REVIEW JOURNAL

ICC Cricket World Cup 2015:The good, the badand the ugly

Team of theTournament

6 Page gallery inside

The ICC Cricket World Cup 2015

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Editorial

Was this the best Cricket World Cup of the

modern era? Well, that is one of the unresolved questions that still linger amongst most cricket fans at this point in time.

Breath-taking, awe-inspiring, saddening…call it the way you want to call it but one can’t shy away from the fact that we have just witnessed of the greatest World Cups of the modern day era.

It was marked by spectacular displays, good attendance, drama, good weather and invigorating moments. It all began with the impressive Black Caps thumping Sri Lanka by 98 runs to a nail-biting titanic battle between joint hosts in Australia and New Zealand where the Aussies claimed their fifth world crown.

Australia became the third team after Sri Lanka and India to win cricket’s most glittering prize on home soil. Under the tutelage of their former batsman, Darren Lehman, this World Cup proved

and complacency may be singled out as the major cause of their abrupt exit.

Despite not making it into the final, the Proteas’overall performance was nothing short of exceptional. Even though they narrowly missed out on booking the final spot following a defeat at the hands of the Black Caps in an epic semi-final clash at Eden Park, the Proteas played their hearts out.

Their final clash was a close contest and provided breath-taking fireworks in the latter stages. The match was bound to be historic in any case with both sides having never previously reaching the final.

After annihilating India in the semi-finals, the Aussies built on their stunning penultimate performance which led to the destruction of the Black Caps machine.

Although it may have been heart-breaking, awful, rapturous or blissful, fact remains, it was worth every minute.

Mangaliso Maduna

to be the coronation of the Aussies’golden generation after a below-par performance at the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013.

Of all Australia’s preternaturally talented cricketers, Michael Clarke was the most influential. He was the heartbeat of the team throughout the entire tournament. He displayed high-levels of authentic patriotism and self-awareness second to none.

When India clinched the World Cup back in 2011, much was expected from them with pundits predicting a brighter future for the Men in Blue. After an immaculate start where they finished as Group A winners without losing a single game in the group stages, they crashed out in the semi-finals where they lost to the eventual champions Australia. Much can be attributed to their shock exit in the semis.

It is a verifiable fact that the Indian team is blessed with a dynamic and talented crop of players but lack of determination

A spectacle that was!

Johannes Masiteng, BA Communication graduateJohannes is an aspiring graphic designer and sports writer. His skills and extensive knowledge in both writing and grahic designing makes him an all rounder as he always strives to be the best of both worlds.In addition, Johannes also specialises in creating and editing content.

Mangaliso Maduna, BA Communication StudentMangaliso is an aspiring sports journalist with a passion for writing and a strong command in sports. He is extremely knowledgeable and insightful and puts more effort in acquiring more journalistic skills. Mangaliso’s specialties lie in writing and editing with a strong commitment to multi-tasking and managing content. To him, writing is more than a chore, it is a contagious adventure through undiscovered worlds.

About us

TAKE NOTEWe do not own any of the visual materials in the magazine. They belong to their rightful owners (www.icc-cricket.com, BBC Sports and Sky Sports.

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On the cover FeaturesDefining Moments 65 lessons we learnt from the CWC 2015 8

Breaking records 10Team of the tournament 15

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ICC Crickect World Cup in pictures

Trivia

Contents

ICC CWC Review Journal 5

Gallery 11CWC 2015 in numbers 18Facts about CWC 2015 18

ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 defining moments

In all major tournaments, we are bound to have those significant and

defining moments. We take a look at five of the most memorable

moments that the brought the cricket fraternity to a standstill and defined

the epic story of the well documented ICC 2015

Cricket World Cup.

Regarded by many as one the average nations playing at the Cricket World Cup, the Irish took the tournament by storm and surprised many victories over West Indies and Zimbabwe. They also enjoyed a memorable showing against Pakistan where they narrowly lost by seven wickets. It was a game marked by raw power and sheer exploits. It was a game their skipper William Porterfield recorded an impressive 107. Hopefully the world will be yearning more of Ireland’s exploits in the near future.

Ireland’s resurgence at the World Cup

Taylor’s last century and exit from ODIsBrendon Taylor’s swansong for his country ion international cricket came in the match against the defending champions India at Auckland, ohh...boy, he ensured that departs with a bang. Despite playing for an average side, Taylor is the only player in the Zimbabwean team who can be considered as a great. His batting was phenomenal. He recorded an impressive 433 runs in the entire tournament with 138 of those coming in the game against India. His batting was always on point, expressive and comprised of many attacking and innovative shots. For all his exploits, he managed to book his name in the ICC team of the tournament.

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AB de Villiers’ exploits

England’s unceremonious exit

Australia winning the World Cup

South Africa may have made history by winning their first ever knockout game in the World Cup with a victory over Sri Lanka in the quarter-finals. However, one of their most coveted prizes was undoubtly their talismanic leader AB de Villiers. In him they had a great a leader and explosive batsman who played with high levels of maturity and discipline. The kind of form he possessed helped remove the “chokers” tag long associated with the Proteas. Through his explosive batting displays, he became a global icon and for that he deserves plaudits.

Had anyone predicted before the tournament that England would crash out of the World Cup in group stages, he /she would have been labelled as the world’s greatest lunatic. Given its wealth, talent and resources, the English are considered as one of the top sides in world cricket. However, for far too long the English have been reluctant to modify their brand of cricket and tactics that will cut it in modern day era. They seemed like a shadow of their former self. They looked exhausted, lethargic and incompetent at times. They were finally sent packing by Bangladesh who trounced them by 15 runs.

If cricket was art, the Aussies perfected it. One could also contend that the Aussies’ victory was written in the stars. The Melbourne Cricket Ground experienced mixed emotions of deafening silence and an uproar when Mitchell Starc eliminated Brendon McCullum for a duck. Within that exact moment, there was no looking back as the Aussies bowled the Black Caps out for 183 giving their outgoing skipper Michael Clarke a dignified send off.

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On the cover

Beyond any doubt Australia are worthy champions. From the onset they were egalitarian, aggressive and most importantly they were a team. This was demonstrated when it mattered most in the final where they emerged victorious by beating fellow hosts New Zealand by seven wickets. After a disastrous ICC Championship Trophy, they needed a quick resurgence and this crown provided them with that

Following their shock exit in the group stages, the English performance left a lot to be desired. There was also a huge outcry from pundits that the English need to modify and remodel their tactics and style of play if they are to be successful in modern day era cricket. Much was attributed to their shock exit particularly by their former great Bob Willis. In his interview with Skysports slammed the team’s senior players and also bemoaned negative batting displayed at the tournament. With that being said, the English need to go back to the drawing board and alter their plans and adjust their tactics.

Honestly, the Proteas did not choke this time around; they just lost to a better team. Throughout the tournament they played with great spirit, aspiration and big hearted desire to win. Ed Smith in his article titled “What did we learn from this World Cup” draws a distinction between losing and choking. He further argues that choking is the inability to perform routine tasks, like a computer suffering from a short circuit. So, in this instance, the Proteas did not underperform or choke they were just unlucky. Especially in the final, the Black Caps were the better team.

5 Lessons we learnt from the CWC 20151

The best team won

2 3The English need to re-adjust their style of play

South Africa are not chokers

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This one is debatable. With cricket expanding, it wouldn’t be a bad decision to increase the number of nations competing at the World Cup. It can’t get any better than this. We need new teams, diverse cricket cultures and fresh voices. This will also help enhance the competitiveness of the sport to prevent two or three teams enjoying a monopoly of dominance in the sport.

As we have said before, this was a difficult tournament for the bowlers and only few rose to the occasion and left their imprint in the tournament. Looking back at some of the greatest cricketers , most of them were batsmen. Your Sachin Tendulkars and Shaun Pollocks of this world did wonders with the bat and it was no different story in this year’s edition. With the likes of Brendon Taylor, Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers captivating crowds with their majestic displays, this further strengthens our argument that batting is still dominant in the game.

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Next World Cup should have more teams?

Batting overshadowed bowling

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1 Australia celebrate winning their ICC Cricket World Cup victory.2 The English had another disappointing World Cup tournament.

3 The Proteas reached the last four for the first time in their history.4 Martin Guptil and other batsman did well with the bat.

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Opposite page (L-R)

This page (L-R)

BREAKING RECORDS!WHAT do you get when you add big bats, small boundaries, tight fielding restrictions, free hits and two new balls? A battered and broken record book.We look at 4 records that have been obliterated during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.

Australia’s total of 6-417 against Afghanistan at the WACA Ground eclipsed the previous highest World Cup total — 5-413 scored by India against Bermuda in Trinidad eight years ago. The 400-run barrier has only been broken 15 times in the 44-year history of one-day cricket. It has been achieved three times at this tournament alone.

Brendon McCullum smashed his own record for the fastest half century in World Cup competition-an 18-ball slugfest against England in Wellington.An incredible 96 per cent of McCullum’s runs were scored in boundaries- eight fours and seven sixes.

Chris Gayle became the first and only person in World Cup history to post a double century.Gayle belted 215 from 147 deliveries against Zimbabwe at Manuka Oval, the third highest total on ODI history.

First double century

Fastest 50 Most ODI CenturiesKumar Sangakkara, has conducted a masterclass at this World Cup, becoming the first batsman in ODI history to post four consecutive centuries.

Highest team score

Gallery ICC CWC 2015

in pictures

ICC CWC 2015Team of the tournament

Following his heroic performances and strong leadership, McCullum was chosen as the skipper of the team of the tournament. He played an integral role in his team’s progression to the final. He storked an impressive 328 runs in nine matches with four half centuries.

Brendon McCullumNew Zealand (Captain)

Sangakkara had already announced his retirement in the ODI cricket after the World Cup. Despite crashing out of at the quarter-finals at the hands of South Africa, Sangakkara displayed high levels of patriotism and made the tournament his own. He became the second player after Sachin Tendulkar to score four centuries in a row at the World Cup.

Guptill came into the tournament at the back of a widespread fan criticism for his below-par displays in games leading to the World Cup. After a slow start, he went back to his bewitching best and scored a century in their last group clash against Bangladesh.

Arguably the star of the show in all aspects. Smith could hardly put a foot wrong at the World Cup. His sheer brilliance came against his favourate team India where he scored a century. He finished the tournament as the Aussies’ highest run getter. He also made history as he became the first player to score five half centuries or more in a row at the World Cup.

Kumar Sangakkara Sri Lanka (Wicket-Keeper)

Martin GuptillNew Zealand

Steve Smith Australia

De Villiers is currently the top ranked batsman in world cricket at the moment. Nothing is as endearing as his talent with the bat. This was evident after he stroked the fastest half century and the fastest century in ODIs. Until their exit against the Black Caps, de Villiers was a force to be reckoned with. He certainly lived up to the “best batsman in the world” tag after inspiring performances in this year’s edition.

AB de VilliersSouth Africa

Glen Maxwell AustraliaMaxwell stole the show with his breath-taking performance against Sri Lanka after scoring a century. He did a stellar job of dismissing Guptill in the final. Although his selection caused a few eyebrows at the start of the World Cup but after putting in some fine displays, he went on to have the last laugh over his detractors.

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Mitchel Starc Australia

Trent Bolt New Zealand

Starc was one of the Aussies’ premier wicket-takers. This was the tournament where he booked his name into cricket’s top echelon. His captivating performance in the final earned him a man of the match accolade. He made everything look easy and came to the party when the Aussies needed him the most. In the final, it was his strike that eliminated Brendon McCullum.

Bolt was one of New Zealand’s key weapons at this year’s edition. He tormented a lot of batsman with his unique ability to swing the ball sideways. His dazzling performance in the final where he picked five wickets was not enough to strong-arm the title away from the Aussies. He finished the tournament as the joint leading wicket taker.

Corey Anderson New Zealand

Daniel Vettori New Zealand

Anderson was one of the all-rounders who took the cricket fraternity by storm. He stroked 231runs and took 14 wickets throughout the tournament. His value to the team unfolded in their semi-final clash against South Africa where he took 3 for 72 and recorded 58.

Vettori also announced his retirement plans prior to the World Cup. He certainly ensured that he bid the tournament on a positive note. He was New Zealand’s best spinner at the tournament. He scored an impressive 15 wickets at 20.46 and his magnetic catch against the West Indies will go down as one of the tournaments’ enthralling moments.

Morne Morkel South Africa

Brendon Taylor Zimbabwe

The South African international was always present whenever his country came calling. He was one of the fewest bowlers who rose to the occasion at the World Cup. Although it was a difficult tournament for the bowlers, Morkel is one of the few elites who managed to steal the show with his sensational displays.

The Zimbabwe veteran also announced that he will be hanging up his bat as he bid farewell to his favorite sport. Despite crashing out in the group stages, Taylor’s illustrious performances can never go unnoticed. He finished fourth on the highest runs scored with an impressive 433 at an average of 72.16. We would like to wish him well in his future endeavors.

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Team of the Tournament

ICC CWC 2015 in numbersHighest individual score Martin Guptill (New Zealand)Score : 237 against West Indies

Highest strike rate Brendon McCullum (New Zealand)Strike rate : 188,50

Best Average Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)Average: 108,20

Most centuries Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)Centuries: 4

Most fifties Steve Smith (Australia)Fifties: 4

Most sixes Chris Gayle (West Indies)Sixes: 26

Most fours Martin Guptill (New Zealand)Fours: 59

Best Averages Mitchell Starc (Australia)Average; 10.18

Most four wickets Mitchell Starc (Australia)Wickets: 2

Top Wicket keeper Mitchell Starc( Australia)Wickets: 22

Best Economy Michael Clarke (Australia)Economy; 2.80

Best bowling figure Tim Southee (New Zealand)Figure: 7/33 against England

The World Cup was jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand.It was 23 years since the World

Cup was played in Australia and New Zealand.

The tickets of the game between India and Pakistan sold out within 12 minutes.

New Zealand batsman Martin Guptill became the first player to score a hundred in the knockout stages.

South African batsman AB de Villiers reached his first century off 52 balls, which became the second fastest in the World Cup history.

New Zealand also reached the World Cup for the first time after seven attempts following their epic victory over South Africa in the semi-finals.

Facts about ICC CWC 2015

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