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Home / Sport / Cricket / Cricket World Cup

Cricket World Cup: Bold promises go undelivered

By David Leggat
Reporter·NZ Herald·
13 Mar, 2015 04:00 PM4 mins to read

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Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara has been in sublime form during the World Cup. Photo / Getty Images

Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara has been in sublime form during the World Cup. Photo / Getty Images

Plenty of top class players have failed to live up to their hype.

The star turns of the World Cup? Pretty straightforward.

In no particular order, Kumar Sangakkara, the premier batsman at the tournament, in prime form at just the right time for Sri Lanka, and his top order chum Tillakaratne Dilshan; AB de Villiers, without whom South Africa would be significantly less a chance of winning the title for the first time; India's batting power; Brendon McCullum, Tim Southee and Trent Boult for the co-hosts.

There are a few others too, but what about the other end of the scale - those players who have singularly failed to deliver.

In some cases their teams will be in the quarter-finals and they have the chance for redemption. For others, irrespective of what happens in final round robin games, their cup is over.

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Half a dozen leap to mind, players who have had little or no impact, when they were expected to be standout performers.

Exhibit A, hands down, is England captain Eion Morgan, put in charge shortly before the cup began, and who has had a 'mare of a tournament.

Going into their final group A game against Afghanistan in Sydney last night, Morgan, a champion improviser and expected to be a major influence, had managed just 90 runs in England's first five games, averaging 18.

He looked woefully out of touch and when you're the captain, and therefore an inspiring figure, Morgan looked lost.

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He'll come again. He's too good not to. But he did not put up when he needed to.

Add in teammate Stuart Broad. You could include his new ball partner Jimmy Anderson, whose presence has been muted, but in an England side short of class, Broad was to be a key player.

Instead he took just three wickets for 236 in the first five games, which sealed England's elimination, at a cost of 78.66 apiece. His aggressive late order hitting would also have been significant. Instead he scored 13 runs in four innings.

Shahid Afridi tends to be boom or bust at the best of times these days, but he arrived at the cup in strong form. His first five games produced 93 runs at 23 and just two wickets from 43 overs at 107 apiece.

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He may well clear his throat against Ireland tomorrow, and in the knockout stage, if Pakistan make it. But so far, too little.

And what of Quinton de Kock, South Africa's breezy opener and wicketkeeper.

Take out an unbeaten 80 in a rained-out ODI against New Zealand in Hamilton and a century against Australia in Sydney in November, and the 22-year-old has scored 162 runs in 13 innings.

His time could yet come, provided South Africa stick with him. If not him, then captain de Villiers would have to take the gloves, which he'd rather not do. De Kock is one you'd be reluctant to write off, but he's a missing piece in the South African puzzle right now.

With Chris Gayle having delivered 215 of his 259 runs at the cup in one innings against Zimbabwe, he fits in here too. He's averaging 55 from five innings at the cup. But since his 109 against Sri Lanka in 2013, and taking out the double century, he's made a single 50 in 21 innings since.

His opening partner Dwayne Smith has been ordinary too. Five innings, 78 runs at 15.6.

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The Windies know Gayle plays to his own tune, so Smith had to be relied on to deliver. He hasn't. Then again, after 104 ODIs, average 18, maybe it's not such a surprise.

For more coverage of the Cricket World Cup from nzherald.co.nz and NZME check out #CricketFever.

For more Cricket World Cup coverage from around the NZME. network, visit cricketfever.co.nz

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