When the schedule of the Benson & Hedges World Cup was first proposed, India were to face Pakistan in the very first match. On hindsight if the original schedule was to remain unchanged and the matches resulted the way they did later, it would have robbed the viewer of much drama that was to unfold.
History had it that the original schedule be modified due to the late inclusion of South Africa,liberated from political isolation adding the much needed unpredictability factor even before the first ball was bowled.
It will also be remembered as the only World Cup where everyone had to play everyone at least once besides being the last tournament with no third umpire as also the first World Cup to use the stump camera.
A stand out facet of the tournament, besides the game itself were the outfits themselves. It was indeed the beginning of the end for cream clothing and the beginning of the new era where even day cricket was to be played in colored uniform.
Australia, defending champions fresh from their overwhelming triumph in the Benson & Hedges World Series Championships over India and the West Indies were considered runaway favorites. New Zealand fresh from a home series defeat against an English team hungry for a win since a long time were thought to be veritable push-overs. England was seen as far too 'manageable'. West Indies in spite of being strong on paper were given to unexplained batting collapses. South Africa provided the surprise element however, in no way were they expected to put up the show which they did. Sri Lanka were seen as pushovers while Zimbabwe were still seen as the babes of cricket. This left India and Pakistan to challenge Australia.
The first match in the tournament proved the belief wrong that Pakistan and India were the two teams to challenge Australia when 'manageable' England beat India and New Zealand under the strategically innovative Martin Crowe beat Australia thus making even the most passive viewer sit up and take notice as match after match seemed to be nails in the coffin for the existing world order that seemed to exist just before the World Cup started with Australia at the top.
The tournament was best summarized by the battle of the wooden spoons. Something that was to be a mundane affair turned out to be the most statistically significant in terms of runs scored as Zimbabwe notched up its highest one day total since they started playing international cricket. At 312 for 4 Zimbabwe were ready for an upset however, Ranatunga ensured that the match went to the final over as Sri Lanka created a record for highest number of runs scored by a team batting second to win.
England and New Zealand had some confidential plans for the World Cup which they began executing systematically and mowed down their opponents one after the other. On the other side South Africa grossly underestimated in spite of the pace of Allan Donald, pulled off a thumping 9 wicket upset over Australia thus further tearing the mini world order apart. The tone of the tournament was strongly underlined with another match that proved to be the nemesis of the supposedly strong Pakistan batting line up as they were bowled out for 74 against England - the lowest score by any team in the tournament. The wash out of the match resulted in Pakistan getting a point which was to go a long way to bring more drama and stamp the authority of fate on the tournament over any other factor.
With every passing game the main protagonists to be seemed to fade with England, New Zealand and South Africa stamping their authority on the game. As if the laws of probability were the deliberate target of some secret cosmic conspiracy, just when they were looking strong, South Africa unexpectedly slipped to Sri Lanka thus adding to the drama.
Halfway, with the top three being almost decided between New Zealand, England and South Africa in that order, attention now turned to the 4th spot. When the Pakistan vs. Australia game took place little did anyone know that it would yet prove to be crucial even though both were looking drained and anyone of them could take the 4th spot with a lack luster West Indies also in contention. Pakistan's victory over Australia did not get as much notice or at least for the right reasons. However when Australia beat the West Indies requiring a certain New Zealand win over Pakistan to make it to the semis the unexpected again took over with Pakistan stealing a win over yet to be beaten New Zealand to reach the last four leading Australia and the West Indies with the solitary point attained owing to the washout against England! Elsewhere, in tune with the general mood, Zimbabwe successfully defended a total of 134 against an otherwise strong England to register its first win since the 1983 world cup win over Australia! The semi finals involving Pakistan and New Zealand was the stuff drama was made of. Down in the dumps at 140 for 4 and requiring 123 more runs to win Inzamam arrived at the cricketing scene with a bang to take Pakistan to the final. The other semi final will always be remembered for the wrong reasons as rain and rain-rule prevented South Africa reaching the final with them requiring 22 runs off 1 ball.
The final saw Pakistan making a slow start to put up 249 before destroying the English batting to clinch the world cup for the first time.
Thus Pakistan were rightful challengers not to Australia but to England and New Zealand.
History had it that the original schedule be modified due to the late inclusion of South Africa,liberated from political isolation adding the much needed unpredictability factor even before the first ball was bowled.
It will also be remembered as the only World Cup where everyone had to play everyone at least once besides being the last tournament with no third umpire as also the first World Cup to use the stump camera.
A stand out facet of the tournament, besides the game itself were the outfits themselves. It was indeed the beginning of the end for cream clothing and the beginning of the new era where even day cricket was to be played in colored uniform.
Australia, defending champions fresh from their overwhelming triumph in the Benson & Hedges World Series Championships over India and the West Indies were considered runaway favorites. New Zealand fresh from a home series defeat against an English team hungry for a win since a long time were thought to be veritable push-overs. England was seen as far too 'manageable'. West Indies in spite of being strong on paper were given to unexplained batting collapses. South Africa provided the surprise element however, in no way were they expected to put up the show which they did. Sri Lanka were seen as pushovers while Zimbabwe were still seen as the babes of cricket. This left India and Pakistan to challenge Australia.
The first match in the tournament proved the belief wrong that Pakistan and India were the two teams to challenge Australia when 'manageable' England beat India and New Zealand under the strategically innovative Martin Crowe beat Australia thus making even the most passive viewer sit up and take notice as match after match seemed to be nails in the coffin for the existing world order that seemed to exist just before the World Cup started with Australia at the top.
The tournament was best summarized by the battle of the wooden spoons. Something that was to be a mundane affair turned out to be the most statistically significant in terms of runs scored as Zimbabwe notched up its highest one day total since they started playing international cricket. At 312 for 4 Zimbabwe were ready for an upset however, Ranatunga ensured that the match went to the final over as Sri Lanka created a record for highest number of runs scored by a team batting second to win.
England and New Zealand had some confidential plans for the World Cup which they began executing systematically and mowed down their opponents one after the other. On the other side South Africa grossly underestimated in spite of the pace of Allan Donald, pulled off a thumping 9 wicket upset over Australia thus further tearing the mini world order apart. The tone of the tournament was strongly underlined with another match that proved to be the nemesis of the supposedly strong Pakistan batting line up as they were bowled out for 74 against England - the lowest score by any team in the tournament. The wash out of the match resulted in Pakistan getting a point which was to go a long way to bring more drama and stamp the authority of fate on the tournament over any other factor.
With every passing game the main protagonists to be seemed to fade with England, New Zealand and South Africa stamping their authority on the game. As if the laws of probability were the deliberate target of some secret cosmic conspiracy, just when they were looking strong, South Africa unexpectedly slipped to Sri Lanka thus adding to the drama.
Halfway, with the top three being almost decided between New Zealand, England and South Africa in that order, attention now turned to the 4th spot. When the Pakistan vs. Australia game took place little did anyone know that it would yet prove to be crucial even though both were looking drained and anyone of them could take the 4th spot with a lack luster West Indies also in contention. Pakistan's victory over Australia did not get as much notice or at least for the right reasons. However when Australia beat the West Indies requiring a certain New Zealand win over Pakistan to make it to the semis the unexpected again took over with Pakistan stealing a win over yet to be beaten New Zealand to reach the last four leading Australia and the West Indies with the solitary point attained owing to the washout against England! Elsewhere, in tune with the general mood, Zimbabwe successfully defended a total of 134 against an otherwise strong England to register its first win since the 1983 world cup win over Australia! The semi finals involving Pakistan and New Zealand was the stuff drama was made of. Down in the dumps at 140 for 4 and requiring 123 more runs to win Inzamam arrived at the cricketing scene with a bang to take Pakistan to the final. The other semi final will always be remembered for the wrong reasons as rain and rain-rule prevented South Africa reaching the final with them requiring 22 runs off 1 ball.
The final saw Pakistan making a slow start to put up 249 before destroying the English batting to clinch the world cup for the first time.
Thus Pakistan were rightful challengers not to Australia but to England and New Zealand.
