#CricketWorldCupdates - Watch out for... No. 5: ...The Unexpected

Rain on their parade! The rain rule thwarts the South African challenge in 1992

The World Cup should be the pinnacle of one-day cricket, with the best players on show, fighting for the biggest trophy in the sport. Unfortunately the high-quality cricket often gets overshadowed by any number of bizarre off-field events.

For example, in 1992 the pre Duckworth-Lewis “most productive overs” method of calculating rain-affected results left South Africa needing 22 off the final ball to reach the final. However hard you run, it’s unlikely you’ll turn a single into a 22...

In 2003 the controversy started in the build up to the tournament with the question mark over playing matches in, and against, Zimbabwe. Attention was particularly focused on England, and they eventually chose to boycott the fixture. Zimbabwe players Henry Olonga and Andy Flower went on to stage their own protests against the Mugabe regime. Shane Warne failed a drugs test in the build up to Australia’s first game, meaning that the hero of the 1999 final was sent home without bowling a ball.

The 2007 tournament was also plagued with criticism long before the first ball was delivered. The way the ICC commercialised every aspect of the tournament and high ticket prices came under the heaviest fire, and the standard and readiness of facilities were also questioned.

Andrew Flintoff made headlines for getting drunk and capsizing a pedalo after one of England’s matches, and the tournament will also be remembered for the sad, and mysterious, death of Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer. 

2011 was relatively controversy free, given that part of the schedule had to be rearranged due to Pakistan’s ban on hosting international matches, but it didn’t escape entirely. During England’s tie with India, Ian Bell survived a DRS referral on the grounds that he was more than 2.5 metres away from the stumps, much to MS Dhoni’s dismay. As we know, the Indians aren’t the biggest supporters of technology in cricket anyway.

The ICC and host nations in particular will be hoping that the 2015 tournament passes by without criticism and controversy, and that the tournament is remembered for what happens on the field: but history suggests that might be hoping for too much.

#CricketWorldCupdates - Watch out for... No. 4: Aussie Grit

Straight to the Pont! The Australian captain leads his side to World Cup glory

Having scraped through the group stage in 1999, Australia needed to win all three of their Super Six matches to reach the knockout stage. After comfortable victories against India and Zimbabwe they were set a challenging total by South Africa.

Needing to win to set up a semi-final against the Proteas (and we know what happened there) Australia chased down the target of 272 to win with two balls remaining. There was a patient 69 from Ricky Ponting, more from him later, but it was captain Steve Waugh who held the innings together. His unbeaten 120 from 110 balls started the trend of Australian captains coming up trumps in huge World Cup games.

By 2003, Ponting had taken over as captain, and his side were favourites to retain the title won in 1999. After a mediocre group stage that only included a couple of half centuries, Ponting exploded into life in the first Super Six game against Sri Lanka. His 109-ball 114 helped the Aussies post over 300 to win a game that sent them through to the semi-finals with two games to spare, and acted as a sign of things to come.

After meeting, and beating, Sri-Lanka again in a low-scoring semi-final, Ponting’s men faced India in the final. Ponting lost the toss, but having been put into bat, this was the last thing that would go wrong for the Australian skipper on the day. After putting on a century stand for the first wicket, openers Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden fell in quick succession. This brought Ponting and Damien Martyn together at the crease, and they took the game away from their opponents quickly and brutally. Martyn’s unbeaten 88 was impressive, but Ponting’s 140 not out was one of the greatest one-day innings ever seen, on the biggest stage of them all.

Uncharacteristically, Ponting’s only century of the 2007 World Cup was against an associate nation. He followed up the 113 against Scotland with half centuries as Australia defeated South Africa, England, Sri Lanka and New Zealand to make serene progress through the tournament. The reality though was that Australia didn’t need their captain to be anything more than steady in a tournament they won easily.

2011 was a lot more challenging for the Australians though, and Ponting’s own struggles were evident. New Zealand and Zimbabwe were the only Test nations Australia beat in the group stage before bowing out in the quarterfinals to eventual champions India. The quarterfinal was ultimately disappointing for Australia, but showed the fighting qualities of their captain. After failing to pass fifty in the group stage, Ponting rolled back the years to score 104 and help his side to a competitive total. While 260/6 was not enough on the day, the qualities that current captain Michael Clarke will be expected to show, if he gets himself fit for the World Cup this year, were on display for all to see.

#CricketWorldCupdates - Watch out for... No. 3: Choking Proteas?

Donald's Duck! Adam Gilchrist completes the run-out to send Australia through

Every World Cup can be counted upon for high scores, exciting cricket and drama. The drama often comes in the form of an English collapse, like those mentioned yesterday, but another country involved in more than their fair share of drama, and collapses, is South Africa.

The South African’s usually arrive with a strong squad and a strong claim over victory, but as strong as their squads have been, getting over the line has been a problem. As tournaments have gone by, and South Africa have fallen in tight games in the latter stages, they have been labelled as chokers.

This World Cup will be no different in at least one respect, questions will be raised about the ability of South Africa to get over the line, whether the label is a fair one or not.

In 1999 the Proteas had more than one foot in the final before their first major meltdown. Having slipped to 61/4 chasing Australia’s total of 213, Jacques Kallis and Jonty Rhodes put together a partnership of 84 and Shaun Pollock and Lance Klusener’s big hitting gave them a great chance. Wickets continued to fall until they entered the final over on 205/9, Klusener still at the crease, and on strike.

The left-hander hit the first two balls of the over for four drawing the scores level. A run-out was narrowly avoided on the third ball before a mix-up on the fourth led to both batsmen ending up at the same end. The run out, and tie, meant Australia went through due to their superior record from the previous round.

More examples of narrow losses in bizarre circumstances have included a miscalculation in 2003 that led to a Duckworth-Lewis tie, and their elimination, following an incorrect message from the dressing room, and a miserable collapse in the 2011 quarterfinal against New Zealand.

Graeme Smith’s decade as captain was littered with attempts to distance his side from the chokers label, but having failed to get over the line in a major tournament, they’ll face question marks again in Australia and New Zealand this year.

#CricketWorldCupdates - Watch out for... No. 2: England snatching defeat from the jaws of victory

Cutting Loose! Michael Bevan breaks English hearts' in 2003

The Ireland v England match mentioned yesterday could easily have formed part of this section too, as England have a habit of losing matches that look all-but sewn up in these major tournaments.

In 2003 England needed to beat Australia to reach the Super 6 stage having chosen to boycott their fixture in Zimbabwe. Marcus Trescothick and Nick Knight got them off to a flier, putting on 66 for the first wicket within the first ten overs, before wickets fell and they limped to 204/8 from their 50 overs. However this looked like a winning score when Australia were reduced to 48/4 and then 135/8. Unfortunately this brought Michael Bevan and Andy Bichel together, and their unbeaten partnership saw Australia home as the wheels came off for Hussain’s side in the last ten overs.

A topsy-turvy encounter in 2007 saw the three lions defeated narrowly by Sri Lanka in the Super 8s. Having restricted the sub-continental side to 235 England set about losing early wickets. But from 11/2, Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen took them to 101/2 and well on top in the game, before a customary collapse. Four wickets fell for just 32 runs and they were suddenly on the brink of defeat. Paul Nixon and Ravi Bopara swung the momentum back towards England with an 87-run partnership that took them to within 15 of victory. Unfortunately they both fell in the last eight balls and Sri Lanka won by two runs.

Alongside defeat to Ireland, 2011 also saw a high-scoring tie with India that looked won and lost at different stages, and a humbling by Bangladesh. Having struggled to 225, England initially struggled with the ball. But after reducing the Bangladeshi’s from 155/3 to 169/8 it looked like the favourites were going to scrape through. Mahmudullah and Shafiul Islam thought otherwise though, and their ten-over partnership saw their team home.

#CricketWorldCupdates - Watch out for... No. 1: The Irish Invasion

Lift off! Kevin O'Brien celebrates his hundred against England in 2011

At their first World Cup in 2007, Ireland burst onto the scene snatching a dramatic tie with Zimbabwe before their famous win against Pakistan on St. Patrick’s Day. The Niall O’Brien inspired chase saw them through to the Super 8 stage where they added Bangladesh to their list of Caribbean scalps as they catapulted themselves into the cricketing limelight.

Four years later Ireland were at it again, this time it was Niall’s brother Kevin providing the heroics as they beat England in Bangalore. From 111/5, the target of 328 looked a mile away, but O’Brien’s 63-ball 113 saw them home with five balls to spare.

Ireland don’t play on St Patrick’s Day this year, but two days before it they play their final group game against Pakistan and I’m sure they’d happily start the celebrations a couple of days early if they repeat their 2007 heroics in Adelaide.

The class of 2015 looks set to give another good account of itself, with the O’Brien’s leading a core contingent within the squad playing in their third World Cup. Another of those is Ed Joyce who played for England in 2007 and he’ll be joined at the top of the order by Warwickshire’s William Porterfield, who played a key role in their domestic success in 2014. Boyd Rankin will be a big miss having followed in Eoin Morgan’s footsteps by making the switch to England, but much is hoped of Craig Young who has picked up 16 wickets in his first six ODIs.