Few people in the subcontinent do not have fond memories associated with the World Cup. Even though the Cricket World Cup is played only once in four years; it leaves its effect on the psyche of India’s common man. Let us ponder over the best batsman in the World Cup.
But, we should know that the first ICC men’s CWC was organized in 1975 in England. 12 editions of the CWC are already through. The CWC 23′ which will begin in just over a week is the thirteenth edition of the World Cup.
The most successful team in the World Cups is Australia, who have bagged five of the 12 trophies.
A player who is a high performer for his country in the World Cup is a hero, a legend. Among the top legends of India are Kapil Dev, MS Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, Mohinder Amarnath, Zaheer Khan, Yuvraj Singh, and many others.
The format of the World Cup in 2023 will be the same as it used to be in 2019. There will be 10 teams competing and each will play the other 9 teams once. The points system will help decide the semifinalists, followed by the net run rates.
In this article, we will be discussing a few of the prolific run scorers in all editions of CWC. An interesting set of facts and trivia is in store.
So, who’s the best batsman in the World Cup?
1. Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin has been rightly called the World Cup Run Machine on many occasions. In the 45 CWC ODI matches that he has played, he’s made 2,278 runs. Obviously, his tally stands supreme and unparalleled. His average of 56.95 is also reasonably decent.
Sachin made 6 centuries in World Cups, and 15 half-centuries. Starting in 1992 when Sachin played his first World Cup, he went on to play five more World Cups, which brings his tally to 6. Sachin won the last World Cup he played, in 2011. Sachin’s rock-solid performance across two decades of the game makes him a legend of the game. He is fondly known as the God of Cricket.
2. Glenn Turner
GlennTurner was the undisputed star of the first world cup which was played in 1975. He played only four matches, though, but scored 333 runs. The interesting part of these runs scored was that his average was above 166 and he scored more than half the runs than what the rest of the New Zealand team scored in the tournament.
Turner hit two centuries in the tournament and was the only batsman to do so. His best knock was versus East Africa in Birmingham where he made 171. The matches during those days would last for 60 overs, unlike the 50-over matches that are nowadays played. So, Turner had to stay put on the crease. Such facts make him one of the legends of the World Cup and the game.
3. David Gower
David Gower made the maximum runs in the 1983 World Cup, 384. He took just seven innings to get to the landmark and his average stood at 76.80, a handsome figure. He hit one hundred and one fifty in the tournament.
When England lost to India in the World Cup semifinals, their World Cup dream ended. But Gower’s show in the World Cup immortalizes him as one of the best batsmen of the era.
4. Martin Crowe
In the 92 World Cup hosted jointly by New Zealand and Australia, Crowe was the shining star. It took him 9 matches to get his run tally up to 456 runs. This included four fifties and a hundred.
New Zealand never made it to the finals, though, losing to Pakistan in the semi-finals.
5. Matthew Hayden
Mathew Hayden, a robust batsman was also Australia’s highest run scorer in the 2007 World Cup in a winning campaign. His 659 runs came from 11 games at an average of 73.22. Hayden was dominant throughout the tournament, making three centuries and a 50. His knock of 143 versus the West Indies is considered to be the most memorable among the rest.
What makes one a high-performing World Cup batsman?
World Cup is similar to test cricket, in the sense that it tests your strengths as a batsman to the fullest. This is primarily because you face different batsmen on different pitches.
At the World Cup, you should be prepared for anything, hot and cold weather, overcast conditions, fast bowlers, slow bowlers, spinners, and mystery spinners. Pressure in the World Cup environment is the maximum. The batsmen who handle the pressure well rise to the occasion and become legends of the game. It is at the World Cup that you expect to come across the toughest oppositions and situations, with all opponents and your team vying for the greatest glory in the sport.
Participation in multiple World Cups lets players learn from their mistakes. They become refined versions of themselves with each World Cup that they compete in. The best batsman in the World Cup inspires their teammates with their performance.
