2007 Cricket World Cup
Encyclopedia
The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was the ninth edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup tournament that took place in the West Indies from 13 March to 28 April 2007, using the sport's One Day International format. There were a total of 51 matches played, three fewer than at the 2003 World Cup (despite a field larger by two teams).
The 16 competing teams were initially divided into four groups, with the two best-performing teams from each group moving on to a "Super 8" format. From this, Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and South Africa won through to the semi-finals, with Australia defeating Sri Lanka in the final to win their third consecutive World Cup. Australia's unbeaten record in the tournament increased their total to 29 consecutive World Cup matches without loss, a streak
dating back to 23 May 1999, during the group stage of the 1999 World Cup.
Following the tournament the ICC distributed surplus tournament revenues of USD 239 million to its members.
's rotational policy. It is the first time the ICC Cricket World Cup has been held in the Caribbean
despite the fact that the West Indies cricket team have been the second most successful team in past World Cups.
The United States
contingent lobbied strongly for matches to be staged at its newly built cricket ground in Lauderhill, Florida
, but the ICC decided to award all matches to Caribbean
nations. Bids from Bermuda
, St. Vincent and the Grenadines
, and a second bid by Jamaica
were also rejected.
The Jamaican Government spent US$81 million for "on the pitch" expenses. This included refurbishing Sabina Park and constructing the new multi-purpose facility in Trelawny - through a loan from China. Another US$20 million is budgeted for 'off-the-pitch' expenses, putting the tally at more than US$100 million or JM$
7 billion.
This put the reconstruction cost of Sabina Park at US$46 million whilst the Trelawny Stadium will cost US$35 million. The total amount of money spent on stadiums was at least US$301 million.
The Brian Lara Stadium
, in Trinidad, lost its status as a pre-tournament warm-up match venue on 21 September 2006.
The field of sixteen teams, the largest ever for the Cricket World Cup, consists of all sixteen teams which currently hold One Day International status. This includes the ten full members of the ICC (which all have Test
and permanent ODI status).The other six (associate) ODI nations are Kenya (which has ODI status until 2009) and five further teams which qualified via the 2005 ICC Trophy
(gaining ODI status until 2009, in the process).
in over 200 countries to a viewing audience estimated at more than two billion television viewers and was expected to generate more than 100,000 unique visitors to the West Indies who traveled solely for the tournament.
The 2007 Cricket World Cup featured an orange raccoon
-like creature named "Mello" as its mascot. It has been announced during matches that Mello has no race, species, age or gender- it is an attitude, the attitude of the young people of the West Indies. The official song for the World Cup was "The Game of Love and Unity" by Jamaica
n-born Shaggy
, Bajan
entertainer Rupee
and Trinidad
ian Fay-Ann Lyons
.
The 2007 tournament recorded the highest ticketing revenue for a Cricket World Cup
, selling more than 672,000. Although, attendance leading into the semi finals for the 2007 World Cup was 403,000; an average of 8,500 supporters per match.
, losing 3-0. South Africa played five ODIs against India (South Africa won 4-0) and five against Pakistan (South Africa won 3-1) while India also played four ODIs against the West Indies (India won 3-1) and four ODIs against Sri Lanka (India won 2-1). Bangladesh played four ODIs against Zimbabwe (Bangladesh won 3-1) and won a tri-series against Canada and Bermuda. The associate ODI teams took part in the World Cricket League
, which Kenya won, and were also involved in other series prior to the World Cup.
The rankings of the teams at the beginning of the Cricket World Cup were:
Note:Teams 12-16 did not have official ODI rankings leading up to the World Cup; they are ranked based on their win percentage against full members and then wins against associate members prior to the tournament.
over New Zealand
.
The ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 Opening Ceremony was held on Sunday, 11 March 2007, at Trelawny Stadium in Jamaica
.
It featured over 2000 dancers and performers representing all strands of West Indian music, from calypso
and ragga
to reggae
and soca
; among the performers were Sean Paul
, Byron Lee
, Kevin Lyttle
, Beres Hammond
, Lucky Dube
, Buju Banton
, Half Pint, Arrow
, Machel Montano
, Alison Hinds
, Tony Rebel
, Third World
, Gregory Isaacs
, David Rudder
, Shaggy
, the I Threes
and Jimmy Cliff
.
The ceremony, attended by several heads of state including the Governor-General of Jamaica
started with an address by Sir Garfield Sobers; there were messages from the Prime Ministers of Jamaica
and Grenada
.
In the event of bad weather, each side must have batted a minimum of 20 overs for a result to be declared (if the match was not otherwise won, for example if the team batting second was dismissed before the completion of 20 overs). In the event of bad weather, the Duckworth-Lewis method
was applied to determine the result or target. If no result was declared on the scheduled day, the teams returned the next day to complete the game, with the same situation as when the game was abandoned.
There was a new rule regarding referral of catches to the TV replay official (third umpire): if the standing umpires were unable to determine whether a catch had been taken cleanly, and/or whether a claimed catch was a "bump ball", they had discretion to refer the decision to the third umpire. Also, whilst reviewing such a catch via TV replay if it was clear to the third umpire that the batsman did not hit the ball, he was to indicate that the batsman was not out.
The top two teams from each group advanced to the Super 8 stage and any points they earned against the other qualifier from their own group was carried through. Points earned against the non qualifying teams in the same pool were not carried over. In the Super 8s, each team played the six remaining qualifiers from the other groups and the top four teams went through to the semi-finals. Positions were decided by most points. Where two or more teams were tied on points, the following methods in turn were used to decide which team went through:
The groups are listed below, with seedings (rankings from April 2005) shown in brackets. Each group played all of its matches at a single ground.
The top two teams in each group proceeded to the "Super 8" stage which will also use a league system. Each team carried forward its result against the other team qualifying from its preliminary stage group, and will play the other six qualifying teams once each. The top four teams in the league will qualify for the semi-finals. This system has been modified since the last World Cup, which had a "Super 6" stage rather than a Super 8. The Super 8 stage matches will be played from Tuesday 27 March until Saturday 21 April. A total of 24 matches will be played in the Super 8 stage.
The top four teams in the "Super 8" will advance to the Semi-Finals. This is the knockout stage, with the #1 team playing the #4 team, and the #2 team playing the #3 team in the tournament. The winners of the two semi-finals will play each other in the Final.
All tournament matches will have one reserve day (the day after the scheduled day of the match) to allow for matches to be completed in the event of bad weather.
. But each of the eight teams played only six new matches, rather than seven— each group's two representatives carried forward their result against each other rather than play again. Thus the table below, showing seven matches for each team, covers all matches between the Super 8 qualifiers, including those from the Group Stage.
Teams depicted in green backgrounds qualified for the semi-finals.
This was the first World Cup final to be a repeat – the sides previously met in the 1996 World Cup final, which Sri Lanka won. Australia had won every World Cup match against Sri Lanka apart from that loss. The match was Sri Lanka's second World Cup final appearance and Australia's sixth, their fourth in a row.
Ricky Ponting
won the toss and elected to bat. However, the start of play was delayed due to rain, and the match was reduced to 38 overs per side. Adam Gilchrist
played an incredible innings of 149 - the highest for any batsman in a World Cup final - to give Australia an imposing total going in at the break.
While Sri Lankan batsmen Kumar Sangakkara
and Sanath Jayasuriya
were adding 116 for the second wicket, the contest was alive, but after the pair got out, Sri Lanka's chances slowly washed away. Further rain forced the reduction of Sri Lanka's innings to just 36 overs, with the target revised to 269. At the end of the 33rd over, with Sri Lanka still trailing the adjusted Duckworth-Lewis target by 37 runs, the umpires suspended the game due to bad light. While Australia's players began to celebrate their victory (since the minimum 20 overs had been reached), the umpires incorrectly announced that because the match was suspended due to light and not rain, the final three overs would have to be bowled the following day. With Sri Lanka needing 61 runs from 18 deliveries, Mahela Jayawardene agreed there was no need to return the following day, and instructed his team to resume batting, with Ricky Ponting agreeing to play only spinners. The umpires later apologized for their error: the match should have ended then with Australia winning by 37 runs. The last three overs were played in almost complete darkness, during which Sri Lanka added nine runs, giving Australia a 53-run victory by the D-L method, as Sri Lanka had batted two overs fewer than they had.
Australia won the tournament undefeated, concluding a streak of 29 World Cup games without a loss. Australian bowler Glenn McGrath was named 'Player of the Series'.
Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer
was found dead on 18 March 2007, one day after his team's defeat to Ireland put them out of the running for the World Cup. Jamaican police performed an autopsy which was deemed inconclusive. The following day police announced that the death was suspicious and ordered a full investigation. Further investigation revealed the cause of death was "manual strangulation", and that the investigation would be handled as a murder. After a lengthy investigation the Jamaican police rescinded the comments that he was murdered, and confirmed that he died from natural causes.
, said that the ICC recognized the problem but said it was the local organizers' fault. However, the later matches had more crowds as the tournament progressed with the local organizers easing restrictions. Although they did not meet the target of US$42m, the revenue from ticket sales was double the ticket sales revenue from the last world cup and recorded the highest ticketing revenue for a Cricket World Cup with more than $32 million in ticket revenue.
The World Cup was also criticized for its format, with India
and Pakistan
failing to move on from the group stage after losing two matches. This led to Ireland and Bangladesh entering the long Super Eights stage and consistently being defeated (bar another upset by Bangladesh over South Africa). The elimination of India and Pakistan also caused a large exodus of subcontinental fans from the Caribbean, and removed the prospect of an India vs Pakistan Super Eights match, generally considered one of the most revenue generating and electric matches in the tournament. The BCCI later claimed it would see to it that the ICC will alter its World Cup format for the 2011 Cricket World Cup
.
The tournament was also criticised as being too long. At 6 weeks, it was the same length as the 2003 World Cup, but longer than the 5 week 1999 World Cup and the 4 week 1996 World Cup. The famous West Indian fast bowler Michael Holding
also criticised the qualification process for the 2007 World Cup. Holding expressed doubts over the benefit to less established teams of turning up and being heavily defeated. However, former Scotland captain George Salmond
claims that the opportunity to play one-day cricket against the bigger teams is invaluable for smaller teams such as his own, and questioned the validity of Holding's statements. The majority of the experts and players participating in the tournament backed up the smaller teams taking part in the World Cup. This was further backed up with Ireland and Bangladesh making the Super 8s and being competitive and sportsmanlike throughout the tournament.
Further criticism was generated by the confusion at the end of the final match, during which the umpires suspended play due to bad light and while official announcements and the scoreboard declared Australia the winners and the Australian team celebrated, while the umpires incorrectly insisted that the game was only suspended not completed, and that 3 overs remained to be played. And so in farcical light conditions, Sri Lanka batted out the 3 overs following a gentleman's agreement between the two captains. The umpires and ICC apologized for the unnecessary situation and cited it as an unnecessary fundamental error due to the pressure of the situation. In June the ICC announced that the officials involved — onfield umpires Steve Bucknor
and Aleem Dar
, reserve umpires Rudi Koertzen
and Billy Bowden
, and match referee Jeff Crowe
— would all be suspended from the 2007 Twenty20 World Championship
.
, seats had to be removed at the newly constructed north-stand due to safety concerns. At Trelawny Stadium in Jamaica
, ground staff were unable to gain admission to the ground during the warm up matches due to accreditation problems. Additionally, South Africa
and Australia both expressed concerns over practice facilities.
The 16 competing teams were initially divided into four groups, with the two best-performing teams from each group moving on to a "Super 8" format. From this, Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and South Africa won through to the semi-finals, with Australia defeating Sri Lanka in the final to win their third consecutive World Cup. Australia's unbeaten record in the tournament increased their total to 29 consecutive World Cup matches without loss, a streak
Winning streak (sports)
In sports, a winning streak refers to a consecutive number of games won. A winning streak can be held by a team, as in baseball, football, basketball, hockey, or by an individual, as in tennis...
dating back to 23 May 1999, during the group stage of the 1999 World Cup.
Following the tournament the ICC distributed surplus tournament revenues of USD 239 million to its members.
Host selection
The World Cup was awarded to the West Indies via the International Cricket CouncilInternational Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
's rotational policy. It is the first time the ICC Cricket World Cup has been held in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
despite the fact that the West Indies cricket team have been the second most successful team in past World Cups.
The United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
contingent lobbied strongly for matches to be staged at its newly built cricket ground in Lauderhill, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, but the ICC decided to award all matches to Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
nations. Bids from Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
, St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an island country in the Lesser Antilles chain, namely in the southern portion of the Windward Islands, which lie at the southern end of the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea where the latter meets the Atlantic Ocean....
, and a second bid by Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
were also rejected.
Venues
Eight venues across the West Indies were selected to host the World Cup final tournament. All host countries hosted six matches with the exceptions of St Lucia, Jamaica and Barbados (the last of which hosted the final) which each hosted seven matches.| Antigua and Barbuda Antigua and Barbuda Antigua and Barbuda is a twin-island nation lying between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It consists of two major inhabited islands, Antigua and Barbuda, and a number of smaller islands... |
Barbados Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint... |
Grenada Grenada Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea... |
Guyana Guyana Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British... |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sir Vivian Richards Stadium Sir Vivian Richards Stadium Sir Vivian Richards Stadium is a stadium in North Sound, Antigua, Antigua and Barbuda. It was built for use in the 2007 Cricket World Cup where it hosted Super 8 matches. The stadium usually caters for 10,000 people, but temporary seating doubled its capacity for the 2007 Cricket World Cup... Capacity: 20,000 |
Kensington Oval Kensington Oval The Kensington Oval is located to the west of the capital-city Bridgetown on the island of Barbados. "The Oval" is one of the major sporting facilities on the island and is primarily used for cricket... Capacity: 31,000 |
Queen's Park Capacity: 20,000 |
Providence Stadium Providence Stadium The Providence Stadium is a sports stadium in Guyana, replacing Bourda as the national stadium. The stadium was built specifically to host Super Eight matches in the 2007 Cricket World Cup, held in March and April 2007... Capacity: 20,000 |
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| Jamaica Jamaica Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic... |
Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Kitts and Nevis The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis , located in the Leeward Islands, is a federal two-island nation in the West Indies. It is the smallest sovereign state in the Americas, in both area and population.... |
Saint Lucia Saint Lucia Saint Lucia is an island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. It covers a land area of 620 km2 and has an... |
Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles... |
| Sabina Park Sabina Park Sabina Park is the home of the Kingston Cricket Club, and is the only Test cricket ground in Kingston, Jamaica and is often referred to as "The Holiday Home of Cricket".... Capacity: 20,000 |
Warner Park Stadium Warner Park Sporting Complex Warner Park Sporting Complex is an athletic facility in Basseterre, St. Kitts, St. Kitts and Nevis. It includes the Warner Park Stadium, which was one of the hosts for the 2007 Cricket World Cup.... Capacity: 10,000 |
Beausejour Stadium Beausejour Stadium Beausejour Stadium is a cricket ground located near Gros Islet, Saint Lucia. It was completed in 2002 and currently accommodates 13,000 spectators... Capacity: 20,000 |
Queen's Park Oval Queen's Park Oval Queen's Park Oval, in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, is currently the largest capacity cricket ground in the West Indies and has hosted more Test matches than any other ground in the Caribbean. It also hosted a number of matches in the 2007 Cricket World Cup. It is privately owned by the... Capacity: 25,000 |
 |
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Warm up venues
| Venue | City | Country | Capacity | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3Ws Oval 3Ws Oval The 3Ws Oval is a cricket field at the entrance of the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies in Barbados. Mostly known for the sculpture in the shape of three large wickets that stand tall on the incline above the field. The 3Ws Oval was one of the team warm-up venues for the 2007... |
Bridgetown Bridgetown The city of Bridgetown , metropolitan pop 96,578 , is the capital and largest city of the nation of Barbados. Formerly, the Town of Saint Michael, the Greater Bridgetown area is located within the parish of Saint Michael... |
Barbados Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint... |
8,500 | 4 |
| Greenfield Stadium Greenfield Stadium (Trelawny) Greenfield Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Trelawny, Jamaica that was completed in 2007. It has a capacity of 25,000 people. It was built under an agreement between Jamaica and the People's Republic of China, that saw the PRC Government put up at least US$30-million needed for the project.It... |
Falmouth, Jamaica Falmouth, Jamaica Falmouth is the chief town and capital of the parish of Trelawny in Jamaica. It is situated on Jamaica's north coast 18 miles east of Montego Bay. It is noted for being one of the Caribbean’s best-preserved Georgian towns.... |
Jamaica Jamaica Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic... |
25,000 | 4 |
| Arnos Vale Stadium | Kingstown Kingstown Kingstown is the chief port of Saint Vincent, and the capital of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. With a population of 25,418 Kingstown is a centre for the island's agricultural industry and a port of entry for tourists... |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an island country in the Lesser Antilles chain, namely in the southern portion of the Windward Islands, which lie at the southern end of the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea where the latter meets the Atlantic Ocean.... |
18,000 | 4 |
| Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground The Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground is a cricket stadium in Saint Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago.FC cricket was played on this ground up until the mid-70s. For some reason, it seems it was not used again until 2006. Possibly with the 2007 World Cup in mind, the Caribbean cricket authorities... |
St. Augustine Saint Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago St. Augustine, a town on the East-West Corridor of Trinidad and Tobago, is the site of one of the four campuses of the University of the West Indies. It is located east of Curepe and west of Tunapuna.... |
Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles... |
22,000 | 4 |
The Jamaican Government spent US$81 million for "on the pitch" expenses. This included refurbishing Sabina Park and constructing the new multi-purpose facility in Trelawny - through a loan from China. Another US$20 million is budgeted for 'off-the-pitch' expenses, putting the tally at more than US$100 million or JM$
Jamaican dollar
The dollar has been the currency of Jamaica since 1969. It is often abbreviated "J$", the J serving to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies. It is divided into 100 cents.-History:...
7 billion.
This put the reconstruction cost of Sabina Park at US$46 million whilst the Trelawny Stadium will cost US$35 million. The total amount of money spent on stadiums was at least US$301 million.
The Brian Lara Stadium
Brian Lara Stadium
Brian Lara Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago that is currently under construction. When completed in 2007, it will be used mostly for cricket matches and was supposed to host matches during the 2007 Cricket World Cup, however ongoing delays in construction have...
, in Trinidad, lost its status as a pre-tournament warm-up match venue on 21 September 2006.
Qualification
The field of sixteen teams, the largest ever for the Cricket World Cup, consists of all sixteen teams which currently hold One Day International status. This includes the ten full members of the ICC (which all have Test
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
and permanent ODI status).The other six (associate) ODI nations are Kenya (which has ODI status until 2009) and five further teams which qualified via the 2005 ICC Trophy
2005 ICC Trophy
Ireland beat Bermuda easily as Ed Joyce made 103 for the hosts in Stormont.----Denmark beat Uganda by 28 runs as Thomas Munkholt Hansen took 6 for 30 to carry Denmark to a 28-run win over Uganda in Muckamore. Denmark made 197 with Henrik Saxe Hansen making 71...
(gaining ODI status until 2009, in the process).
| Full Members | |
|---|---|
| Associate Members | |
Squads
There were sixteen teams in 2007 Cricket World Cup. The sixteen teams were asked to announce their final squads by 13 February 2007. Changes were allowed after this deadline at the discretion of the ICCs Technical Committee in necessary cases, such as due to player injury.Media coverage
The World Cup has grown as a media event with each tournament. The sponsorship and television rights that were awarded primarily to cover the 2003 and 2007 World Cups raised over US$550 m. The 2007 World Cup was televisedTelevision
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
in over 200 countries to a viewing audience estimated at more than two billion television viewers and was expected to generate more than 100,000 unique visitors to the West Indies who traveled solely for the tournament.
The 2007 Cricket World Cup featured an orange raccoon
Raccoon
Procyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
-like creature named "Mello" as its mascot. It has been announced during matches that Mello has no race, species, age or gender- it is an attitude, the attitude of the young people of the West Indies. The official song for the World Cup was "The Game of Love and Unity" by Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n-born Shaggy
Shaggy (musician)
Orville Richard Burrell , better known by his stage name Shaggy, is a Jamaican-American reggae singer and rapper. He is perhaps best known for his 1995 single "Boombastic" and 2000 single "It Wasn't Me"...
, Bajan
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
entertainer Rupee
Rupee (musician)
Rupert Clarke , best known by his stage name Rupee, is a soca musician from Barbados. He was born in military barracks in Germany to a German mother and a Bajan father, who was serving in the British armed forces at the time. He later migrated to Barbados...
and Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
ian Fay-Ann Lyons
Fay-Ann Lyons
Fay-Ann Lyons-Alvarez is a Trinidadian soca songwriter, recording artist and performer. She is also known by such titles as the Lyon Empress, Mane the Matriach and the Silver Surfer, a nickname which she claimed during her performance at the 2008 International Soca Monarch. She is married to...
.
The 2007 tournament recorded the highest ticketing revenue for a Cricket World Cup
Cricket World Cup
The ICC Cricket World Cup is the premier international championship of men's One Day International cricket. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Cricket Council , with preliminary qualification rounds leading up to a finals tournament which is held every four years...
, selling more than 672,000. Although, attendance leading into the semi finals for the 2007 World Cup was 403,000; an average of 8,500 supporters per match.
Leadup
All major Test-playing nations had schedules allowing them to play a large number of One Day International against other major ODI teams just prior to the World Cup. Australia, New Zealand and England took part in the Commonwealth Bank Series where England defeated Australia in the finals. Australia then went to New Zealand for the Chappell-Hadlee TrophyChappell-Hadlee Trophy
The Chappell-Hadlee Trophy in cricket is an annual ODI series between Australia and New Zealand. It is named after legendary cricketing families from the two countries, the Chappell brothers of Australia and Walter Hadlee and his three sons, , of New Zealand.The trophy is currently held by...
, losing 3-0. South Africa played five ODIs against India (South Africa won 4-0) and five against Pakistan (South Africa won 3-1) while India also played four ODIs against the West Indies (India won 3-1) and four ODIs against Sri Lanka (India won 2-1). Bangladesh played four ODIs against Zimbabwe (Bangladesh won 3-1) and won a tri-series against Canada and Bermuda. The associate ODI teams took part in the World Cricket League
2007 ICC World Cricket League Division One
The 2007 ICC World Cricket League Division One was a One Day International cricket tournament played from 29 January 2007 to 7 February 2007 in Nairobi, Kenya. Division One, which is the successor to the now defunct ICC 6 Nations Challenge, is the highest tier of the World Cricket League, and is...
, which Kenya won, and were also involved in other series prior to the World Cup.
The rankings of the teams at the beginning of the Cricket World Cup were:
| Ranking | Team | Points | Ranking | Team | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 128 | 9 | 42 | |||
| 2 | 125 | 10 | 22 | |||
| 3 | 113 | 11 | 0 | |||
| 4 | 111 | 12 | 0% / 69% | |||
| 5 | 109 | 13 | 0% / 50% | |||
| 6 | 108 | 14 | 0% / 44% | |||
| 7 | 106 | 15 | 0% / 33% | |||
| 8 | 101 | 16 | 0% / 28% |
Note:Teams 12-16 did not have official ODI rankings leading up to the World Cup; they are ranked based on their win percentage against full members and then wins against associate members prior to the tournament.
Warm-up matches
Prior to the main tournament all 16 nations played a series of warm-up matches to prepare, experiment with different tactics and to help them get acclimated to conditions in the West Indies. The warm-up matches were not considered as official ODIs. The matches were played from Monday 5 March until Friday 9 March. The matches included a surprise victory by BangladeshBangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
over New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
Opening ceremony
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
.
It featured over 2000 dancers and performers representing all strands of West Indian music, from calypso
Calypso music
Calypso is a style of Afro-Caribbean music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago from African and European roots. The roots of the genre lay in the arrival of enslaved Africans, who, not being allowed to speak with each other, communicated through song...
and ragga
Ragga
-Origins:Ragga originated in Jamaica during the 1980s, at the same time that electronic dance music's popularity was increasing globally. One of the reasons for ragga's swift propagation is that it is generally easier and less expensive to produce than reggae performed on traditional musical...
to reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
and soca
Soca music
Soca is a style of music from Trinidad and Tobago. Soca is a musical development of traditional Trinidadian calypso, through loans from the 1960s onwards from predominantly black popular music....
; among the performers were Sean Paul
Sean Paul
Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques , who performs under stage name Sean Paul, is a Jamaican pop rap and reggae singer.-1973–1996: Early life:...
, Byron Lee
Byron Lee
Byron Lee OD, OJ was a musician, record producer, and entrepreneur, best known for his work as leader of Byron Lee and the Dragonaires.-Biography:Lee was born in Christiana in Manchester Parish to an Afro-Jamaican mother and a Chinese father Byron Lee OD, OJ (born Byron Aloysius St. Elmo Lee, 27...
, Kevin Lyttle
Kevin Lyttle
Kevin Lyttle is a soca artist hailing from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, who had a worldwide hit with the interpellative soca ballad "Turn Me On", which was recorded by Lyttle and the dancehall artist Spragga Benz.-Career:Previously, Lyttle had subsisted on day jobs, such as customs officer...
, Beres Hammond
Beres Hammond
Beres Hammond is a reggae singer known in particular for his romantic lovers rock and soulful voice...
, Lucky Dube
Lucky Dube
Lucky Philip Dube was a South African reggae musician. He recorded 22 albums in Zulu, English and Afrikaans in a 25-year period and was South Africa's biggest selling reggae artist...
, Buju Banton
Buju Banton
Buju Banton is a Jamaican dancehall, ragga, and reggae musician.Banton has recorded pop and dance songs, as well as songs dealing with sociopolitical topics....
, Half Pint, Arrow
Arrow (musician)
Alphonsus Celestine Edmund Cassell MBE was a calypso and soca musician who performed under the stage name Arrow, and is regarded as the first superstar of soca from Montserrat.-Early years:...
, Machel Montano
Machel Montano
Machel Montano is a soca singer, record producer and songwriter based in the Trinidad and Tobago....
, Alison Hinds
Alison Hinds
Alison Hinds is a Bajan female soca artist based in the Caribbean island of Barbados. She is one of the most popular soca singers in the world and has been given the nickname the "Queen of Soca".-Biography:...
, Tony Rebel
Tony Rebel
Tony Rebel is a Jamaican reggae deejay. He was initially a singer, appearing as Papa Tony or Tony Ranking in local talent contests and on sound systems including Sugar Minott's 'Youth Promotion'...
, Third World
Third World (band)
Third World is a Jamaican reggae band formed in 1973. Their sound is influenced by soul, funk and disco.-History:Third World started when keyboard player Michael "Ibo" Cooper and guitarist Stephen "Cat" Coore, who had originally played in The Alley Cats then Inner Circle, subsequently left to form...
, Gregory Isaacs
Gregory Isaacs
Gregory Anthony Isaacs was a Jamaican reggae musician. Milo Miles, writing in the New York Times, described Isaacs as "the most exquisite vocalist in reggae". His nicknames include Cool Ruler and Lonely Lover....
, David Rudder
David Rudder
David Michael Rudder is a calypsonian from Trinidad.-Career:David Rudder is one of the top calypsonians of all time. In 1977, he joined Charlie's Roots, one of the top bands in Trinidad and Tobago. He spent many years as one of the vocalists with the band...
, Shaggy
Shaggy (musician)
Orville Richard Burrell , better known by his stage name Shaggy, is a Jamaican-American reggae singer and rapper. He is perhaps best known for his 1995 single "Boombastic" and 2000 single "It Wasn't Me"...
, the I Threes
I Threes
The I Threes were a Jamaican reggae singing group made up of three women, that was formed in 1974 to support Bob Marley & The Wailers after Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer — the original Wailer backing vocalists — left the band....
and Jimmy Cliff
Jimmy Cliff
Jimmy Cliff, OM is a Jamaican musician, singer and actor. He is the only currently living musician to hold the Order of Merit, the highest honour that can be granted by the Jamaican government for achievement in the arts and sciences...
.
The ceremony, attended by several heads of state including the Governor-General of Jamaica
Governor-General of Jamaica
The Governor-General of Jamaica represents the Jamaican monarch, and head of state, who holds the title of King or Queen of Jamaica ....
started with an address by Sir Garfield Sobers; there were messages from the Prime Ministers of Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
and Grenada
Grenada
Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...
.
Matches
The matches were One Day Internationals and operated under normal ODI rules. All matches were to be 50 overs a side unless stated otherwise by the umpires or match referee. A bowler was able to bowl a maximum of 10 overs per match.In the event of bad weather, each side must have batted a minimum of 20 overs for a result to be declared (if the match was not otherwise won, for example if the team batting second was dismissed before the completion of 20 overs). In the event of bad weather, the Duckworth-Lewis method
Duckworth-Lewis method
In the sport of cricket, the Duckworth–Lewis method is a mathematical formulation designed to calculate the target score for the team batting second in a one-day cricket or Twenty20 cricket match interrupted by weather or other circumstance...
was applied to determine the result or target. If no result was declared on the scheduled day, the teams returned the next day to complete the game, with the same situation as when the game was abandoned.
There was a new rule regarding referral of catches to the TV replay official (third umpire): if the standing umpires were unable to determine whether a catch had been taken cleanly, and/or whether a claimed catch was a "bump ball", they had discretion to refer the decision to the third umpire. Also, whilst reviewing such a catch via TV replay if it was clear to the third umpire that the batsman did not hit the ball, he was to indicate that the batsman was not out.
Tournament points
In the Group Stage and in the Super 8 Stage points were awarded as follows:| Results | Points |
|---|---|
| Win | 2 points |
| Tie/No Result | 1 point |
| Loss | 0 points |
The top two teams from each group advanced to the Super 8 stage and any points they earned against the other qualifier from their own group was carried through. Points earned against the non qualifying teams in the same pool were not carried over. In the Super 8s, each team played the six remaining qualifiers from the other groups and the top four teams went through to the semi-finals. Positions were decided by most points. Where two or more teams were tied on points, the following methods in turn were used to decide which team went through:
- Most wins in their group or in Super 8 whichever is applicable
- Higher net run rateNet run rateNet Run Rate is a statistic used in the sport of cricket. It is the most commonly used method of separating teams in one-day league competitions, effectively acting as the Cricket equivalent of "goal difference" in football....
- Higher number of wickets taken per ball
- Winners of head to head matches
- The drawing of lots
Umpires
The umpiring panel for the 2007 Cricket World Cup comprised nine umpires from the Elite Panel of ICC Umpires (the only member not included was Darrell Hair), and nine umpires from the international panel. The refereeing panel comprises seven members from the Elite Panel of ICC Referees, with Clive Lloyd not being included due to his role as West Indies' team manager. Aleem Dar went on to stand as an umpire in his first World Cup final, alongside Steve Bucknor who was appearing in his fifth final in a row - extending his record of four from the 2003 World Cup.Seeds
The tournament began with a league stage consisting of four groups of four. Each team played each of the other teams in its group once. Australia, India, England and West Indies were placed in separate pools for logistical reasons, as they were expected to have the most supporters in attendance, and transport and accommodation capacity in the West Indies is limited.The groups are listed below, with seedings (rankings from April 2005) shown in brackets. Each group played all of its matches at a single ground.
| Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D |
|---|---|---|---|
System
The tournament was preceded by a number of warm-up matches to acclimatise the players. The Group Stage matches started on Tuesday 13 March and finished on Sunday 25 March. There were a total of 24 matches played in the group stage.The top two teams in each group proceeded to the "Super 8" stage which will also use a league system. Each team carried forward its result against the other team qualifying from its preliminary stage group, and will play the other six qualifying teams once each. The top four teams in the league will qualify for the semi-finals. This system has been modified since the last World Cup, which had a "Super 6" stage rather than a Super 8. The Super 8 stage matches will be played from Tuesday 27 March until Saturday 21 April. A total of 24 matches will be played in the Super 8 stage.
The top four teams in the "Super 8" will advance to the Semi-Finals. This is the knockout stage, with the #1 team playing the #4 team, and the #2 team playing the #3 team in the tournament. The winners of the two semi-finals will play each other in the Final.
All tournament matches will have one reserve day (the day after the scheduled day of the match) to allow for matches to be completed in the event of bad weather.
Group A
| Team | Pts | Pld | W | T | L | NR | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | -2.527 | |
| 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | -3.793 |
Group B
| Team | Pts | Pld | W | T | L | NR | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | -1.523 | |
| 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | -4.345 |
Group C
| Team | Pts | Pld | W | T | L | NR | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | -1.194 | |
| 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | -1.389 |
Group D
| Team | Pts | Pld | W | T | L | NR | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | -0.092 | |
| 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | -0.886 |
Super 8 stage
The top two teams in each first-round group moved on to a "super eight" stage which is scored as a complete round-robinRound-robin tournament
A round-robin tournament is a competition "in which each contestant meets all other contestants in turn".-Terminology:...
. But each of the eight teams played only six new matches, rather than seven— each group's two representatives carried forward their result against each other rather than play again. Thus the table below, showing seven matches for each team, covers all matches between the Super 8 qualifiers, including those from the Group Stage.
Teams depicted in green backgrounds qualified for the semi-finals.
| Team | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1725 | 266.1 | 1314 | 322 | ||
| 10 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1586 | 301.1 | 1275 | 337 | ||
| 10 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1378 | 308 | 1457 | 345.1 | ||
| 8 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1561 | 299.1 | 1635 | 333.2 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1557 | 344.4 | 1511 | 307.4 | ||
| 4 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1595 | 338.1 | 1781 | 337.1 | ||
| 2 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1084 | 318 | 1398 | 284 | ||
| 2 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1111 | 333 | 1226 | 242 |
Knockout stage
Semi-finals
Final
Ricky Ponting
Ricky Ponting
Ricky Thomas Ponting , nicknamed Punter, is an Australian cricketer, a former captain of the Australian cricket team between 2004 and 2011 in Test cricket and 2002 and 2011 in One Day International cricket. He is a specialist right-handed batsman, slips and close catching fielder, as well as a very...
won the toss and elected to bat. However, the start of play was delayed due to rain, and the match was reduced to 38 overs per side. Adam Gilchrist
Adam Gilchrist
Adam Craig Gilchrist AM , nicknamed "Gilly" or "Churchy", is an Australian international cricketer who currently captains Kings XI Punjab and recently captained Middlesex. He is an attacking left-handed batsman and record-breaking wicket-keeper, who redefined the role for the Australian national...
played an incredible innings of 149 - the highest for any batsman in a World Cup final - to give Australia an imposing total going in at the break.
Kumar Sangakkara
Kumar Sangakkara is a Sri Lankan, Sinhalese cricketer and the former captain of the Sri Lanka national cricket team. He is a left-handed top-order batsman...
and Sanath Jayasuriya
Sanath Jayasuriya
Sanath Teran Jayasuriya is a former Sri Lankan cricketer. An all-rounder, he played for the Sri Lankan cricket team from 1989 to 2011...
were adding 116 for the second wicket, the contest was alive, but after the pair got out, Sri Lanka's chances slowly washed away. Further rain forced the reduction of Sri Lanka's innings to just 36 overs, with the target revised to 269. At the end of the 33rd over, with Sri Lanka still trailing the adjusted Duckworth-Lewis target by 37 runs, the umpires suspended the game due to bad light. While Australia's players began to celebrate their victory (since the minimum 20 overs had been reached), the umpires incorrectly announced that because the match was suspended due to light and not rain, the final three overs would have to be bowled the following day. With Sri Lanka needing 61 runs from 18 deliveries, Mahela Jayawardene agreed there was no need to return the following day, and instructed his team to resume batting, with Ricky Ponting agreeing to play only spinners. The umpires later apologized for their error: the match should have ended then with Australia winning by 37 runs. The last three overs were played in almost complete darkness, during which Sri Lanka added nine runs, giving Australia a 53-run victory by the D-L method, as Sri Lanka had batted two overs fewer than they had.
Death of Bob Woolmer
Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer
Bob Woolmer
Robert Andrew Woolmer was an international cricketer, professional cricket coach and also a professional commentator...
was found dead on 18 March 2007, one day after his team's defeat to Ireland put them out of the running for the World Cup. Jamaican police performed an autopsy which was deemed inconclusive. The following day police announced that the death was suspicious and ordered a full investigation. Further investigation revealed the cause of death was "manual strangulation", and that the investigation would be handled as a murder. After a lengthy investigation the Jamaican police rescinded the comments that he was murdered, and confirmed that he died from natural causes.
Criticism
The 2007 World Cup organizers were criticized early on for being over-commercialized and, in particular, the generally smaller crowds have been blamed on the ICC's security restrictions on things such as outside food, signs, replica kits and musical instruments, despite Caribbean cricketing customs, as well as the authorities being accused of "running [cricket and cricketing traditions] out of town, then sanitising it out of existence". Sir Viv Richards echoed the concerns. The ICC were also condemned for high prices for tickets and concessions, which were considered unaffordable for the local population in many of the locations. ICC CEO, Malcolm SpeedMalcolm Speed
Malcolm Walter Speed is an Australian businessman and the former CEO of the International Cricket Council.Before he entered the world of cricket, he was a barrister in Melbourne. He was originally the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Cricket Board from 1997 until in 2001, he took up the...
, said that the ICC recognized the problem but said it was the local organizers' fault. However, the later matches had more crowds as the tournament progressed with the local organizers easing restrictions. Although they did not meet the target of US$42m, the revenue from ticket sales was double the ticket sales revenue from the last world cup and recorded the highest ticketing revenue for a Cricket World Cup with more than $32 million in ticket revenue.
The World Cup was also criticized for its format, with India
Indian cricket team
The Indian cricket team is the national cricket team of India. Governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , it is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status....
and Pakistan
Pakistani cricket team
The Pakistan cricket team is the national cricket team of Pakistan. Pakistan, represented by the Pakistan Cricket Board , is a full member of the International Cricket Council, and thus participates in , and cricket matches....
failing to move on from the group stage after losing two matches. This led to Ireland and Bangladesh entering the long Super Eights stage and consistently being defeated (bar another upset by Bangladesh over South Africa). The elimination of India and Pakistan also caused a large exodus of subcontinental fans from the Caribbean, and removed the prospect of an India vs Pakistan Super Eights match, generally considered one of the most revenue generating and electric matches in the tournament. The BCCI later claimed it would see to it that the ICC will alter its World Cup format for the 2011 Cricket World Cup
2011 Cricket World Cup
The 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup was the tenth Cricket World Cup. It was played in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. It was Bangladesh's first time co-hosting a World Cup...
.
The tournament was also criticised as being too long. At 6 weeks, it was the same length as the 2003 World Cup, but longer than the 5 week 1999 World Cup and the 4 week 1996 World Cup. The famous West Indian fast bowler Michael Holding
Michael Holding
Michael Anthony Holding is a former West Indian cricketer. One of the fastest bowlers ever to play Test cricket, he was nicknamed 'Whispering Death' by umpires due to his quiet approach to the bowling crease...
also criticised the qualification process for the 2007 World Cup. Holding expressed doubts over the benefit to less established teams of turning up and being heavily defeated. However, former Scotland captain George Salmond
George Salmond
George Salmond is a former Scottish cricketer, with 146 full caps and is currently a football referee....
claims that the opportunity to play one-day cricket against the bigger teams is invaluable for smaller teams such as his own, and questioned the validity of Holding's statements. The majority of the experts and players participating in the tournament backed up the smaller teams taking part in the World Cup. This was further backed up with Ireland and Bangladesh making the Super 8s and being competitive and sportsmanlike throughout the tournament.
Further criticism was generated by the confusion at the end of the final match, during which the umpires suspended play due to bad light and while official announcements and the scoreboard declared Australia the winners and the Australian team celebrated, while the umpires incorrectly insisted that the game was only suspended not completed, and that 3 overs remained to be played. And so in farcical light conditions, Sri Lanka batted out the 3 overs following a gentleman's agreement between the two captains. The umpires and ICC apologized for the unnecessary situation and cited it as an unnecessary fundamental error due to the pressure of the situation. In June the ICC announced that the officials involved — onfield umpires Steve Bucknor
Steve Bucknor
The Honourable Stephen Anthony Bucknor OJ, also known as Steve Bucknor, is a former international cricket umpire. He was born in Montego Bay, Jamaica, on 31 May 1946. He became a high school mathematics teacher and sports coach, before becoming an international football referee and a cricket umpire...
and Aleem Dar
Aleem Dar
Aleem Sarwar Dar is a retired Pakistani first-class cricketer and a member of the ICC Elite umpire panel. He won three consecutive ICC Umpire of the Year awards 2009, 2010 and 2011, after being nominated twice in 2005 and 2006. Aleem Dar and Simon Taufel are the only umpires to have received the...
, reserve umpires Rudi Koertzen
Rudi Koertzen
Rudolf Eric Koertzen otherwise known as Rudi Koertzen is a former international cricket umpire. His name is pronounced in English....
and Billy Bowden
Billy Bowden
Brent Fraser "Billy" Bowden is an international cricket umpire from New Zealand. He was a player until he began to suffer from rheumatoid arthritis and took up umpiring...
, and match referee Jeff Crowe
Jeff Crowe
Jeffrey John Crowe is a former New Zealand cricketer. He is the son of Dave Crowe and elder brother of Martin Crowe. They are cousins of Oscar winning actor, Russell Crowe....
— would all be suspended from the 2007 Twenty20 World Championship
2007 Twenty20 World Championship
The 2007 ICC World Twenty20 was the inaugural Twenty20 cricket World Championship and it took place in South Africa from 11 September to 24 September 2007. Twelve teams took part in the thirteen-day tournament, comprising the ten Test playing nations as well as the finalists of the 2007 WCL...
.
Preparation problems
A number of preparation problems surfaced before the start of the World Cup. Some of the venues were not complete by the opening ceremony on 11 March 2007. At Sabina ParkSabina Park
Sabina Park is the home of the Kingston Cricket Club, and is the only Test cricket ground in Kingston, Jamaica and is often referred to as "The Holiday Home of Cricket"....
, seats had to be removed at the newly constructed north-stand due to safety concerns. At Trelawny Stadium in Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, ground staff were unable to gain admission to the ground during the warm up matches due to accreditation problems. Additionally, South Africa
South African cricket team
The South African national cricket team represent South Africa in international cricket. They are administrated by Cricket South Africa.South Africa is a full member of the International Cricket Council, also known as ICC, with Test and One Day International, or ODI, status...
and Australia both expressed concerns over practice facilities.
See also
- West Indies Cricket BoardWest Indies Cricket BoardThe West Indies Cricket Board is the governing body for professional and amateur cricket in the West Indies...
- CARICOM Visa and Freedom of Travel during Cricket World Cup
- 2007 Cricket World Cup venues2007 Cricket World Cup venuesThe 2007 Cricket World Cup took place in the West Indies from 13 March to 28 April 2007, using the sports One Day International format. A total of 16 teams participated in 51 matches throughout the tournament and were initially divided into four groups, with the two best-performing teams from each...