 | |
| Dates | 13 March – 28 April 2007 |
|---|---|
| Administrator | International Cricket Council |
| Cricket format | One Day International |
| Tournament format(s) | Round-robin andKnockout |
| Host | West Indies |
| Champions |  Australia (4th title) |
| Runners-up |  Sri Lanka |
| Participants | 16 (from 97 entrants) |
| Matches | 51 |
| Attendance | 672,000 (13,176 per match) |
| Player of the series | Glenn McGrath |
| Most runs | Matthew Hayden (659) |
| Most wickets | Glenn McGrath (26) |
←2003 2011 → | |
The2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was the ninthCricket World Cup, aOne Day International (ODI)cricket tournament that took place in theWest Indies from 13 March to 28 April 2007. There were a total of 51 matches played, three fewer than at the2003 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. Every team played a total of 6 matches in the Super 8 round; they didn't play with teams of their own group. They played a total of 6 teams from another three groups (the top 2 teams of all three groups). From this,Australia,New Zealand,Sri Lanka, andSouth Africa won through to the semi-finals, with Australia defeating Sri Lanka in the final to win their third consecutive World Cup and their fourth overall. Australia's unbeaten record in the tournament increased their total to 29 consecutive World Cup matches without a loss, astreak dating back to 23 May 1999, during the group stage of the1999 World Cup. The tournament also saw upsets and surprise results, with pre-tournament favouritesIndia andPakistan failing to make it past the group stage, whileBangladesh, the second-lowest ranked ICC Full Member at the time, and World Cup debutantIreland, which was an ICC Associate Member at the time, made it to the "Super 8", beating India and Pakistan respectively en route. Ireland became only the second associate nation to make it past the first round of a Cricket World Cup, the first beingKenya in 2003.
Pakistan coachBob Woolmer died the day after Pakistan was knocked out. The following day, police initially announced that the death was suspicious and ordered a full investigation.[1][2] Eight months later, anopen verdict was returned and the case closed.[3]
Following the tournament, the ICC distributed surplus tournament revenues ofUS$239 million to its members.[4]
The World Cup was awarded to the West Indies via theInternational Cricket Council's rotational policy. It is the first time theICC Cricket World Cup has been held in the Caribbean despite the fact that theWest Indies cricket team had been the second most successful team in past World Cups.[5]
The United States contingent lobbied strongly for matches to be staged at its newly built cricket ground inLauderhill,Florida, but the ICC decided to award all matches to Caribbean nations. Bids fromBermuda,St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and a second bid byJamaica were also rejected.
Eight venues across the West Indies were selected to host the World Cup tournament. All host countries hosted six matches with the exceptions of St. Lucia, Jamaica, and Barbados (which hosted the final), each of which hosted seven matches.
The Jamaican government spent US$81 million for "on-the-pitch" expenses.[6] This included refurbishing Sabina Park and constructing the new multi-purpose facility in Trelawny through a loan from China. Another US$20 million was budgeted for 'off-the-pitch' expenses, putting the tally at more than US$100 million orJM$7 billion.
This put the reconstruction cost of Sabina Park at US$46 million whilst the Trelawny Stadium was estimated to cost US$35 million.[7][8] The total amount of money spent on stadiums was at least US$301 million.
Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad lost its status as a pre-tournament warm-up match venue on 21 September 2006.[9]
| Antigua and Barbuda | Barbados | Grenada | Guyana |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sir Vivian Richards Stadium Capacity: 20,000 | Kensington Oval Capacity: 27,000 | Queen's Park Capacity: 20,000 | Providence Stadium Capacity: 15,000 |
 |  |  |  |
 | |||
| Jamaica | Saint Kitts and Nevis | Saint Lucia | Trinidad and Tobago |
| Sabina Park Capacity: 16,000 | Warner Park Stadium Capacity: 10,000 | Beausejour Cricket Ground Capacity: 20,000 | Queen's Park Oval Capacity: 25,000 |
 |  |  | |
| Venue | City | Country | Capacity | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3Ws Oval | Bridgetown | Barbados | 8,500 | 4 |
| Greenfield Stadium | Falmouth, Jamaica | Jamaica | 25,000 | 4 |
| Arnos Vale Stadium | Kingstown | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 18,000 | 4 |
| Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground | St. Augustine | Trinidad and Tobago | 4 |
The field of 16 teams, the largest ever for the Cricket World Cup, consisted of all 16 teams which currently held ODI status. This included the ten full members of the ICC, all of which haveTest and permanent ODI status. The other six (associate) ODI nations were Kenya (which had ODI status until 2009) and five additional teams (previously three) that qualified via the2005 ICC Trophy (gaining ODI status until 2009 in the process). These nations included Scotland who won the ICC Trophy, Canada, the Netherlands, and – making their World Cup debuts – Ireland and Bermuda.
| Full Members | |
|---|---|
| Australia |  Bangladesh |
 England |  India |
 New Zealand |  Pakistan |
 South Africa | Sri Lanka |
 West Indies |  Zimbabwe |
| Associate Members | |
 Bermuda |  Canada |
 Kenya |  Ireland |
 Netherlands |  Scotland |
The 16 teams had to name their final squads by 13 February 2007. Changes were allowed after this deadline at the discretion of the ICC's Technical Committee in necessary cases, such as due to player injury.
All major Test-playing nations had schedules allowing them to play a large number of ODI matches against other major ODI teams just prior to the World Cup. Australia, New Zealand, and England took part in theCommonwealth Bank Series where England defeated Australia in the finals. Australia then went to New Zealand for theChappell–Hadlee Trophy, 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 theWorld 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:
| Ranking | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Africa | 128 |
| 2 | Australia | 125 |
| 3 | New Zealand | 113 |
| 4 | Pakistan | 111 |
| 5 | India | 109 |
| 6 | Sri Lanka | 108 |
| 7 | England | 106 |
| 8 | West Indies | 101 |
| 9 | Bangladesh | 42 |
| 10 | Zimbabwe | 22 |
| 11 | Kenya | 0 |
| 12 | Scotland | 0% /69% |
| 13 | Netherlands | 0% /50% |
| 14 | Ireland | 0% /44% |
| 15 | Canada | 0% /33% |
| 16 | Bermuda | 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.[10]
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 matches were played from Monday 5 March until Friday 9 March.
Australia,Bangladesh,India andPakistan were the only teams to win both of their warm-up games, whilstBermuda,Canada,the Netherlands andScotland did not win either of their fixtures.
5 March 2007 (scorecard) |
v | ||
| West Indies won by 21 runs Greenfield Stadium,Trelawny Umpires:Billy Bowden (NZL) andBrian Jerling (RSA) |
5 March 2007 (scorecard) |
v | ||
| South Africa won by 35 runs Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground,St. Augustine Umpires:Aleem Dar (PAK) andPeter Parker (AUS) |
6 March 2007 (scorecard) |
v | ||
| Australia won by 106 runs Arnos Vale Stadium,Kingstown Umpires:Asad Rauf (PAK) andBilly Doctrove (WIN) |
6 March 2007 (scorecard) |
v | ||
| Pakistan won by 77 runs (DL) Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground,St. Augustine Umpires:Ian Gould (ENG) andDaryl Harper (AUS) |
8 March 2007 (scorecard) |
v | ||
| Ireland won by 7 wickets Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground,St. Augustine Umpires:Aleem Dar (PAK) andDaryl Harper (AUS) |
9 March 2007 (scorecard) |
v | ||
| Australia won by 5 wickets Arnos Vale Stadium,Kingstown Umpires:Tony Hill (NZL) andNorman Malcolm (WIN) |
9 March 2007 (scorecard) |
v | ||
| Pakistan won by 7 wickets Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground,St. Augustine Umpires:Ian Gould (ENG) andPeter Parker (AUS) |
| Team | Played | Won | Lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Bangladesh | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Bermuda | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Canada | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| England | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| India | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Ireland | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Kenya | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Netherlands | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| New Zealand | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Pakistan | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Scotland | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| South Africa | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Sri Lanka | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| West Indies | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Zimbabwe | 2 | 1 | 1 |
None of the warm-up games were officially recognised asODIs orList A matches by theInternational Cricket Council due to various changes in the rules of the game.[11][12] Whilst normally only 11 players are allowed tobat andfield (excluding situations involving asubstitute fielder),[13] 13 players were used in each team's squad for the matches – 11 of which were allowed to field at one time and 11 of which were allowed to bat (meaning players could be swapped in and out when fielding or bowling, but two players did not bat in a match).[14] In official ICC matchesmatch referees are required to help officiate a game, but due to the changes in the rules none were appointed for any of the warm-up games.[11][15] Additionally,Man of the Match awards were not given out and no reserve days were set for these matches.
The opening ceremony was held on Sunday, 11 March 2007 atTrelawny Stadium inJamaica.[16] It featured over 2,000 dancers and performers representing all strands ofWest Indian music, fromcalypso andragga toreggae andsoca. Among the performers wereSean 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, theI Threes, andJimmy Cliff.
The ceremony, attended by severalheads of state including theGovernor-General of Jamaica, started with an address bySir Garfield Sobers and included messages from the prime ministers ofJamaica andGrenada.
The matches were One Day Internationals and operated under normal ODI rules. All matches were to be 50overs 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 were dismissed before the completion of 20 overs). In the event of bad weather, theDuckworth-Lewis method was to be applied to determine the result or target. If no result was declared on the scheduled day, the teams would return the following 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.[17]
In the Group and Super 8 stages, 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:[17]
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 consisted of seven members from the Elite Panel of ICC Referees, with Clive Lloyd not being included due to his role as the West Indies's team manager. Aleem Dar went on to stand as an umpire in his first World Cup final, alongside Steve Bucknor who appeared in his fifth final in a row, extending his record of four from the 2003 World Cup.
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 the 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 was limited.[18]
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (1) | Sri Lanka (2) | New Zealand (3) | Pakistan (4) |
| South Africa (5) | India (6) | England (7) | West Indies (8) |
| Scotland (12) | Bangladesh (11) | Kenya (10) | Zimbabwe (9) |
| Netherlands (16) | Bermuda (15) | Canada (14) | Ireland (13) |
The tournament was preceded by a number of warm-up matches to allow the players to acclimatise to the conditions in the West Indies. The group stage matches started on 13 March and finished on 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 also used a league system. Each team carried forward its result against the other team qualifying from its preliminary stage group, and played the other six qualifying teams once each. The top four teams in the league qualified for the semi-finals. This system was modified since the previous World Cup, which had a "Super 6" stage rather than a Super 8. The Super 8 stage matches were played from Tuesday 27 March until Saturday 21 April. A total of 24 matches were played in the Super 8 stage.
The top four teams in the "Super 8" advanced to the semi-finals. This was the knockout stage, with the No. 1 team playing the No. 4 team, and the No. 2 team playing the No. 3 team in the tournament. The winners of the two semi-finals played each other in the Final.
All tournament matches had 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.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | NR | Pts | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3.433 |
| 2 | South Africa | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2.403 |
| 3 | Netherlands | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | −2.527 |
| 4 | Scotland | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −3.793 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | NR | Pts | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sri Lanka | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3.493 |
| 2 | Bangladesh | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | −1.523 |
| 3 | India | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1.206 |
| 4 | Bermuda | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −4.345 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | NR | Pts | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Zealand | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2.138 |
| 2 | England | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0.418 |
| 3 | Kenya | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | −1.194 |
| 4 | Canada | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −1.389 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | NR | Pts | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Indies | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0.764 |
| 2 | Ireland | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | −0.092 |
| 3 | Pakistan | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.089 |
| 4 | Zimbabwe | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −0.886 |
The top two teams in each first-round group moved on to a "Super 8" stage which was scored as a completeround-robin. However, 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.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | NR | Pts | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 2.400 |
| 2 | Sri Lanka | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1.483 |
| 3 | New Zealand | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0.253 |
| 4 | South Africa | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0.313 |
| 5 | England | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 6 | −0.394 |
| 6 | West Indies | 7 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4 | −0.566 |
| 7 | Bangladesh | 7 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | −1.514 |
| 8 | Ireland | 7 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | −1.730 |
| Semi-finals | Final | |||||
| 25 April –Beausejour Stadium,Gros Islet | ||||||
| 4 South Africa | 149 | |||||
| 28 April –Kensington Oval,Bridgetown | ||||||
| 1 Australia | 153/3 | |||||
| Australia | 281/4 | |||||
| 24 April –Sabina Park,Kingston | ||||||
| Sri Lanka | 215/8 | |||||
| 2 Sri Lanka | 289/5 | |||||
| 3 New Zealand | 208 | |||||
24 April 2007 Scorecard |
v | ||
Sri Lanka won by 81 runs Sabina Park,Kingston Umpires:Rudi Koertzen (SA) andSimon Taufel (Aus) Player of the match:Mahela Jayawardene (SL) |
25 April 2007 Scorecard |
v | ||
Australia won by 7 wickets Beausejour Stadium,Gros Islet Umpires:Steve Bucknor (WI) andAleem Dar (Pak) Player of the match:Glenn McGrath (Aus) |
28 April 2007 Scorecard |
v | ||
Australia won by 53 runs (D/L method) Kensington Oval,Bridgetown Umpires:Steve Bucknor (WI) andAleem Dar (Pak) Player of the match:Adam Gilchrist (Aus) |
This was the first World Cup final to be a repeat: the sides previously met in the1996 World Cup final, which Sri Lanka won. Australia had won every World Cup match against Sri Lanka apart from that loss.[21] The match was Sri Lanka's second World Cup final appearance, and Australia's fourth in a row and sixth overall.Australian captainRicky 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. WicketkeeperAdam Gilchrist played an innings of 149 – the highest for any batsman in a World Cup final – to give Australia an imposing total going in at the break.[22]
While Sri Lankan batsmenKumar Sangakkara andSanath Jayasuriya were adding 116 for the second wicket, the contest was alive, but after the pair got out, Sri Lanka's chances slowly diminished.[22] 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 adjustedDuckworth-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, Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene agreed there was no need to return the following day, and instructed his team to resume batting; Ponting agreed to play only spin bowlers. The last three overs were played in almost complete darkness, during which Sri Lanka added just nine runs to give Australia a 53-run victory by the D-L method.[23] The umpires later apologised for their error, saying that the match should have ended then with Australia winning by 37 runs.[24]
Australia won the tournament undefeated, extending their streak of World Cup matches without a loss to 29.[25] Australian bowlerGlenn McGrath was named 'Player of the Series' and retired from all forms of international cricket.[26]
| Player | Team | Runs |
|---|---|---|
| Matthew Hayden | Australia | 659 |
| Mahela Jayawardene | Sri Lanka | 548 |
| Ricky Ponting | Australia | 539 |
| Scott Styris | New Zealand | 499 |
| Jacques Kallis | South Africa | 485 |
| Player | Team | Wickets |
|---|---|---|
| Glenn McGrath | Australia | 26 |
| Muttiah Muralitharan | Sri Lanka | 23 |
| Shaun Tait | Australia | 23 |
| Brad Hogg | Australia | 21 |
| Lasith Malinga | Sri Lanka | 18 |
Pakistan coachBob 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.[1] The following day police announced that the death was suspicious and ordered a full investigation.[2] Further investigation revealed the cause of death was "manual strangulation",[27] and that the investigation would be handled as a murder.[28] After a lengthy investigation the Jamaican police rescinded the comments that he was murdered, and confirmed that he died from natural causes.[29] In November 2007, anopen verdict was returned.[3]
The 2007 World Cup organisers were criticised early on for being over-commercialised 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,[30] as well as the authorities being accused of "running [cricket and cricketing traditions] out of town, then sanitising it out of existence".[31]Sir Viv Richards echoed the concerns.[32] The ICC were also condemned for high prices of tickets and concessions, which were considered unaffordable for the local population in many of the locations.[33] ICC CEO,Malcolm Speed, said that the ICC recognised the problem but said it was the local organisers' fault.[34] However, the later matches had more crowds as the tournament progressed with the local organisers easing restrictions.[35] Although it did not meet the target of US$42 million, the US$32 million revenue from ticket sales was the highest of any Cricket World Cup and double that of the previous World Cup.[36][37][38]
The World Cup was also criticised by theBCCI for its format because India failed to move on from the group stage after losing two of their three matches. The BCCI later claimed it would see to it that the ICC alter its format for the2011 Cricket World Cup.[39] The elimination of both 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 as the most revenue generating and electric match in the tournament.
The tournament was also criticised as being too long.[40] 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 bowlerMichael 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.[41] However, former Scotland captainGeorge 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.[42] The majority of the experts and players participating in the tournament backed up the smaller teams taking part in the World Cup.[43] This was further backed up with Ireland and Bangladesh making the Super 8s and being competitive and sportsmanlike throughout the tournament.[44]
During thePakistan andCanada warm-up match atSir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground, the sight screen was knocked down and the game was delayed by over 70 minutes and reduced to 48 overs.[45] Additionally, a tear gas canister exploded at theTrinidad hotel where the Pakistan,South Africa, Canada andIreland teams were staying.[46] The hotel had to be evacuated but no injuries were reported.
A number of concerns were expressed regarding the conditions of the pitches for the warm-up matches. During the Pakistan and South Africa warm-up game, the teams were unhappy with the condition of the pitch, claiming irregular bounce off thewicket was "treacherous".[47] In addition, a number of teams expressed concern over the slow wickets used during the warm-up matches,[48] althoughCricinfo writer Sambit Bal welcomed the pitches slowing down as a method of making the battle between the batsmen and the bowlers more equal.[49]
Further criticism was generated by the confusion at the end of the final match: the umpires announced that play was suspended due to bad light, which caused the Australian team to erupt in celebration as the scoreboard and official announcements declared Australia the winners. However, the umpires incorrectly insisted that the game was only suspended and not completed, and that 3 overs remained to be played, so in farcical light conditions, Sri Lanka batted out the remaining 3 overs following a gentleman's agreement between the two captains.[50] The umpires and the ICC apologised for the unnecessary situation and cited it as an unnecessary fundamental error due to the pressure of the situation.[51] In June, the ICC announced that the officials involved – onfield umpiresSteve Bucknor andAleem Dar, reserve umpiresRudi Koertzen andBilly Bowden, and match refereeJeff Crowe – would all be suspended from the2007 Twenty20 World Championship.[52]
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.[53] AtSabina Park, seats had to be removed at the newly constructed north-stand due to safety concerns.[54] AtTrelawny Stadium in Jamaica, ground staff were unable to gain admission to the ground during the warm-up matches due to accreditation problems.[55] Additionally, South Africa and Australia both expressed concerns over practice facilities.[56]
Ultimately none of the stadia used in the warm-up games were used in any other part of the tournament except for theGreenfield Stadium inTrelawny,Jamaica, which hosted theopening ceremony but no matches.
The World Cup had 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 million.[57] The 2007 World Cup was televised in over 200 countries to a viewing audience estimated at more than two billion viewers and was expected to generate more than 100,000 unique visitors to the West Indies travelling solely for the tournament.[58][59]
The 2007 Cricket World Cup featured an orange, anthropomorphicraccoon-like creature named "Mello" as its mascot. It was announced during matches that Mello had no race, species, age or gender – it was 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 Jamaican-bornShaggy, Barbadian entertainerRupee, and TrinidadianFay-Ann Lyons.
The 2007 tournament recorded the highest ticket sales for a Cricket World Cup, selling more than 672,000.[36] Attendance leading into the semi-finals for the 2007 World Cup was 403,000, an average of 8,500 supporters per match.[37]
Note, the warm-up matches do not have ODI status and so there will be no ICC match referee in place for these games.
If the pitches at the main grounds are anything like the ones in the practice matches, batsmen will have to earn their runs, and that's not a bad thing for the game,
