1999 Cricket World Cup

1999 World Cup in England brought with it the old world charms of the game, chiefly because it was being held in the place where cricket first took birth. The much anticipated final at the historical Lords was a reason enough to cause considerable excitement. 1999 World Cup provided a complete counterpoint to the1996 World Cup. Held in the subcontinent, 1996 World Cup encountered colorfully dressed spectators who danced and screamed and hurled both shouts and bottles at the players. The spectators in England know that the game they are watching is intrinsically linked to their tradition, consequently, apart from few sporadic scatterings of youth who have fun anywhere, the spectators in England bear a subdued appearance.

There were 12 teams competing for the coveted cup. Apart from the minnows Zimbabwe, Kenya, Bangladesh and Scotland, every one knew that each of the other 8 teams stood a fair chance in lifting the cup.

The twelve teams participating in 1999 Cricket World Cup were:

The preceding Cricket World Cups had seen many new formats being introduced and cast out with equal alacrity: in 1999 World Cup too, a new format called super six was introduced. The tournament progressed smoothly producing some brilliant contests like the semi final between Australia and South Africa. Though the scores were tied, Australia was declared the winner for having beaten South Africa before in the Super-Six round. For the first time since its inception, England failed to make it to the World Cup finals- a shameful debacle in front of the cheering home team. The final of the 1999 Cricket World Cup in England was held between Australia and Pakistan. The former trounced the 1992 winner in a one-sided match, winning by 8 wickets.