The 1996 World Cup also saw Sri Lanka taking part in the hosting, though it was to cause much consternation as close to the event both Australia and the West Indies refused to play there. The reason was that Sri Lanka then was in the midst of a civil war and the teams were worried about their security. Both teams wanted their matches against Sri Lanka shifted to India where they were to play their other group games. The organisers refused and thus for the first time matches were forfeited in a World Cup tournament.

The format nevertheless gave the Test teams room to maneuver. For the first time in World Cups more than two associate members were inducted into the tournament and altogether 12 teams took part. These were divided into six per group with the top four in each group to qualify for the quarter-final phase. Holland and UAE lined up with Pakistan, England, South Africa and New Zealand in the group based in Pakistan. The other group was based in India and besides the hosts housed Australia, West Indies, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe; the Associate team here was Kenya. This may have widened the reach of the World Cup but in essence it was an exercise in futility as there was next to no chance of the four weaker sides making it to the last eight.

The organisers defended the move, saying that despite 12 teams the tournament was to stretch to 31 days only, which was more or less the same as with nine teams in 1992. But actually it would take 21 days and 30 matches to eliminate four of the 12 teams. And anyone with a modicum of knowledge of team strengths would pick Zimbabwe and the three associates to be eliminated before the quarter-finals. And so it turned out to be with the majority of games being absolutely lackluster as predicted.

There was the odd upset. When it came to the Kenya v West Indies game, the West Indians in 1996 may not have been the threat they were in the first World Cups, but still their talent had not deteriorated to an extent where a defeat against Kenya could be envisaged. But it happened after they let the African side reach 166 and collapsed from the very start to a string of strange strokes to be all out for 93. Yet they reached the semi-finals as the associate teams ate up each other and allowed the Test teams to bear the odd upset because of the format of the tournament.

Other than that there were not even storms in a tea cup with some excitement coming in the group games between the Test sides. Pakistan had an easy run beating the apparently exhausted and less motivated English and Kiwi sides but lost to South Africa, which set them up for a quarter-final against India in India. It was a controversial game with Wasim Akram admitting to misreading a pitch, and playing only two pace bowlers including himself despite not being fully fit and dropping Javed Miandad in what would have been his final game on his home ground. It was Aamer Sohail’s hundred that had set Pakistan up for a score of 242 but South Africa reached it in the 45th over due to some loose bowling from Akram (0-49 in 9.2 overs), Waqar (3-50 in 8) and Mushtaq (0-54 in 10).

Just how dominant the sub-continental boards in International Cricket Council had become

became evident when the World Cup returned to South Asian shores after only one tournament away

The quarter-finals launched the emotive part of the World Cup. It was something of a jolt; like being on death row for years and then being woken up one morning with a black warrant executable in 24 hours. Possibly the most expected elimination at the knockout stage was England and New Zealand’s. They were a team of bits and pieces cricketers who it seemed were mournful that they had to play in the heat. England’s frustration was manifest in their captain Michael Atherton calling a Pakistani journalist a ‘buffoon’ for, in his view, asking too many pestering questions during a press conference. They went out lamely to Sri Lanka in Faisalabad. New Zealand was more tolerant of their inadequacy for sub-continental conditions though they made Australia fight hard for their quarter-final triumph in the heat and humidity of Chennai.

The other two quarter-finals were the ones which the world watched with more trepidation and eagerness. One was the once unimaginable: West Indies v South Africa. The team from Africa was, of course, the more favoured to win. Despite dropping their spearhead Allan Donald to everyone’s surprise, they still had names like Gary Kirsten who’d hit 188 in a group game though against minnows UAE, Hansie Cronje their captain, Jonty Rhodes, all rounder Brian McMillan, off spinner Pat Symcox and pacer Shaun Pollock.

But they came up against the rare brilliance of Brian Lara who powered to a scintillating hundred to take West Indies to 264-8. It looked difficult initially but then at 186-3 South Africa were coasting. What followed next was suspiciously maddening. The South Africans started playing a mix of careless and needless shots and pulled themselves down to 198-7. Despite a late rally from there similarly reckless shots had them shot out 19 runs short.

The match between India and Pakistan which can always be regarded as ‘the other final’ was of course the match of the tournament, especially as it was a quarter-final knockout. In the heated cauldron of Bangalore in front of a packed pro-Indian crowd the Pakistanis had issues even before the game began. Wasim Akram had informed the team the night before that he was fully fit and would play. But five minutes before the toss he told his men that he wouldn’t be playing, which meant Pakistan had to turn to their vice captain, Aamer Sohail, with little time to adjust to a counter strategy, considering they would now be without the greatest bowler of his generation.

India till then had not had a dream run as they had expected to at home and had finished third in their group. They had lost to Australia and Sri Lanka in high scoring games with Sachin Tendulkar carrying the brunt of the runs on his shoulders. Pakistani batting on the other hand was functioning well with all from Aamer Sohail, Saeed Anwar, Inzamam, Salim Malik and Ijaz enjoying a good run. Their bowling was nevertheless suspect under pressure despite names like Wasim, Waqar, Aaqib, Mushtaq and Saqlain. In fact Wasim Akram finished with only three wickets in the entire tournament, two of them against UAE. Other than him almost all the bigger names in the team performed at least sporadically.

The quarter-final started with India taking the initiative at 168-2 as Sidhu reached 93. But once he got out Pakistan pulled India back to 236-6. Then Ajay Jadeja blasted Waqar Younus especially and 40 came off the last four overs for India to finish on 287 with Pakistan docked an over for slow overrate.

Pakistan’s reply was nevertheless unmindful and equally devastating via openers Saeed Anwar and Aamer Sohail. The two had 84 on the board after 10 overs. Five an over were needed from there with all wickets in hand. Then a piece of emotion got the better of Aamer. At 113, he had lost his partner a little earlier but had just hit Prasad to the boundary. Some words were exchanged and Aamer told the bowler that the next ball was going to the same place. It took out his stumps instead. Quick to go were Ijaz and Inzamam and suddenly Pakistan had lost the momentum. Javed Miandad fought first with Salim Malik and then with Rashid Latif but the Jadeja blitz had made the difference it seemed and the defending champions were eliminated 39 runs short.

India were to taste their own turmoil, with far worse ramifications, in the semi-final. Chasing Sri Lanka’s 251, they went from 98-1 to 120-8 due to some careless strokes on a turning pitch. The Kolkata crowd became fiery (literally) and match referee Clive Lloyd called off the game in favour of Sri Lanka after fan-hurled missiles kept coming on to the ground as fires raged in the stands.

The other semi-final was no less cataclysmic. West Indies had Australia down to 15-4 but the Aussies fought their way to 207-8. Then at 165-2 with Chanderpaul on 80, West Indies needed 43 from 48 balls. Then Warne (4-36) struck and so did Fleming. In a fit of panic the Calypsos tumbled to 202 all out with their skipper Richardson stranded on 49.

So it was that Australia who had chosen to forfeit their game against Sri Lanka played them in the final at Lahore. By then the Sri Lankans who had been absolute nobodies till the 1992 event had matured into a fine all round side led by the rotund Ranatunga, a shrewd captain and batsman. He used his bowlers well, especially Muralitharan, to restrict Australia to 241-7 and with 47 not out helped reel off the runs with the loss of only three wickets, his deputy Aravinda de Silva scoring a magnificent unbeaten hundred. Sri Lanka had stunned everyone with their victory. They had also remodeled the way one-day cricket was played and had pioneered the over-the-top attacking start through openers Jayasuriya and Kaluwitharana. This was no fluke; Sri Lanka had twice beaten India and overcome a great side like Australia in the final. They were worthy winners of the sixth World Cup.

ICC World Cup — 1996

Teams: 12

Games: 37

Hosts: India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka

Venues: 26

Format: Two groups of six teams each in a preliminary round. The top four in each group qualified for the quarter-finals, followed by semi-finals and a final Winners: Sri Lanka; Runners-up Australia

Man of the Series: Sanath Jayasuriya

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, January 11th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play