets the job done. He is also one of the smarter keepers in international cricket, and his safe glove work will be a source of comfort to his bowlers. As a captain, his cool and calm demeanor will be his strongest asset when India plays at home in front of thousands of passionate fans. His appetite for World Cup glory has already seen him lift the World T20 cup in South Africa more than three years ago. Can he become the first captain to win both the T20 and ODI World Cups?

8. Shakib Al Hasan (Ban): The leading wicket taker in the past year, Shakib is Bangladesh’s best hope of making it to the semifinal stages. Possessing a strong canny mind, he has the ability to outwit some of the best batsmen in the business. In home conditions, he will be a handful against opponents who betray any sign of weakness. As a captain and one of the team’s premier batsmen, he will also be Bangladesh’s most valuable player.

 

[Ammyy]

9. Graeme Swann (Eng): It has been a dream couple of years for England’s star spinner. Whether it is Tests, ODIs or T20s, Swann was always at the forefront of England’s champagne moments. Having tasted success at the World T20, he will be licking his lips at the prospect of challenging the best in conditions suited for his bowling. He is at the height of his powers, with good control, variation and spin at his disposal. Expect him to be in the news throughout the World Cup, whether it is for his cricket, or possible video diaries.

10. Lasith Malinga (SL): In the 2007 World Cup, South Africa were cruising to victory against Sri Lanka, when after 4 balls of slinging mayhem, they were 3 wickets away from a shocking loss. South Africa just made it across the line, but that is exactly what Malinga is capable of. With his round arm action, which generates a fair amount of pace and disconcerting bounce, he is unplayable for batsmen who fail to pick his trajectory. In home conditions, with plenty of crowd support against the backdrop, he will be a headache for opposing batsmen. If that was not enough, he has improved his batting skills and will be a handy lower order batsman for Sri Lanka.

11. Dale Steyn (SA): Unquestionably, the best fast bowler in the world today. While he has not replicated his Test exploits as successfully in ODIs, he still remains a dangerous prospect with a potent combination of speed, bounce and swing, even on flat tracks. He will be itching to correct his record on the subcontinent, where he has an average of 52.83 and ER of 5.87. If he gets his game right, the world is in for an exhibition of some top class fast bowling.

 

[Ammyy]

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 – The finest All-Rounders

The ICC Cricket World Cup is due in just 2 months now ! This ODI World Cup is being held in the Indian subcontinent from February to April 2011. Each World Cup has it’s share of heroes including spectacular all-rouders who often changes the complexion of a game sheer brilliance. We discuss below a few notable all-rounders who have the talent to defeat any opponent in the ICC World Cup 2011. These are our picks. please comment below and let us know if we have missed any of the best all-rounders in your view. Cheers !

James Franklin of New Zealand



James Franklin is not one of the best yet but his efforts with the bat in the recent series versus India shows that he has it to be the best. He scored over 180 runs without being dismissed, hit the ball hard and then handled the ball as well. Look out for him to play a big role in this World Cup.

Yuvraj Singh of India

Everyone knows that he can be the most lethal batsman when he gets along. Just ask Stuard Broad ! Yuvi with his gentle oleft armers will play a crucial role in stifling batsmen as well as the ocassional break through.
Chris Gayle of the West Indies

Chris Gayle


He is a hitter unparalleled except by Virendra Sehwag. Gayle is a useful slow bowler as well who works on the batsman’s mind all the time. In my book he is one the finest all rounders in ODI Cricket. He unleashed a triple century on hapless Sri Lankans recently and looks in great touch ! Can Gayle doubt his critics at the 2011 Cricket World Cup ?

Angelo Mathews of Sri Lanka:

He has performed superbly against Australia in Australia this year. This guy is a partnership breaker as well as a wicket taker of some regularity. Under pressure , he performs well with the bat too. Look out for this guy in his first World Cup.

Abdul Razzaq of Pakistan:

He can do everything right from opening the bowling attack to pinch hitting at death. This guy played superbly ain 1999 World Cup. He can’t be understimated especially after belting South Africa in an improbable chase recently. Razzaq has it in him to be Pakistan’s hero.

Daniel Vettori of New Zealand

He is an absolute great bowler in Limited Overs Cricket with very economical returns. His batting has improved immeasureably since the last World Cup. Can he lift his game for ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 ? New Zealand really need their captain to be in prime form in order to have any chance to compete with teams like India, South Africa or England.

Jacques Kallis of South Africa

One of the great all-rounders of all time , Kallis has done and seen it all. He has played in the sub contrinent on numerous ocassions right from 1996 World Cup. He has been in good form of late in Pakistan series.

Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh

One of the most under rated players in the world right now. He can chase down totals as well as defend them with his left arm slow bowling. He will be raring to prove himself on the big stage against the might of India, South Africa, England, Australia etc in the ICC World Cup 2011.

 

[Ammyy]

Virendra Sehwag of India


He is the most attacking batsman in the world by far and can slam any attack into submission on a consistent basis. In Indian conditions , his slow right arm off spinners can play a pivotal role in getting crucial break throughs or restricting the scoring.

Shahid Afridi for Pakistan

His batting has not been great of late but he reamins a threat for every team aspiring to win the World Cup 2011 including his own ! The mercurial all rounder can be brilliant on his day with the bat as well as his leg spinners. Can Boom Boom Afridfi lift his game for the World Cup ?

Paul Collingwood of England

A great batsman under pressure who is specially good at chasing. His slow medium bowling may be critical in the upcoming World Cup as well. England is a much improved team of late and can bank upon Collingwood to be consitent.

Yusuf Pathan of India

He has not delivered much at the international stage yet apart from that thrilling century against New Zealand recently. But, if he can repeat his IPL performance, then India will have a great chance of winning the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.

 

[Soumitra]

Self Delete

 

[fida jan]

lil more to add, some youngsters on selection

umr akmal

ahmed shahzad

tanvir ahmed

 

[Ammyy]

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Down Memory Lane: The 1996 Cricket World Cup

The sixth edition of the cricket World Cup, sponsored by Wills, was held in 1996 with the three test playing nations in the Indian subcontinent, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, playing hosts to the best cricketers on the planet. To spread the game further, the International Cricket Council decided to increase the number of participating nations to 12 from 9 in the 1992 edition. Thus, three Associate members of the ICC, Netherlands, United Arab Emirates and Kenya joined the nine test playing nations for this month long spectacle. In order to accommodate the teams, the format of the tournament had to be changed. Sri Lanka, Australia, India, West Indies, Zimbabwe and Kenya were clubbed together in group A with Pakistan, England, New Zealand, South Africa, UAE and the Netherlands making up group B. Each team was to play the other five teams in its group once in the league stage with the top four of each group moving to the quarter finals. Controversy dogged the tournament even before it got underway. Australia and the West Indies cited security reasons and refused to send their teams to Sri Lanka for their group matches against the Lankans due to the Central Bank bombing by the Tamil Tigers a month before the start. The ICC in the end decided to award the matches to Sri Lanka. India were among the favourites to lift the trophy along with Pakistan, South Africa and Australia. However, it was the Lankans who stunned the world as they went on to lift the title at Lahore.

Sachin Tendulkar's form did India's cause a world of good

India had Sachin Tendulkar to thank for their decent show in the group stage. Opening the innings, he went past the half-century mark in four of the five matches, getting to three figures on two of those occasions. India lost to Australia and Sri Lanka, but they had done well enough to reach the quarters. The Aussies too made it to the quarter finals quite comfortably despite the fact that their match against Sri Lanka was awarded to the hosts. However, they too had an in-form opener, Mark Waugh, who struck two centuries and a 76 to take the team to victory in three of the four remaining matches. West Indies was on the receiving end of one of the greatest upsets in history when they lost to Kenya. But fortunately, that didn’t affect their chances of progressing to the next round of matches.

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, were arguably the most impressive team in group A. Their openers, Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana adopted a strategy of taking the attack to the bowlers in the first 15 overs. They took the aerieal route whenever possible and more often than not, they succeeded. The Lankans went on to win the three matches they played and they also had a couple of matches awarded to them. As a result, they topped group A comfortably. Zimbabwe and Kenya were the minnows in group A and not many expected them to go beyond the group stages. Zimbabwe’s victory over Kenya was their only success in an otherwise forgettable tournament, whereas Kenya pulled off a major upset when they defeated the West Indies by 73 runs.

Gary Kirsten lofts one during his record breaking 188 against UAE

Elsewhere in group B, South Africa dominated proceedings with five wins out of five. They won the matches by comfortable margins and emerge as strong contenders for the title. In-form opener Gary Kirsten registered the highest score ever in a World Cup match when he scored 188 not out against UAE. Runners-up of the 1992 World Cup, England didn’t have a great group stage. The won just two matches, those against Netherlands and UAE, but that too was good enough for a quarter final berth. New Zealand didn’t have any stand out individual performer in the league matches, but the team worked quite well as a unit. The ended with three wins under their belt, including one in the opening match of the tournament against England. They too progressed to the next stage comfortably.

One of the hosts, Pakistan, rose up to the occasion to clinch four victories. The opening pair of Aamer Sohail and Saeed Anwar gave them good starts on quite a few occasions and that helped the team immensely. The bowling too looked good with Waqar Younis leading the way with 11 wickets in the five group stage matches. The minnows in the group, UAE and Netherlands, were both playing the first ever World Cup. Netherlands lost all their matches and ended the league stage at the bottom. UAE suffered crushing defeats at the hands of the other four teams, but they managed to pull off a 7-wicket victory over Netherlands.

Sanath Jayasuriya walks back after a destructive 82 off just 44 deliveries against England

The eight teams that were expected to reach the quarter finals did so without any major obstacles. The group stage served to be a more of a round that decided who would face whom in the quarters. The first quarter final between England and Sri Lanka at Faisalabad was pretty much a one sided. The Lankans kept things tight and restricted England to 235. Phil DeFreitas top scored for England with 67. Whatever hopes England might have had were washed away when Jayasuriya smashed 82 off just 44 deliveries to at the top of the order. The Lankans chased down the total with almost 10 overs to spare to reach their first ever World Cup semi-final. India faced arch-rivals Pakistan at Bangalore in the second quarter final. Navjot Singh Sidhu held the Indian innings together with a patient 93 while the others chipped in at the other end. Ajay Jadeja (45 off 25 balls) played a breathtaking cameo towards the end, plundering Waqar Younis for 18 and 22 runs in his last two overs. India’s total of 287 was a formidable one, but Pakistan were not going to go down without a fight. A brisk start took them to 113 for 2 after the first 15 overs. But Venkatesh Prasad picked up two quick wickets and Anil Kumble followed up with three more in relatively quick time to take India to the semis.

Mark Waugh carried over his form in the group stages into the knock-out stage

An undefeated South African side took on West Indies at Karachi for a place in the semis. An aggressive century from Brian Lara (111) took West Indies to a competitive total of 264. Andrew Hudson (54) and Daryll Cullinan (69) put together a good second wicket partnership but the spinners, Roger Harper and Jimmy Adams got into action with four and three wickets respectively to knock out South Africa. In the last quarter final, Australia pulled off a wonderful victory over their Trans-Tasman rivals, New Zealand, at Madras to reach the last four. The Kiwis recovered from the loss of three early wickets courtesy a 168 run fourth wicket stand between skipper Lee Germon (89) and Chris Harris (130). A total of 289 was more than a decent total in those days. But an in-form Mark Waugh thought otherwise. He kept the Aussies on track with his third century of the tournament. Mark Waugh fell for 110, but Stuart Law combined with Mark’s brother Steve Waugh to knock off the remaining runs with 13 balls to spare.

Shane Warne triggered an amazing collapse to win the semi-final for Australia from a hopeless situation

The first semi-final between Sri Lanka and India at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata was full of drama. After a top order collapse, Aravinda de Silva (66) and Roshan Mahanama (58) helped the Lankans recover. A few more useful contributions down the order enabled Sri Lanka to reach a total of 251. Sachin Tendulkar’s half-century took India to a comfortable poition at 98 for 1 but that’s when the dramatic collapse occured. Tendulkar fell for 66 and India lost six more wickets for just 21 runs. An enraged crowd started throwing bottles on the ground and setting the stands on fire. The players had to go off the ground and Lankans were awarded the match. The second semi-final between Australia and West Indies was a thrilling encounter. Curtly Ambrose and Ian Bishop reduced Australia to 15 for 4 in 40 minutes. Michael Bevan walked into join Stuart Law as the duo set out to rescue the match. They put on 138 runs for the fifth wicket before Law fell for 72. Bevan departed for 69 after a few overs, but Ian Healy’s cameo helped Australia to 207. West Indies moved on steadily with healthy contributions from three of the top-four. They were well placed at 173 for 3 needing less than a run a ball when disaster struck. Shane Warne triggered a collapse that saw West Indies losing 5 wickets for 16 runs. Skipper Richie Richardson was still out in the middle and the equation was down to ten runs to win in the last over. A first ball boundary was followed by the run-out of Ambrose. Number 11, Courtney Walsh lost his off-stump in the very first ball to send Australia through to the final.

Aravinda de Silva reaches his century in the final

The final between Sri Lanka and Australia was played under lights at Lahore. The Aussies were looking good with the bat as skipper Mark Taylor (74) and Ricky Ponting (45) put together 101 runs for the second wicket. But a small collapse, during which the Lankans picked up 4 wickets for 33 put the game back in the balance. An important knock of 36 from Bevan took Australia to a respectable total of 241. Things got better for the Aussies as they were able to send the dangerous opening combination of Sri Lanka back to the pavilion with just 23 runs on the board. But a 125 run third wicket partnership between Asanka Gurusinha and Aravinda de Silva put Sri Lanka in the driver’s seat. Gurusinha fell for 65, but Aravinda went on to score an unbeaten century. He scored 107 and shared an unbroken 97-run stand with skipper Arjuna Ranatunga (47 run out) to give Sri Lanka their first World Cup title. Aravinda had also picked up three wickets with the ball and hence he was the obvious choice for the man-of-the-match award.

Sri Lankan skipper Arjuna Ranatung with the World Cup trophy

Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya was declared the man-of-the-series for his all-round performance. Sachin Tendulkar ended as the highest run-scorer while Anil Kumble topped the wicket-taker’s chart. Sri Lanka’s attractive game won the hearts of many cricket fans world over. The fearless approach of their openers revolutionised the way batsmen approached the overs during the fielding restrictions. However, the 1996 World Cup was not as smooth as the previous ones. The presence of minnows led to a degradation in the overall quality of cricket. The crowd trouble at Eden Gardens in the semi-finals and the lack of action in two group matches due to security reasons in Sri Lanka didn’t help either. The idea of spreading the game to all parts of India was good in theory but not so in practice. Each of the 17 games in India were scheduled at different venues which meant that teams had to travel quite a bit between matches, resulting in fatigue among the players. A large sum of money was spent on the opening ceremony which turned out to be a rather embarrassing one as the much-hyped laser show malfunctioned. The tournament, however, achieved the aim of increasing the profile of cricket through television coverage on an impressive scale. The quality of cricket too was by and large impressive in the knock-out stages. The tournament wasn’t a huge financial success, but it helped in spreading the game further and it also demonstrated the coming of age of Sri Lankan cricket.

 

[Ammyy]

Down Memory Lane: The 1999 Cricket World Cup

The first cricket World Cup was played in England in 1975. This was followed by two more World Cups in 1979 and 1983. Three more editions later, the World Cup returned to where it had taken birth, England. The 1999 World Cup was the first time that the ICC decided not to have a title sponsor. Like the previous edition in 1996, twelve teams participated in the tournament – the nine test playing nations and top-three non-test playing nations, Kenya, Bangladesh and Scotland. England, India, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Kenya were placed in group A whereas group B comprised Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, West Indies, Scotland and Bangladesh. A new format was introduced where the quarter-finals were replaced by a super six stage. Each team would play the other teams in its group once and the top three teams from each group would move into the super six stage. A team qualifying for the super six stage would carry over the points it had earned against the other qualifying teams from its group. It would then face the three qualifying teams from the other group. A separate league table would be maintained for this stage and the top four teams were to qualify for the semi-finals. South Africa were the pre-tournament favourites by a fair distance. India, Australia and Pakistan too had decent squads and they seemed to be the most likely teams to challenge the Proteas. It was Australia who managed to scrape past South Africa in a dramatic semi-final encounter before defeating Pakistan in the final to win their second World Cup.

Lance Klusener single handedly carried South Africa's hopes throughout the tournament

Hosts England started positively with comfortable victories over defending champions Sri Lanka and Kenya. They defeated Zimbabwe too, but losses against India and South Africa cost them dearly and the hosts missed out on a spot in the super six stage due to a poor net run-rate. South Africa rode on Lance Klusener’s dream form with both bat and ball to win their first four league matches and secure a super six berth. Klusener starred in the final league match too, but Zimbabwe, powered by a top-class all-round performance by Neil Johnson, managed to beat the Proteas. Despite the loss, South Africa topped group A. Johnson was also influential in Zimbabwe’s victory over Kenya in the first match. An upset victory over India by just 3 runs took Zimbabwe to the doorstep of the super six and the victory over South Africa was enough to see them through on account of a superior run-rate as compared to England.

Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid during their record partnership of 318

India didn’t get off to a great start with losses against South Africa and Zimbabwe in their first two games. But the champions of 1983 fought back to register three comprehensive victories that took them through to the next stage. Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid led the way with the bat and the duo also shared a 318-run second wicket stand against Sri Lanka which was at that time the record partnership for any wicket in a one-day international. Dravid contributed 145 while Sourav smashed 183, still the second highest individual score ever in a World Cup match. The biggest shock of the league stage was the elimination of the 1996 edition champions, Sri Lanka. The main reason for their ouster was the fact that their batsmen failed to deliver at critical junctures. The bowling too lacked consistency, as a result of which the team suffered. The Lankans won only two matches, against Zimbabwe and Kenya, and that was not good enough to take them to the next stage. The Kenyans, as expected, were unable to put up much of a fight. They ended on the losing side on all five occasions and therefore finished the league stage rock-bottom of group A.

New Zealand's Geoff Allott was the highest wicket-taker in the tournament

Australia had a shaky to their campaign and after the first three matches, they were in a position from where they needed to win both the remaining matches to progress further. Things came down to the last match where they faced the West Indies in a knock-out-scenario. Senior pro, Glenn McGrath came to the party with an outstanding five-wicket haul that took Australia to the super-six. New Zealand had Geoff Allott and Roger Twose making vital contributions with ball and bat respectively to help take the team to the next stage on account of a superior net run-rate as compared to the West Indies. The Windies lacked consistency with both bat and ball, and that cost them dearly. A crushing defeat against Australia in the final league match led to their ouster on the basis of net run-rate despite the fact that they had the same points as Australia and New Zealand.

Impressive all-round performances, led by middle order batsman Inzamam-ul Haq, enabled Pakistan to ease into the super six with four wins in the first four matches. However, a loss against minnows Bangladesh in the last league match put a black mark on an otherwise perfect performance. Bangladesh also won their match against Scotland to make it two wins out of five. Scotland’s fans unfortunately didn’t have much to cheer for as their team was steamrolled by more or less every opponent they faced.

Steve Waugh punches the air after scoring an unbeaten 120 that took Australia to the semis

The use of the super-six to determine the semi-finalists made net-run rate an important factor that teams couldn’t afford to ignore. Australia didn’t carry forward any points into the super-six and hence they needed to win all their matches to be sure of a semi-final spot. The Waugh brothers, Mark and skipper Steve, ensured that as they scored a century and a half century each to take Australia to three comfortable victories. India too didn’t carry any points forward, but they couldn’t replicate what the Aussies did. A win over arch-rivals Pakistan was the only consolation in an otherwise forgettable super-six campaign which included two losses. Zimbabwe came into the super six with the maximum possible points and a solitary victory could have taken them to the semis. Their match against New Zealand was abandoned, but losses against Australia and Pakistan, the latter being a big 148 run loss, meant that they missed out due to a poor run-rate as compared to New Zealand.

The Kiwis found themselves in a spot of bother after they had to share points with Zimbabwe. A loss against South Africa didn’t help a lot. But they managed to sneak past India with ten balls to spare to book a semi-final berth. Pakistan, like Zimbabwe, came to the super six stage with maximum possible points. Thus, a win against Zimbabwe was good enough to take them to the semis despite losses against India and South Africa. The Proteas too booked a semi-final berth with wins against Pakistan and New Zealand. Klusener carried over his good form from the league stage and Herschelle Gibbs chose a great time to come back among the runs. A defeat against Australia in the last super-six match meant that the Proteas would have to face the Aussies yet again in the semis.

Australia rejoice after their semi-final against South Africa ended in a tie

The first semi-final between Pakistan and New Zealand at Old Trafford turned out to be a one sided affair in favour of Pakistan. The Kiwis, with the help of a few 40s in the middle order, reached a total of 241 in their 50 overs. A 194 run opening stand between Saeed Anwar and Wajahtulla Wasti took Pakistan within touching distance of a spot in the final. Wasti departed for 84, but Anwar stayed till the end to see his team past the finishing line with 9 wickets in hand. He remained unbeaten on 113. The other semi-final between Australia and South Africa turned out to be a nerve-wrecking encounter. The Aussies lost their top four with just 68 runs on the board. But Steve Waugh (58) and Michael Bevan (65) put together an invaluable 90 runs that enabled Australia to set a decent target of 214. The South African chase too was in disarray as Shane Warne reduced them to 61 for 4. But Jacques Kallis (53) and Jonty Rhodes (43) steadied the shaky ship. The match was slowly drifting towards Australia when Klusener came out and played a blinder. He scored 31 runs in just 16 deliveries to bring the equation down from 31 to win off 14 to just 1 to win from 5 deliveries. South Africa had just one wicket in hand to achieve that. With three balls to go, Klusener drove the ball straight down the ground to the left of mid-on and took off for a single. Allan Donald hesitated slightly before dropping his bat and running. That slight delay was good enough for Adam Gilchrist to flick off the bails before Donald could make his ground. The match ended in a tie, but Australia progressed to the final because of the fact that they had finished above South Africa in the super-six stage.

Shane Warne four wickets in the final were good enough to derail Pakistan

The final at Lord’s, the Mecca of cricket, didn’t live up to the expectations. Pakistan were totally outplayed in all departments by the Aussies who just seemed to be more determined to win. Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat first on a pitch which Steve Waugh believed was good for 260. But his bowlers felt Waugh had doubled the figures. A ruthless bowling performance, led by Shane Warne who picked up 4 for 33, enabled Australia to skittle Pakistan out for just 132. Any hopes of Pakistan putting up a fight were put to rest as Adam Gilchrist went on the attack. He scored a blistering 54 off just 36 deliveries before returning back to the dressing room. The required runs were knocked off with 179 balls to spare and Australia were World Champions for a second time. Warne’s outstanding bowling performance earned him the man-of-the-match award.

The Australian team with the World Cup trophy

Lance Klusener was declared the player-of-the-tournament for his extra-ordinary all-round performance. India’s Rahul Dravid was the highest run-scorer while New Zealand’s Geoff Allott ended as the top wicket-taker. Australia managed to overcome a difficult start to get their act together when in mattered the most. Steve Waugh led by example and had it not been for his century against South Africa in the super-six, the Aussies might not have reached the semi-finals. In contrast, Pakistan had a great league and super-six stage, topping the standings on both occasions. But unfortunately for them, the batting collapsed on the biggest stage of them all. The tournament as a whole was quite a successful one. The fact that people kept coming to the ground despite England’s early exit was very heartening. Australia joined West Indies as the only teams to have won the World Cup twice. They were already the best test side by then and this triumph made them the official numero uno one-day side as well. In the years that followed, the Australian cricket team would go on to touch new heights as the undisputed number one cricket team in the world.

 

[KS]

What do you guys think should be the Indian team ??

Virender Sehwag
Sachin Tendulkar
Gautam Gambhir
Virat Kohli
Dhoni
Suresh Raina
Yusuf Pathan/Yuvraj
Harbhajan Singh
Praveen Kumar/Munaf
R.Ashwin
Zaheer Khan

 

[fida jan]

nobody remember the shoaib akhter thrashing, saeed anwer century in the semi final, saqlain mushtaq hatrick in the super eights in 1999 world cup , pakistan was the team which last defeated aussies in the 1999 world cup which would not be seen in world cups ahead until now

was the article written by an indian??

 

[Ammyy]

What do you guys think should be the Indian team ??

Virender Sehwag
Sachin Tendulkar
Gautam Gambhir
Virat Kohli
Dhoni
Suresh Raina
Yusuf Pathan/Yuvraj
Harbhajan Singh
Praveen Kumar/Munaf
R.Ashwin
Zaheer Khan

I think S Shrisant on the place of R Ashwin

And for 6th place Yuvraj then Raina

 

[KS]

I think S Shrisant on the place of R Ashwin

And for 6th place Yuvraj then Raina

World cup is in India dude..that too in summer....We need spinners.

And Dhoni likes Ashwin very much. CSK conection

Again Raina is very good in subcontinental pitches.His only weakness is the short ball and here the ball hardly comes waist high.So my choice.

 

[Mirza Jatt]

I think S Shrisant on the place of R Ashwin

And for 6th place Yuvraj then Raina

yuvraj in place for R ashwin..not srisanth...moreover, sreesanth is not in the squad, so there is no question about that.

Raina is perfect...at his place.

Harbhajan plays the specialist bowler role and Indian team have many part time spineers..like sehwag,yusuf pathan,yuvraj,Raina,Sachin..so spin deptt is taken care of with lot of options..and oncluding Raina gives us an extra batsman.