Tragic Hero of the World Cup
Just as FIFA, world’s governing body of football, organises the FIFA World Cup the ICC, cricket’s world governing body, has started to organise ICC World Cup from it’s seventh edition onwards. Twelve nations took part in this world cup with South Africa, hosts England, India, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Kenya were placed in Group A and Group B consisted of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Australia, New Zealand, West Indies and Scotland. Bangladesh and Scotland were the debutants.
The top three from each group are to advance to the Super six. Each team carried forward points earned against the other qualifying teams in the group stage and played the qualified team from the opposing group. With the top 4 teams in the super six stage advancing to the Semi Finals in the following order : 1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3. With the winners advancing to the finals.
Also Read : Wills World Cup 1996 : Poetic Justice For Sri Lanka
The shocking results in the group stage were Zimbabwe getting the better of India and South Africa with Neil Johnson playing a dream cricket in Group A while Bangladesh trouncing Pakistan in Group B. South Africa (carrying 2 points as they beat fellow qualifiers India), Zimbabwe (carrying 4 points as they beat fellow qualifiers South Africa and India) and India (didn’t carry any points forward as they lost to both South Africa and Zimbabwe) qualified in the super sixes from Group A while Pakistan ( carrying 4 points as they beat both the qualifiers Australia and New Zealand), New Zealand (carrying 2 points by beating Australia) and Australia (didn’t carry any points as they lost to both Pakistan and New Zealand) qualified in the super sixes from Group B.
In the Super Sixes Pakistan’s Saqlain Mushtaq took the second hat-trick of the world cup history against Zimbabwe. Pakistan, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand qualified for the semifinals. Zimbabwe were equal in terms of points with New Zealand but they made the exit due to inferior Net Run Rate.
So the Semi-Final line ups looked like this : Pakistan vs New Zealand and Australia vs South Africa. Pakistan had an easy 9 wicket win against the Kiwis whereas there was a high drama in the second semi-finals. After dismissing the Australians for 213 South Africa were on course to victory before Late Shane Warne struck 4 crucial blows. Lance Klusenar, like he did in the other matches in the tournament, single handedly, almost brought South Africa to victory before last man Allan Donald ran himself out displaying a poor cricket sense. The match was tied but since Australia beat South Africa in the Super six clash courtesy a dropped catch by Herschelle Gibbs of Steve Waugh (ironically Steve Waugh termed it a dropped World Cup) Australia advanced to the finals.
Also Read : Benson & Hedges World Cup 1992 : Imran’s Dream Come True
Pakistan took on Australia in the Grand Finale. Everyone termed Pakistan as the favourites in the finals before late Shane Warne spinning another web. Pakistan were dismissed for 132 – the lowest score so far in a world cup final. Australia had little problems in chasing the required total.
Australia may have won the Cup but the player of the tournament Lance Klusenar will be remembered as the tragic hero of the tournament.
