Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
1975-2011 HIGHLIGHTS
WHATS INSIDE
R Kaushik |
06
Shamya Dasgupta |
30
R Kaushik |
18
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
Sidhanta Patnaik |
62
Dileep Premachandran |
23
WHATS INSIDE
4
ISSUE 7, FEBRUARY 2015
FLASHBACK
1975 1979
12
13
1983 1987
28
38
1992 1996
50
60
Disha Shetty |
71
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
Arundhati Sridhar |
84
6
WORLD CUP 2015
4-1 (5)
0-2 (3)
2-0 (2)
schedule
October
2014
two-
4-2 (7)
Australia-England-India
Australia: Australia
tri-series
in
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.
a bonus.
10
WORLD CUP 2015
THE best
People play
the sport to be
recognised and
acknowledged as
the best.
1996.
11
another
lovely islands.
The
Champions
Trophy
is
12
Gary Gilmour: 6-14 off 12 overs and 28* off 28
1975
FLASHBACK
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
AU n s h u m a n G a e k w a d
Both 1975 and 1979 editions were not the World Cups
Brief scores:
14
15
FLASHBACK
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
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.
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.
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
ISSUE 7, FEBRUARY 2015
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
England, satellite
TV wasnt even a
19
28-year wait
From rank
outsiders in 1983
to perennial
favourites in 2011.
there;
than
failure.
in
2011,
anything
less
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.
21
knees.
22
WORLD CUP 2015
beautifully.
Amarnath,
Madan,
Roger
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
decade earlier.
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.
a year later.
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.
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
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
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
ISSUE 7, FEBRUARY 2015
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.
batsmen
failed
repeatedly
when
the target.
27
at heart.
January 1995.
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.
FLASH BACK
29
PR Man Singh
D Govindraj, part of the Indian squad that won the
We had little idea then that the match would take place
David Firth, the editor, had written that India did not
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
India have.
team,
apart
31
Elite company
Australias three
World Cup-winning
captains, with
Michael Clarke.
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.
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
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.
- 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
35
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.
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
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.
- Himanish Bhattacharjee
38
1987
FLASH BACK
39
Hat-trick and a
Gavaskar hundred
C h e t a n S h a rm a
too successful.
good showing.
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.
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
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.
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
October
4,
2013,
That
historic
October
2013
victory,
Mohammad
captain,
Kenyas
when
hit
complete
playing nations.
the
midwicket
boundary
to
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
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.
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
- Akshay Gopalakrishnan
43
Historic win
Qualification for
CWC 2015 was a
gift to the youth,
said Nabi.
lost
membership in 2003.
three
matches,
but
impressed
44
WORLD CUP 2015
ICC in June 2013. With growth as rapid as
***
playing nations.
45
REVIVAL
UAE return to the
World Cup for the
first time since
1996.
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
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
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.
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
qualification
itself
is
an
be immediately undermined.
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
15 FEB
16 FEB
17 FEB
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
Saxton Oval, Nelson - 11:00 Local
20 FEB
21 FEB
AUSTRALIA V BANGLADESH
22 FEB
FRI
SAT
SUN
Match9, Pool A
Regional Stadium, Wellington - 14:00 Local
Match10, Pool B
Hagley Oval, Christchurch - 11:00 Local
Match12, Pool A
University Oval, Dunedin - 11:00 Local
23 FEB
ENGLAND V SCOTLAND
24 FEB
25 FEB
IRELAND V UAE
26 FEB
AFGHANISTAN V SCOTLAND
27 FEB
28 FEB
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
SAT
PO
DAY
32
QUARTER FINAL 3
FRI
DAY
34
24 MAR
TUE
DAY
34
29 MAR
SRI LANKA V BANGLADESH
Match19, Pool B
Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney - 14:30 Local
wisdenindia.com
SEMI FINAL 1
TBD V TBD
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
Manuka Oval, Canberra - 14:30 Local
Match17, Pool A
University Oval, Dunedin - 11:00 Local
TBD V TBD
WED
20 MAR
Match14, Pool A
Hagley Oval, Christchurch - 11:00 Local
QUARTER FINAL 1
INDIA V UAE
SUN
TBD V
( F E BRUARY 14 - M AR C H 2 9 )
PAKISTAN V ZIMBABWE
OOL A
Match22, Pool A
Regional Stadium, Wellington - 11:00 Local
Match24, Pool B
Manuka Oval, Canberra - 14:30 Local
AUSTRALIA V AFGHANISTAN
OOL B
PAKISTAN V UAE
Match25, Pool B
McLean Park, Napier - 14:00 Local
BANGLADESH V SCOTLAND
Match27, Pool A
Saxton Oval, Nelson - 11:00 Local
ER FINALS
QUARTER FINAL 2
TBD V TBD
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
14:30 Local -
QUARTER FINAL 4
TBD V TBD
DAY
31
33
19 MAR
THU
DAY
33
Match28, Pool B
WACA, Perth - 14:30 Local
ZIMBABWE V IRELAND
21 MAR
ENGLAND V BANGLADESH
SAT
I FINALS
INDIA V IRELAND
SEMI FINAL 2
TBD V TBD
DAY
35
26 MAR
THU
NAL
V TBD
ENGLAND V AFGHANISTAN
AUSTRALIA V SCOTLAND
INDIA V ZIMBABWE
PAKISTAN V IRELAND
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
FLASH BACK
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
Kiran More
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.
SQUAD
- 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
54
WORLD CUP 2015
LUCRATIVE
Broadcasters are
rolling out the big
bucks to telecast the
World Cup.
55
$35,000 each.
56
WORLD CUP 2015
as Global Cricket Corporation splashed
the
broadcasting
landscape
with
broadcast
partnership
after
awarding
respective audiences.
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.
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.
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
ICC
campaigns.
exuded
McDonalds
GOL!
has
teamed
up
with
Copyright
59
ads.
This
time
around,
given
that
the
around Rs 5 lakh.
rock star.
lookout.
60
Aravinda de Silva: 3-42 off 9 overs and 107* off
1996
was worth 184, the highest for Sri Lanka in ODIs for any
FLASH BACK
Sri Lankas 398 for 5 was the highest World Cup total for
run defeat.
61
We have to accept
what happened
semifinal.
Unfortunately, we lost pretty badly in the semifinal in
J a v a g a l Sr i n a t h
what happened.
62
WORLD CUP 2015
entertain?
stage.
of
Mahela
Jayawardene
and
Daniel
entertained
you,
Im
happy,
63
Big Dream
For Tendulkar, it
was not about the
records, but winning
the World Cup.
Melbourne.
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
SQUAD
- 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
Muttiah
Muralitharan,
international
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.
World
Test
Championship.
The
ICCs
67
in
England
and
Australia.
Virender
Michael
Clarkes
back
and
Lasith
Add
the
to
it,
the
self-expectations,
challenging to fill.
apparent.
68
Steve Waugh: 120* off 110 v South Africa, Leeds.
1999
FLASH BACK
69
Great to go after
Shane Warne
Robin Singh
Ten out of ten times you would expect to win the game
team, we had to figure out how to fill the gap and strike
an injury.
When I look back now, getting those five wickets
So, as a team, these moments when we unexpectedly
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
SQUAD
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.
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
the
knockout
the
1992
World
Cup,
stages
Cricket
of
hemisphere,
with
trans-Tasman
rivals
72
WORLD CUP 2015
World Cup
1992 The first to
feature coloured
player jerseys.
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
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.
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
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
Inzamam-ul-Haqs astounding 60 in 37
chasing.
delivery.
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
SQUAD
- 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
ISSUE 7, FEBRUARY 2015
76
Andy Bichel: 7-20 off 10 overs & 34* off 36 balls v
2003
FLASH BACK
in, needing 74 balls for his fifty, with only one boundary
77
changing.
M o h a mm a d K a i f
With the bat, anyway, you dont get better than Yuvraj.
It would have been nice to see him in the team for this
been playing together for a long time, and that was the
biggest plus.
problem.
World Cup.
78
WORLD CUP 2015
H i m a n i s h B h at ta c h a r j e e
game,
to
is
bound
79
AB DE VILLIERS
Batsmen will make
the most of the new
field restrictions.
Field restrictions
ring.
80
WORLD CUP 2015
of providing pacers with a better chance of
81
than $4m.
82
2007
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.
83
Ir f a n P a t h a n
the hotel. Those were the longest two nights for all of
2006 and won the Test series. We had a full tour there,
World Cup.
84
ICC CRICKET WORLD
CUP 2015
WORLD
CUP 2015
On the road
Arundhati Sridhar
City Overview
Brisbane
A day in ...
Dunedin
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
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.
86
2011
FLASH BACK
87
S a c h i n T e n d u lk a r
***
88
Then there
were XI
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.
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
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
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.
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