Five batsmen and bowlers who owned cricket World Cups

The players who made waves at the quadrennial event over the years

Over the last four decades, the cricket World Cup, a quadrennial event, brought the best out of the players. Here are the top five batsmen and bowlers who have made their mark.

Batsmen:

1) Sachin Tendulkar: The pint-sized dynamite blasted away 2,278 runs in the 45 matches that he represented India at the World Cup. He averaged a neat 57 in the six world cups that he played. Tendulkar had a pretty average first world cup, which was the 1992 edition but he came into his destructive element 1996 onwards when he scored 523 runs at a whopping average of 86. Too bad India crashed out in semi-finals against the eventual winners, Sri Lanka. His batting exploits earned India the elusive glory in 2011. He played his part by scoring two half-centuries and two centuries in nine matches.

2) Ricky Ponting: The Australian batsman and former captain was deeply involved in a string of successes for the Australian cricket team at the World Cup. He was part of all three teams that achieved first World Cup hat-trick in 1999, 2003 and 2007. He was the most instrumental in the 2003 World Cup final (at Wanderers) through his blistering knock of 140 in 121 balls against India. His scintillating knock set up a steep target of 360 that India was never within sniffing distance of surpassing.

3) Brian Lara: The stylish West-Indies batsman had a great World Cup career but it never translated into the ultimate glory. He scored 1,225 runs from 34 matches at a consistent average of 42. His pristine 111 against South Africa in the quarter final in 1996 continues to be etched in the mind of everyone who witnessed it.

4) Sanath Jayasuriya: The Sri Lankan southpaw took the world by storm with his counter-attacking style in the 1996 world cup. The hitherto unknown player teamed up with wicket-keeper Romesh Kaluwitharana to make full use of the 15-over rule when only four players are allowed to be outside the 30-yard circle. That tactic paid such rich dividends that Sri Lanka were crowned champions. In the 38 matches for the island nation that he showed his prowess with both bat and ball, he scored 1,165 runs in 38 matches at a cool strike rate of 90.66.

5) Jacques Kallis: The formidable South African all-rounder who played 36 matches scored 1,148 runs but, like Lara, he also never tasted success. In the 2007 edition, he was South Africa's leading run-scorer with 485 runs at 80.83 average but came under severe criticism from all quarters for his ‘slow’ performances that cost the team at the most crucial stages.








Bowlers:

1) Glenn McGrath: With his tall, wiry frame and unerring length, the Australian spearhead was part of the Australian teams that achieved the rare feat: a hat-trick of World Cup victories in 1999, 2003 and 2007. McGrath deserves lion’s share of the plaudits for the 71 wickets he picked up in 39 matches at an economy rate of just under four. In the 2007 edition he was top wicket taker with 26 and got adjudged player of the tournament.

2) Muttiah Muralitharan: The wide-eyed, prodigious off-spinner had snared 68 wickets in the 40 matches that he represented Sri Lanka. All of that came at a miserly economy rate of 3.88. In 1996, Muralitharan was part of Sri Lanka's World Cup winning team that defeated Australia in Lahore, Pakistan. He picked up 23 wickets in the 2007 edition, and finished as the second highest wicket taker in the tournament behind McGrath.

3) Wasim Akram: The left-arm “Sultan of Swing” was one of the key people responsible for Pakistan winning the 1992 World Cup under Imran Khan. Wasim Akram’s all-round performance, including an Ian Botham, earned him the Man of the Match award in the final. Overall, he played 38 matches and captured 55 wickets for Pakistan. In 1999, he led the team to the final but Pakistan capitulated horribly to Australia in one of the most one-sided World Cup finals.

4) Chaminda Vaas: The left-arm Sri Lankan paceman led the team’s bowling attack so ably that in 31 matches he managed to tumble 49 wickets. That’s no mean feat considering Muralitharan was breathing fire from the other end all the time. The haul includes a hat-trick against Bangladesh in the 2003 edition when he picked up 23 wickets and thus became the leading wicket-taker of the tournament.

5) Zaheer Khan: The Indian left-arm pacer must still be ruing the costly opening over against Australia’s Adam Gilchrist in 2003 final that set the tone for an insurmountable target that India failed to reach. That blemish apart, Zaheer Khan has an impressive World Cup record what with him picking up 44 wickets from 23 matches. He was one of the key members of the 2011 World Cup winning team, leading the pace attack with 21 wickets in just 9 games. He was the leading wicket-taker along with Shahid Afridi during that edition.