Famous ICC Cricket World Cup Quotes

May 25 (CRICKETNMORE) - From Imran Khan’s rallying call in 1992 through Steve Waugh’s infamous taunt to Herschelle Gibbs in 1999 and MS Dhoni’s national shame in 2007. As much as any cover drive or searing yorker – a quote can come to encapsulate a tournament.

And at a Cricket World Cup – the war is waged by word of mouth as much as it is out in the middle. The first two World Cups in 1975 and 1979 were hosted in England. But make no mistake, they were all about the West Indies.

The swagger of Viv Richards, the captaincy of Clive Lloyd and the pace of Messrs Garner, Roberts and Holding. The Caribbean kings stormed to both of the tournament crowns. But the first quote that encapsulated the struggles of transitioning to this new form of limited overs cricket came in the curtain raiser at Lord’s.

Sunil Gavaskar produced absurdly slow innings in India’s opening group game against England. Chasing 334 to win, Gavaskar opened the batting and crawled to 36 not out from a whopping 174 balls – prompting his team manager GS Ramchand to pull his hair out: 

"It was the most disgraceful and selfish performance I have ever seen. His excuse [to me] was, the wicket was too slow to play shots but that was a stupid thing to say after England had scored 334.”

In 1983 – when it looked like it was going to victory for a third time for the dominant West Indies – a certain Kapil Dev and India had other ideas. Written off by all and sundry before the tournament – David Frith in his capacity as editor of Wisden Cricket Monthly had written the following:

"Show me a person who gave Kapil Dev's team any chance of winning the 1983 World Cup and I will show you a liar and an opportunist."

How quickly he was made to eat his words as India stunned the West Indies in the third final in a row at Lord’s.

“The joy of winning the World Cup cannot be compared with any amount of money,” said the Indian skipper.

The 1987 edition was the last World Cup to be played in whites and it was Allan Border’s Australia that claimed the crown. But 1992 was all about Pakistan and that man Imran Khan.

 

Facing elimination in the group stage after one win in their first five games, Khan wore a tiger T-shirt for the toss against Australia in a must-win game.

Then he called on his side to fight like ‘cornered tigers’. It certainly produced the desired results, as his side then won five on the spin, including the final against Graham Gooch's Englishmen to claim their first and so far only World Cup crown.

There was another new name on the trophy in 1996 as Sri Lanka, just 15 years after becoming a Test-playing nation – shocked the world and re-invented the wheel of white-ball cricket.

They became the first team to win a World Cup final chasing and while Aravinda de Silva played the match-winning knock no one epitomised their fearless approach than their captain.

On the eve of the final against an Australia side on the verge of greatness, the skipper had labelled Shane Warne ‘an average spinner’ and little more than a media myth.

That he then proceeded to treat him with similar disdain when facing him out the middle, walloping him for a four and a six on their way to a totemic win.

A mention too for England chairman Ray Illingworth who, after Neil Smith was carried from the field retired ill in their group game against UAE, said with a straight face: “He had a pizza last night. Now it’s on the field out there.” 

In 1999 Australia got their hands back on the trophy – victory secured in an extremely one-sided final against Pakist

But the story of that tournament was undoubtedly the two outrageously dramatic games with South Africa.

The first meeting came in the Super Sixes and THAT drop from Gibbs to reprieve Steve Waugh who would go on to make a match-winning 120 not out.

The quote: “You’ve just dropped the World Cup mate” has gone down in folklore – although subsequently both Gibbs and Waugh have denied that was the exact wording.

But either way, Waugh saved his country and set up a semi-final re-match that was even more compelling.

Chasing 213, the Proteas looked home and hosed as man of the tournament Lance Klusener continued his brutal onslaught.

But the last-over run out of Allan Donald will never be forgotten: “It was one of the biggest mistakes that you'll ever probably see in cricket that I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy."

Four years later and Australia continued their dominance – this time dispatching India in the 2003 final by 125 runs.

The story in the build-up though was all about Adam Gilchrist’s decision to walk in the semi-final.

As he himself said: “The guys back in the viewing room were a bit stunned at what I'd done. Flabbergasted, really, that I'd do it in a World Cup semi. While I sat there, thinking about it and being asked about it, I kept going back to the fact that, well, at the end of the day, I had been honest with myself.”

But the real story of 2003 was the fairytale run of Kenya all the way to the semi-finals.

Accompanied by Minister for Sport Najib Balala, the minnows who shocked the world order returned home to a heroes’ welcome. 

"Kenya did not win the World Cup but we certainly won many hearts all over the world," said Balala.

"Steve [Tikolo] and the boys united the whole country. We are a power to be reckoned with.”

It was the year 2007 and Australia again reigned supreme – a dream send-off for Glenn McGrath who claimed a record 26 wickets in the tournament.

The credit in the final though went to Gilchrist for his superb century that prompted Mahela Jayawardene to say: “It was simply a brilliant innings from Gilchrist, unfortunately I was the opposition captain watching it.”

The bad news for the tournament was that both India and Pakistan were eliminated in the group stages.

And MS Dhoni recounted the horror of arriving back in Delhi to a police escort.

“With media cars around us with their cameras and the big lights on top, it felt as if we had committed a big crime, maybe like a murderer or terrorist or something.

“We were actually chased by them. After a while, we entered a police station. We went there, we sat for a while and then we left in our cars after 15-20 minutes. That actually had a big impact on me and

I channeled the aggression to become a better cricketer and a better human being.”

Four years later, and it was all about redemption for India and Dhoni.

“Winning the World Cup was very special because it meant so much to so many. One thing about our country that is constant is cricket,” said the skipper after their final win over Sri Lanka in Mumbai.

“The smile it brought to people's faces was the thing I shall always remember. It reminded me, reminded all of us, of our importance to the lives of the Indian people less lucky than we are.”

Most of all it was a special farewell for Tendulkar – claiming a World Cup winners medal in his sixth and final attempt.

“As a young boy, I grew up wanting to win it some day. It was something I always wanted. This is the ultimate trophy, the ultimate thing which brings smiles on the nation’s face. It’s the proudest moment of my life. It’s never too late”

And after carrying Tendulkar on their shoulders around the ground, future India skipper and star Virat Kohli summed it up best: “He’s (Tendulkar) carried the burden of the nation for 21 years so it’s time we carried him on our shoulders” 

But for India’s celebrations, there was also heartbreak for South Africa as their wait for a knockout win continued.

“The monkey on our back has almost become a gorilla now and until we win an ICC event it's always going to be there I'm afraid,” admitted coach Micky Arthur.

Last, but by no means least, comes 2015 and Australia’s return to the top.

India’s group stage clash with Pakistan in Adelaide might have stopped traffic – “I haven't seen the frenzy like that… these guys are bigger stars than Jagger and the Stones,” said a lady police officer who was on duty both during the Rolling Stones' visit to Adelaide last October and Sunday's India-Pakistan blockbuster – but Australia stopped all in front of them.

And the victory in the end was, fittingly, dedicated to the late Phillip Hughes who had died the year before when struck by a bouncer in a Sheffield Shield game.

"I'm sure everybody on this stage will say we played this World Cup with 16 players," said Clarke after his team's seven-wicket final win over New Zealand.

"Hughesy used to party as good as any of them so I guarantee we'll celebrate hard tonight."

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ICC