2003 cricket World Cup
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The 2003 Cricket World Cup was played in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya from February 9 to March 24.
Going into the tournament, Australia were generally regarded as the warm-to-hot favourite to defend their title, with co-host South Africa and the enigmatic Pakistan team regarded as the major obstacles.
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Controversies
There were a number of pre-tournament controversies, including the possible refusal of many Indian players to play due to their inability to promote their personal sponsors (many of whom provide most of the players' income, but whose products clash with those of the tournament sponsor).
Also raised was the security and political situation in Zimbabwe, and the appropriateness of playing there given the alleged misdeeds of the regime of Robert Mugabe. Two Zimbabwean players, Andy Flower and Henry Olonga (the former white, the latter black) wore black armbands for their opening game, and issued a strong statement explaining that they were "mourning the death of democracy in Zimbabwe". Both men subsequently retired from Zimbabwean cricket, and began playing overseas, Olonga stating that to continue "would be condoning the grotesque human rights violations that have been perpetrated - and continue to be perpetrated - against my fellow countrymen."
Australian star player Shane Warne was sent home from the cup in disgrace, only the day before their opening game, after a positive drug test in a lead-up competition in Australia.
England faced a great deal of domestic pressure to boycott their match in Zimbabwe on political grounds, and after some prevarication—initially announcing that they would play—did not play, citing fears for the players' safety. Similarly, New Zealand decided against playing in Kenya because of security fears.
Participating Nations
Fourteen teams played in the 2003 Cricket World Cup. In the first round, they were divided into two groups of 7 teams. The best three of each group qualified for the "Super Six", carrying the results against other qualifiers to that round. The top four teams qualified for the semi-finals, and the winners of those matches played the final.
- ODI status
- Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Kenya, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies, Zimbabwe
- ICC Trophy qualifiers
- Canada, Namibia, Netherlands
Preliminary Round Results
- 9 February 2003 South Africa v West Indies - West Indies won by 3 runs.
- 10 February 2003 Zimbabwe v Namibia - Zimbabwe won by 86 runs.
- 10 February 2003 New Zealand v Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka won by 47 runs.
- 11 February 2003 Australia v Pakistan - Australia won by 82 runs.
- 11 February 2003 Bangladesh v Canada - Canada won by 60 runs.
- 12 February 2003 India v Netherlands - India won by 68 runs.
- 12 February 2003 South Africa v Kenya - South Africa won by 10 wickets.
- 13 February 2003 New Zealand v West Indies - New zealand won by 20 runs.
- 13 February 2003 England v Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe won by default.
- 14 February 2003 Bangladesh v Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka won by 10 wickets.
- 15 February 2003 Australia v India - Australia won by 9 wickets.
- 15 February 2003 Canada v Kenya - Kenya won by 4 wickets.
- 16 February 2003 New Zealand v South Africa - New Zealand won by 9 wickets.
- 16 February 2003 England v Holland - England won by 6 wickets.
- 16 February 2003 Pakistan v Namibia - Pakistan won by 171 runs.
- 18 February 2003 West Indies v Kenya - match abandoned due to rain.
- 19 February 2003 Sri Lanka v Canada - Sri Lanka won by 9 wickets.
- 19 February 2003 India v Zimbabwe - India won by 83 runs.
- 19 February 2003 England v Namibia - England won by 55 runs.
- 20 February 2003 Australia v Netherlands - Australia won by 75 runs.
- 21 February 2003 Kenya v New Zealand - Kenya won by default.
- 22 February 2003 South Africa v Bangladesh - South africa won by 10 wickets.
- 22 February 2003 England v Pakistan - England won by 112 runs.
- 23 February 2003 West Indies v Canada - West Indies won by 7 wickets.
- 23 February 2003 India v Namibia - India won by 181 runs.
- 24 February 2003 Kenya v Sri Lanka - Kenya won by 53 runs.
- 24 February 2003 Australia v Zimbabwe - Australia won by 7 wickets.
- 25 February 2003 Pakistan v Netherlands - Pakistan won by 97 runs.
- 26 February 2003 New Zealand v Bangladesh - New Zealand won by 7 wickets.
- 26 February 2003 England v India - India won by 82 runs.
- 27 February 2003 Australia v Namibia - Australia won by 256 runs.
- 27 February 2003 South Africa v Canada - South Africa won by 118 runs.
- 28 February 2003 Zimbabwe v Netherlands - Zimbabwe won by 99 runs.
- 28 February 2003 West Indies v Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka won by 6 runs.
- 1 March 2003 India v Pakistan - India won by 6 wickets.
- 1 March 2003 Kenya v Bangladesh - Kenya won by 32 runs.
- 2 March 2003 England v Australia - Australia won by 2 wickets.
- 3 March 2003 New Zealand v Canada - New Zealand won by 5 wickets.
- 3 March 2003 South Africa v Sri Lanka - tied after rain interruption.†
- 4 March 2003 Zimbabwe v Pakistan - no result due to rain.
- 4 March 2003 West Indies v Kenya - West Indies won by 142 runs.
† Before the game was delayed and ultimately called off for rain, the South African team gave to the batsmen a table showing the number of runs required after each ball the remainder of the match assuming that rain would conclude the game after that particular ball. One ball before the rain interruption began, South Africa scored the requisite number of runs. On the next ball, it appeared that the batsmen could take a run, but they decided not to take a risk, assuming that they had already scored the appropriate number of runs. After the game was abandoned, the South Africans discovered that the rain-rule table gave not the number of runs required for a win, but the runs required for a tie. Thus, the match ended in a tie, and South Africa lost all mathematical chances of proceeding to the Super Six. Incidentally, South Africa could not proceed to the finals of the 1999 cricket World Cup too, due to a tie in the match with Australia in the semifinals.
Super Six Results
Australia, India, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, Kenya and New Zealand advanced to the Super Six stage.
- 7 March 2003 Australia v Sri Lanka - Australia won by 96 runs.
- 7 March 2003 India v Kenya - India won by 6 wickets.
- 8 March 2003 New Zealand v Zimbabwe - New zealand won by 6 wickets.
- 10 March 2003 India v Sri Lanka - India won by 183 runs.
- 11 March 2003 Australia v New Zealand - Australia won by 96 runs.
- 12 March 2003 Kenya v Zimbabwe - Kenya won by 7 wickets.
- 14 March 2003 India v New Zealand - India won by 7 wickets.
- 15 March 2003 Australia v Kenya - Australia won by 5 wickets.
- 16 March 2003 Zimbabwe v Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka won by 74 runs.
Semifinals
18 March 2003 Australia v Sri Lanka - Australia won by 48 runs.
On a difficult, slow pitch at Port Elizabeth, Australia struggled their way to 212 against tight Sri Lankan bowling, thanks mainly to 91 from Andrew Symonds, demonstrating again captain Ricky Ponting's faith in him. Chaminda Vaas, continuing his excellent tournament, took three wickets. Australia's pace attack then ripped through the Sri Lankan top order, with Brett Lee taking three early wickets and Glenn McGrath taking one. By the time rain arrived in the thirty-ninth over, continued tight bowling had squeezed Sri Lanka to 7/123, well behind the target give by the Duckworth-Lewis method.
20 March 2003 India vs Kenya - India won by 91 runs.
The fairytale finally ended for the Kenyan team, the only non test-playing nation to make a World Cup semifinal. Sachin Tendulkar, with 83 runs, and Sourav Ganguly with 111 off 114 balls, batted the Kenyans out of the game as India careered to a total of 4/270 off their 50 overs. Under the Durban lights, the newly potent Indian seam attack of Zaheer Khan, the experienced Javagal Srinath, and Ashish Nehra careered through the Kenyan top order, who were never in the hunt and were bowled out for 179.
Final
24 March 2003 Australia v India.
India won the toss, and Ganguly—slightly strangely—asked Australia to bat, hoping to take advantage of a pitch left damp by dew and rain. On a lively Wanderers Stadium pitch, the Australian openers took advantage of very wayward Indian opening bowlers to get off to a flying start. Bringing up a century opening stand in the fourteeth over, Adam Gilchrist, who had been swinging at everything, holed out off a sweep shot from the bowling of Harbhajan Singh leaving Australia at 1-105. Matthew Hayden, looking somewhat better than he had throughout the tournament, soon followed for 37. Captain Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn (playing with a broken thumb) then completed a partnership of 234, an Australian record for one-day cricket. Ponting and Martyn started efficiently, putting away bad balls but mostly keeping the scoring going with good running, then letting loose in the last ten overs, taking 109 from them, Ponting in particular dispatching the bowling over the fence with fearsome regularity making 140 from 121 balls. The final Australian total of 2-359 was their highest ever in ODI history.
The Australian total looked impregnable, particularly after India's trump card Sachin Tendulkar was out in the first over after skying a pull shot, Glenn McGrath completing the caught and bowled. Nevertheless, Virender Sehwag's run-a-ball half century gave India respectability as they maintained a high scoring rate, but their only realistic hope—a washout—looked a possibility as the game was interrupted by rain in the eighteenth over. However, the rain proved fleeting, and India's hopes were dashed when Sehwag was run out by Darren Lehmann for 82. India's batsmen continued to throw wickets away in the chase and were finally bowled out for 234 giving Australia an emphatic victory underlining their dominance of the tournament. Ponting was named "Man Of The Match", and Sachin Tendulkar, for his demolition of bowling attacks, was named "Player Of The Tournament."
External Links
BBC Cricket World Cup 2003 site (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport3/cwc2003/default.stm)