With World Cup continuing lets see the Top 5 Letdowns in the Cricket World Cup history
West Indies in 1987 World Cup:
There wasn’t too much doubt that the West Indian side was on a wane by the time they got to the World Cup in 1987. But for a team which had won two of the three previous World Cups and entered the final in the third, this could have barely got worse. They played six games in the tournament, and for a side which had lost only two games in three World Cups, they lost three of those six in this one. They finished third in their group and crashed out of the tournament without making it to the semi-finals.
Australia in 1992 World Cup:
Defending champions, one of the stronger sides in the competition and playing the games at home – what more would have thought they needed to rock the world. Instead, Australia lost their first game of the tournament to New Zealand and thereafter went down to South Africa before edging out India in rather fortuitous circumstances. Thereafter, they won only three more games of the remaining five but that wasn’t enough for them to make it to the semis.
South Africa in 1996 and 2003:
The word chokers, is not associated with South Africa for nothing. First, in 1996, they entered the quarter-finals with five wins from five games and lost the quarter-final to a lowly-placed West Indies and were sent home packing. Then, in 2003, they misread a rain rule and crashed out in the first round of their home tournament.
England in 1999:
No, they weren’t a great ODI team for sure in those days. But, one would have expected the English side to make it to the Super Six stage of the competition held in England. At least. As it turned out, they lost to India and South Africa and were edged out of the tournament by Zimbabwe, who had the same number of wins as them but a better net run-rate.
India and Pakistan in 2007:
India had entered the 2007 World Cup as the previous tournament’s runner-up. Pakistan had a good team with Inzamam-ul-Haq as the captain and Bob Woolmer as the coach. Both the sides were consumed by lesser known teams – Bangladesh and Ireland respectively – and were sent out in the first round of a long tournament itself.
West Indies in 1987 World Cup:
There wasn’t too much doubt that the West Indian side was on a wane by the time they got to the World Cup in 1987. But for a team which had won two of the three previous World Cups and entered the final in the third, this could have barely got worse. They played six games in the tournament, and for a side which had lost only two games in three World Cups, they lost three of those six in this one. They finished third in their group and crashed out of the tournament without making it to the semi-finals.
Australia in 1992 World Cup:
Defending champions, one of the stronger sides in the competition and playing the games at home – what more would have thought they needed to rock the world. Instead, Australia lost their first game of the tournament to New Zealand and thereafter went down to South Africa before edging out India in rather fortuitous circumstances. Thereafter, they won only three more games of the remaining five but that wasn’t enough for them to make it to the semis.
South Africa in 1996 and 2003:
The word chokers, is not associated with South Africa for nothing. First, in 1996, they entered the quarter-finals with five wins from five games and lost the quarter-final to a lowly-placed West Indies and were sent home packing. Then, in 2003, they misread a rain rule and crashed out in the first round of their home tournament.
England in 1999:
No, they weren’t a great ODI team for sure in those days. But, one would have expected the English side to make it to the Super Six stage of the competition held in England. At least. As it turned out, they lost to India and South Africa and were edged out of the tournament by Zimbabwe, who had the same number of wins as them but a better net run-rate.
India and Pakistan in 2007:
India had entered the 2007 World Cup as the previous tournament’s runner-up. Pakistan had a good team with Inzamam-ul-Haq as the captain and Bob Woolmer as the coach. Both the sides were consumed by lesser known teams – Bangladesh and Ireland respectively – and were sent out in the first round of a long tournament itself.
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