The Cricket World Cup 2019 was off to a slow and predictable start. Rain made it worse. But the World Cup picked up its rhythm in the last stages. 

Carlos Braithwaite fell just short of securing a win for West Indies against New Zealand with his heroic 101 from 82 balls. West Indies required 6 runs from 7 balls when Braithwaite went for glory but was caught at long on by Trent Boult. Afghanistan pulled off a terrific bowling performance against India but lost to the brilliance of India’s pace attack. India defended 224. Sri Lanka beating England put the latter’s World Cup dreams on the line but they came back with 3 consecutive wins and got themselves a semi final spot. At the end of the group stage, Pakistan and New Zealand had 11 points each. New Zealand made it to the semifinals due to their far better net run rate.

Spotlight

Shakib Al Hassan made it to Wisden’s top 3 performers of the group stage with 606 runs and 11 wickets. Oscar Ratcliffe wrote ‘Shakib went into this World Cup as ODI cricket’s best all-rounder according to the ICC rankings; he departs the best all-rounder according to, well, just about everyone else.”

Rohit Sharma is the highest run getter with 648 runs. He was dropped early in the match on four instances and increased the regret of the opponent by scoring a century in each. Michel Starc with his 27 wickets occupies the position of the top wicket holder. The group stage witnessed two hattricks. One by the leader of New Zealand’s pace attack Trent Boult and the other one by India’s Mohammed Shami who only got into the playing eleven because of Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s injury. Youngsters and both pacers Jofra Archer and Shaheen Afridi impressed many. Archer has bagged 19 wickets. Shaheen Afridi ended the tournament with the best bowling figures of 6/35.

Controversy

Pakistani fans faced a conundrum in the later stages of the World Cup when it turned out that India winning would benefit their campaign. But when India failed to defeat England and provide Pakistan the advantage, Pakistan’s ex cricketers and fans alike accused India of deliberately doing so.

Afghanistan cricket team was in shambles discipline wise. Few matches into the tournament, Ahmed Shehzad, the wicket keeper batsman was sent back home due to injury. Ahmed Shehzad however claimed that he did not have an injury serious enough to be left out in the middle of the World Cup. Pacer Aftab Alam was made to leave due to disciplinary issues. The entire Afghanistan cricket team was rumored to have gotten into trouble with the Manchester Police although both sides colluded to keep it quiet. Supporters of the Afghanistan cricket team and Pakistan cricket team broke into a fight on the stadium premises on the day of the match between these two countries.

England were off to a flying start in the World Cup but failing to secure a win against Sri Lanka made them a target for criticisms from the English media and ex-English cricketers. So much so that English opener Johnny Bairstow had to speak up.

“People are waiting for us to fail. They are not willing us on to win. In many ways they are waiting for you to lose so they can jump on your throat.” — complained Bairstow.

Pakistan’s cricketers were heavily trolled on social media and in public for their lackluster performance mainly against arch rivals India. Captain Sharfaraz Ahmed was bullied and became a victim of fat shaming in a shopping mall in England which he was visiting with this toddler. Earlier Sharfaraz Ahmed yawning during the India-Pakistan match created outrage among Pakistan’s supporters on social media.

Retirements

The man who kept uninspiring Sri Lanka going, Lasith Malinga bade farewell to international cricket. He is leaving with 334 wickets in 225 ODIs. South African all-rounder JP Duminy and spinner Imran Tahir announced their retirements too. Duminy has taken 69 wickets and scored 5,213 runs in 150 ODIs. Tahir played 107 ODIs and has 173 wickets. Imran Tahir’s jubilant celebration after getting a wicket was a fan favorite. Both played their last match against Australia. Long standing Pakistani all-rounder Shoaib Malik said goodbye as he went off the field for one last time applauded by his team mates at Lord’s after the match against Bangladesh. This World Cup was supposed to have been Chris Gayle’s last action in international cricket but he seems to have changed his mind mid-tournament.

Semi finals

hen rain disrupted the semifinal between India and New Zealand, one would have thought it only prolonged New Zealand’s misery. But oh, what difference the one night made. India’s top three batsman were sent back to the pavilion for one run each. Earlier New Zealand gave India a target of 240. India’s dream run in the tournament was largely attributed to the runs flowing from the batsman of the top order. Chasing the 240, India lost 6 wickets under 100 runs. Cricket is a game of glorious uncertainty. Ravindra Jadeja came along. Thee cricket Sanjay Manjrekar had casually referred to as ‘bits and pieces’ cricket scored 77 runs of 59 deliveries. After his staggering bowling and fielding, Jadeja shone with the bat too. The boundaries he hit woke the dejected Indian fans in the stadium. Jadeja couldn’t carry India to the finishing line, though. He fell to Boult. Soon after, an awe-inspiring run out by Martin Guptil send India’s master run chaser Dhoni back to the dressing room. India’s innings ended at 221.

The second semi final at England’s fort Edgebaston promised to be a cracking one but expectations went down the drain as 5 times World Champion Australia fell to the new, clinical England. Australian openers, Finch and Warner who had scored the bulk of Australia’s runs in the tournament were sent back in the first three overs. Alex Cary and Steven Smith fought back with their 113-run partnership but with regular fall of wickets, Australia managed to put 223 on the board. England’s openers Jason Roy and Johnny Bairstow demolished any hopes Australia had of winning by scoring 120 runs in 17 overs. Joe Root and Eoin Morgan did the rest. Roy and Bairstow have been phenomenal together with the highest average, highest strike rate and highest run rates for opening pairs in ODIs (for minimum 100 runs) according to ESPNCricinfo.

A World Cup final without India or Australia. Something that hasn’t happened since 1992. The final on Sunday will crown a new cricket champion at the legendary cricket stadium Lord’s. The cricket world will have a new champion first time since Sri Lanka lifted the Cup in 1996.