World Cup 2007

Features Archive

Squashing glory

How a humble little squash ball played its part in one of the great batting efforts of our times... more

A farce, a fiasco, a debacle or a shambles?

Tim de Lisle looks back the World Cup and concludes that as an event, it committed the crime that sports administrators are apt to accuse players of: it brought the game into disrepute ... more

The upside of disappointment

With their performance at the World Cup, Sri Lanka distracted a nation from the troubles that have blighted it during the last two years... more

West Indies take risk on gambler

Flamboyant, naturally talented, stubborn, forthright, Ramnaresh Sarwan is a big punt as the West Indies captain... more

Awesome Australia but awful organising

It was entirely appropriate that a sorry tournament should have a sorry end, though it must be said that the embarrassment in the final moments far exceeded anything that preceded it... more

Going out in style

Glenn McGrath has gone out in style; he has become the leading wicket-taker in World Cup cricket and performed so well that people are now asking, "Why is he retiring?... more

You must enjoy, not fear, trying to beat Aussies - Sangakkara

In an interview before the World Cup, Kumar Sangakkara said that Sri Lanka had a good chance of winning... more

'Australia are never down and cannot be counted out' - Wright

John Wright looks back at India's World Cup campaign of 2003... more

Both teams are evenly matched: Chappell

Ian Chappell previews the final of World Cup 2007 between Australia and Sri Lanka... more

'You have to go after Australia' - Chappell

Ian Chappell previews the 2nd semi-final between Australia and South Africa... more

'He who hesitates is lost' - Woolmer

A month before his death, Bob Woolmer recounted memories of the 1999 World Cup... more

'Both will give it their all' - Wright

John Wright previews the first semi-final between New Zealand and Sri Lanka... more

Finally, a good game

Sambit Bal talks about the contest between evenly-matched teams and Brian Lara's final outing ... more

England clinch a thriller

Pietersen gatecrashes Lara's farewell party... more

Too much has been made of our selection

A lot of fuss has been made about the Sri Lankan team resting their key bowlers. Would the same noise be made if Australia, South Africa or New Zealand were to do the same, asks Kumar Sangakkara... more

So long Brian Charles Lara

Dileep Premachandran puts the strings together and looks back at the career of Brian Charles Lara... more

'A decision that was on the cards' - Holding

Brian Lara stayed on for longer than he should have, and now it's time to thank him and look ahead... more

Another mismatch

Sri Lanka made a good comeback, but leave a thought for the Irishmen, they have brought a lot to this World Cup ... more

Lively South Africa reign supreme

A dreadful performance by England marked their unceremonious exit form the World Cup... more

A baffling selection

Australia is tough to beat and it was ridiculous to see Sri Lanka take the field without their key players... more

The curse of analysis paralysis

A contemporary perspective on today's cricket and why ICC should be careful - no point killing the golden goose... more

It was a privilege watching Ireland

On a pitch that suited them more than Bangladesh, Ireland showed the tenacity to pull of a magnificent victory... more

A clinical win for New Zealand

New Zealand came out well planned and they finished the job clinically... more

The 2007 World Cup is a PR disaster

The game is like a tree; if you keep the trunk and the roots healthy the branches will take care of themselves... more

Australia continue their ruthless form

Ireland fail to cope with the bounce at the Kensington Oval as Australia ensure themselves a spot in the semi-final... more

The main men stood up

Sri Lanka are shaping up well in the World Cup, and they seem to have a well thought out plan... more

Unimpressive, but an important victory

An important victory for England, a good performance by Bangladesh and at the end of the day it was a good match... more

'West Indies have lots to sort out' - Holding

An abject surrender, and as far as the World Cup is concerned that's it for West Indies... more

The real test is yet to come

A fine victory for New Zealand, but the top order batting needs to step up in the next three crucial games... more

India must be patient with their captains

BCCI has taken decisions on the run, the news from the World Cup and when the clock slowed down to save the match... more

Australia were too good for England

The game was closely fought but Australia were the clear winners... more

You need self-belief and attitude

A big thank you to Jayasuriya and Muralitharan... more

The players believe in themselves

Bangladesh's victory against India wasn't a flash in the pan, and the win against SA drives that point home... more

Sri Lanka's bowlers won them the game

Ravi Bopara puts up a fight... more

'He held up a mirror to Indian cricket'-Manjrekar

Sanjay Manjrekar on Greg Chappell's decision to not renew his contract... more

A public relations disaster

This World Cup has been a tough one from many points of view, not all of them the ICC's fault; they can hardly be blamed for the horrific death of Bob Woolmer... more

Sri Lanka victorious!

Sanath Jayasuriya's ton helps Sri Lanka post 303... more

England unimpressive, but still in the hunt

Dileep Premachandran talks about the England team that is taking time to come to terms with their performance... more

'Competitive and consistent' - Shastri

Ravi Shastri salutes Anil Kumble who has announced his retirement from one-day cricket... more

The Narail Express

The man who will be leading the Bangladesh line in today's showdown with Australia in Antigua is Mashrafe Mortaza, a fast bowler who bobbed to the surface even as the rest of his country seemed to be sinking around him... more

England needed to beat Ireland convincingly

Ireland, an underling, keen to make strides forward ... more

'I've never seen any bowler attack so ferociously' - Srinath

Rahul Dravid, Javagal Srinath and Sunil Joshi pay tribute to Anil Kumble... more

An Anzac battle for the World Cup

As Australia batter their way through the World Cup it is only New Zealand that look like coming up with some resistance against the world champions... more

'It would take brave money to bet against the Kiwis'

John Wright analyses a comfortable victory for New Zealand... more

Sri Lanka will come back, stronger

Dileep Premachandran on South Africa's near-miss and Lasith Malinga's history-making spell at the death... more

I feel sorry for India's cricketers

The World Cup feels a little empty without India... more

'This World Cup is too long ' - Chappell

Ian Chappell analyses the format of the 2007 World Cup ... more

Less is more

Martin Williamson argues that the ICC needs to rethink the way it handles the Associates at future World Cups... more

Shape up or ship out

Unfit and overweight, India's one-day cricketers are being muscled off the park... more

'A short-sighted decision'

Feedback to Andrew Miller's column about the ICC's decision to order YouTube to remove all its World Cup clips... more

Once more cricket shoots itself in the foot

Andrew Miller is unhappy with the ICC's decision to order YouTube to remove all its World Cup clips... more

An action packed World Cup

India has tough decisions to make, South Africa and Australia look good and the horrible death of Bob Woolmer... more

Brad Hogg made the difference

A good match and by the look of it Australia and South Africa will be right up there when it comes to the semis... more

Do Pakistan need a coach? Maybe not

Rameez Raja dwells on the shaky future of Pakistan cricket and pays tribute to the special batsman from Multan ... more

More supporter tributes

More praise for the commentary candidates... more

Supporters push for their favourites

Voting has begun for Australia's best commentator and to help you judge here are the leading tributes to the men and their microphones... more

So long, Inzi

Like Bob Woolmer, this is not the way Inzamam-ul-Haq should have bid adieu to cricket, or at least ODI cricket, stumbling out of the World Cup disastrously... more

Fuelled by team spirit

Unless things go drastically wrong, Ireland have a Super Eight date with England to look forward to in Guyana a week on Saturday... more

'He was absolutely smokin' it'- Bunge

Netherlands' Daan van Bunge on being hit for a record six sixes in an over... more

Sri Lanka, the real test for India

A good win for India, and now that sets up a must-win clash against the old rivals Sri Lanka... more

Flintoff's sobering experience

All too often, the press and public in England are guilty of what is known as "tall-poppy syndrome". They build a star up, particularly if he is a sportsman, and then hack him down with a vengeance the moment he oversteps the mark... more

Cricket poorer with Woolmer's passing

Former players pay their respects ... more

'Woolmer changed the way we played' - Cullinan

South African batsman remembers their inspirational coach... more

A miracle needed

An unexpected and upsetting start to India's World Cup campaign; and now India is looking right down the barrel... more

Tough, but not impossible

Anand Vasu calculates just exactly what India need to do to avoid elimination from the World Cup in round one ... more

At the heart of the game

Anand Vasu salutes the good men of Bangladesh who have put in very hard yards, often unrewarded, even ridiculed... more

`Sri Lanka deserved the Cup'

Sanjay Manjrekar looks back at what went wrong for India and what made Sri Lanka click in the 1996 World Cup... more

Knives are out and heads will roll

It's an uneasy period for Pakistan cricket and the team has disappointed the country and their fans... more

Razzak's peach and Tamim's blitz

The hits and misses in Bangladesh's victory over India... more

Gibbs the powerhouse

Herschelle Gibbs is an incredible talent and has a reputation of being super powerful... more

Watch out for Bond

It was a grudge match and New Zealand, the deserving team, took the honours.... more

'I'm a good team man, irritating to opponents'

Paul Nixon chats about making a debut at 36, playing at the World Cup, his obsession with fitness and badgering opponents... more

`We were like gods in Bangalore'

Sanjay Manjrekar relives his memories of the 1996 World Cup and that memorable Indian win against Pakistan... more

Our youngsters are ready to make their mark

Not too much to worry about from Sri Lanka's defeat to New Zealand in the warm-up match... more

'Our running leaves a lot to be desired'

West Indies rose to the occasion and played with pride, passion and steel. Pakistan's effort was good for they worked hard all the time but in the end it wasn't enough... more

'There's a focus about this West Indian team now'

Dileep Premachandran talks about the Dwayne Smith show and Pakistan's continuing top order woes ... more

West Indies wanted to win more than Pakistan

Rameez Raja takes us through the opening game of the 2007 World Cup... more

Help us find Australia's No. 1 commentator

Australia's selectors have found their best line-up for the World Cup, now it's your turn to pick the country's No. 1 commentator... more

A tale of cornered tigers

Rameez Raja remembers the unexpected triumph of the Pakistan team at the 1992 World Cup... more

Fine legs and dying swans

Dileep Premachandran on the highlights of West Indies' World Cup opening win... more

Battle of the unpredictable

In this clash between the West Indies and Pakistan there are many match-ups that could playa vital role in deciding which way the pendulum of fortune swings... more

The burden of Afridi

Fast, furious, at the same time frustrating, Afridi can give you hope and has the ability to snatch it in one breath with his foibles. In an interview with Nagraj Gollapudi, Shahid Afridi tries to explain his journey so far and when and why he is emotiona... more

Spin, bounce and turn?

The spinners who could play a big role in the 2007 World Cup... more

'Personal form should not take precedence' -Manjrekar

Sanjay Manjrekar believes that it is the middle order batsmen who are key to India's chances in this World Cup... more

Let the games begin

With a trimmed format and no clear favourites, World Cup 2007 has all the makings of a classic... more

A few good fast men

Anand Vasu looks at some of the bowlers who could make a difference at the World Cup... more

The master blaster, and the unknown

King Viv's 181, and John Davison's star turn... more

Need for speed

How a top-edged six made the bowler a star... more

'The South Africans are my personal favourites'

Bob Woolmer's take on South Africa's World Cup squad... more

The best balanced team

John Wright analyses the New Zealand team for the World Cup ... more

England can surprise other teams

Tony Greig analyses the England team for the World Cup ... more

Middle order in a spot of bother

Aravinda de Silva analyses the Sri Lankan squad ... more

Playmakers make the difference

When all has been said and done, it is a few critical players that do the job with the bat. They are the ones that set up matches.... more

Defying expectations

Ravi Shastri relives the glory of the 1983 World Cup when India were crowned world champions... more

'Aussie aura has been punctured'

Ian Chappell analyses the Australian team that has shown itself to be fallible in recent times... more

Double jeopardy

Two special deliveries ruined English World Cup hopes yet again ... more

Kapil's magic grab

In a few seconds, the 1983 World Cup final was turned on its head... more

'This Windies team can go places'

Sir Viv Richards believes a West Indian victory in the forthcoming World Cup will trigger "one of the biggest parties ever". Andrew Miller finds out more... more

Tears in vain as India crash out

Defeat proved to be too hard to take, both for Eden Gardens and Vinod Kambli... more

Expect drama from the Pakistan team

Rameez Raja analyses the Pakistan team for the World Cup... more

Inzi announces his arrival, and India's hat-trick hero

Inzamam scuppers Kiwi dream, and Sharma gets a hat-trick... more

Billy the Kid in Lahore, and Kapil bedevils Zimbabwe

McDermott ruins Imran's farewell, and Kapil revives Indian hopes... more

Chicken farmer and Waugh games

Brandes blows away the pros, and Waugh waltzes past a daunting target... more

Lara's bounce back, SA's return

When Lara eliminated the World Cup favourites, and South Africa returned as though they'd never been away... more

More is not better, but just more

Shoaib the bad boy, Vaughan a must for England, Oram's ring finger fix and all about killing the golden goose... more

'Bowling - West Indies' Achilles heel'

Michael Holding's evaluation of the West Indies squad ... more

Most open World Cup

Diverse and unpredictable conditions, coupled with a wide field and a huge time span, make it difficult to pick favourites ... more

500 is a possibility in this World Cup

Sanjay Manjrekar speaks with Ian and Greg Chappell on the evolution of one day cricket and the art of batting... more

'We had a strong, confident group of players' - Holding

Holding goes back to 1979, when West Indies retained the World Cup... more

World Cup was deadline for return, says Ganguly

Sourav Ganguly revealed that he'd set a World Cup deadline for himself, after which he would have given up hope of playing for India... more

Shoaib, Asif should apologise to the nation

Shoaib and Asif's erratic behaviour has let the entire nation down and they need to apologise... more

`It's been a journey of self discovery'

Anand Vasu speaks with Rahul Dravid about his own perspective and challenges for his team before the World Cup... more

Incredible finale for the greatest game

When it came to the crunch, with Australia seemingly down for the count, South Africa lost their nerve... more

'It was the longest day of the year'

Ian Chappell recounts his memories of the 1975 World Cup final and the festivities that followed... more

A Sunny ton, and McGrath at his best

How Sunil Gavaskar signed off, and Glenn McGrath walked the paper talk... more

Roy revs up, and a minnows' classic

How Andrew Symonds got his groove, and Arjuna Ranatunga gave a hint of what was to come... more

Fingers optional as Oram pursues dream

Many people like to claim they'd give an arm and a leg to play in a World Cup. Oram means it literally... more

'The World Cup was here to stay' - Chappell

Ian Chappell recollects the memories of his team's journey to the finals of the 1975 World Cup... more

Crowe's show, the one-spell wonder

How two men undid Australian hopes, in different ways, in two World Cups... more

From Harare to Hollywood

Gary Crocker, the former Zimbabwe allrounder, can now be found making his living in Hollywood. Here he talks about his new life, his old life and his fears for Zimbabwe cricket... more

Another magic ball

When called upon, Shane Warne pushed thoughts of retirement away with a bravura spell... more

Raju won the battle, lost the Waugh

Steve Waugh's dramatic recovery on the boundary allowed Australia to sneak home... more

One false shot, and a World Cup lost

Mike Gatting's impetuous reverse sweep cost England more than a wicket in the 1987 final... more

Warne again, and Kenya come good

The greatest World Cup match, and the mother of all upsets... more

Zimbabwe's black armband protest

Henry Olonga and Andy Flower mourn the 'death of democracy' back home... more

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's Jonty

The moment which revolutionised fielding in world cricket... more

Johnson's heroics, and Veletta's 'gem of a cameo'

Neil Johnson's allround show against South Africa in 1999, Mike Veletta's forgotten cameo in the 1987 final... more

We have nothing to feel inferior about

In the second part Sanjay Manjrekar prods Kumar Sangakkara to know more about the cricketer and beyond ... more

Watch out for the goodbye men

Sanjay Manjrekar corners Kumar Sangakkara to talk on Sri Lanka's prospects and the key players in the World Cup... more

Raining on the Rainbow Nation

Another cloud burst rips South Africa's World Cup hopes....at home... more

Shoaib shatters the Kiwis, Mohinder ambles to glory

Pakistan storm into the 1999 finals and Indian cricket's biggest turning point... more

They dumped me

Cricinfo looks at eleven baffling omissions from the World Cup squads... more

Sohail starts, Prasad finishes

When Aamer Sohail heard the death rattle after speaking a little too soon ... more

Mad Max destroys India, and Big Bird sinks England

Aravinda de Silva lights up Eden Gardens and Joel Garner stars in Windies' second triumph... more

Zimbabwe announce their arrival

When a group of part-time players caught Australia off the hook... more

A fitting final act

A manufactured stroke that added the perfect finishing touch for West Indies... more

'You need to have a perfect plan'

Akhila Ranganna chats with Dinesh Karthik on his comeback, his new role in the team and his World Cup dreams ... more

Lloyd's lucky drop

The dropped catch that perhaps helped win a final... more

They think it's all over ... it isn't!

A sea of humanity invade Lord's and Dickie Bird loses his hat in the chaos... more

First-over knockout

A blistering statement of intent in the most eagerly-awaited spectacle of the 2003 World Cup... more

22 off one ball

How South Africa's first World Cup adventure ended in heartbreak... more

Play according to their strengths

Sanjay Manjrekar assesses the Indian squad selected for the World Cup ... more

An inconvenient truth?

If you got together a completely different set of five Indian selectors, and they honestly picked 15, it would not be much different from the one already announced... more

'Never run off a misfield'

Viv Richards' run-out of Ian Chappell in the 1975 final... more

Fielding and the ground realities

... more

Back to the old guard

India's selectors and team management have plenty to think about as they discuss selection with Rahul Dravid... more

'Taylor and Edwards could be the pair for the future'

While in India to promote tourism, Courtney Walsh took out some time to speak to Cricinfo... more

Does anybody really care?

The question is: are England lousy at one-day cricket because they're indifferent to it or are they indifferent to it because they're lousy at it?... more

The Caribbean's massive undertaking

In the Caribbean, the magnitude of the task that awaits the region next March is slowly beginning to dawn. Too slowly for comfort, in the opinion of many observers. In seven months' time, the curtain will be raised on the ninth cricket World Cup, and at p... more

Gearing up for the World Cup

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan visits the new Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua... more

Pick ups the ante with new role

Jenny Thompson interviews Canada's new coach Andy Pick... more

Preparing to welcome the world

... more