Nazir & Hall’s best shows
The 2007 cricket World Cup held for the first time in the West Indies was the biggest event in terms of teams participating. In addition to the ten Test nations and one-day status holders Kenya, five associate nations took part.
The sixteen teams were divided into four groups of four each, with the top two from each group qualifying for the Super Eights stage. Group A had Australia, South Africa, Netherlands and Scotland, group B housed Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India and Bermuda.
In Group C, the teams were New Zealand, England, Kenya and Canada and in group D, there were West Indies, Ireland, Pakistan and Zimbabwe.
Much like the Super Six stage, qualifying teams carried forward their points from wins against fellow qualifiers, and played each of the six qualifiers from other groups.
The eventual champions Australia extended their World Cup undefeated streak to 29 matches dating back to the group stages of the 1999 event.
Though India crashed out during the first round, they did register the highest ever total in World Cup when they smashed first-timers Bermuda for 413-5 at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain on March 19, a match that held nothing of note for the most popular team of the team who lost to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in their previous group games.
Pakistan’s swashbuckling opener Imran Nazir recorded the highest individual score of the 2007 tournament when he hit 160 against Zimbabwe at Kingston on March 21.
Australia’s Matthew Hayden was the highest run-scorer with 659 runs at the end of the tournament. Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene was in second place with 548 runs.
The great Australia fast bowler Glenn McGrath bowed out of international cricket as the highest wicket-taker in the 2007 edition, with 26 scalps. McGrath was also the highest wicket-taker in World Cup, with 71 scalps to his name. In 2007, he was trailed by Sri Lankan spin wizard Muttiah Muralidaran, who bamboozled 23 batsmen over the course of the tournament.
South African fast-medium bowler Andrew Hall had the best bowling analysis of the tournament when he snared five English victims for 18 runs at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown on April 17.
Adam Gilchrist, the Australian gloveman, lead the wicketkeeper’s table with 17 dismissals, while his Sri Lankan counterpart Kumar Sangakkara was at second spot with 15.
