14 Monday 17th January, 2011 needed to survive in such a com- Asian teams are also big chokers on the World Cup stage . petitive environment. From this The Chesterfield experience, he knew how to com- pete on the big fields of Australia Files it would demand fit quick-think- ing streetwise players. Rhodes had already established a template for fielding expertise before the tournament. Some of it Fallen heroes adapted from hockey where he was a dynamic player, teaching have, as would chokers. him alertness and anticipation. There is Hove, 1999 when India On that Sunday afternoon, lost to South Africa and Lance South Africa’s dreams of a semi- Klusener’s late charge took the final place, or even making the game away from them; also Trent World Cup final of 1992, were fal- Bridge in the same tournament tering. Rhodes, a bundle of 22- against New Zealand in a must- year-old energy, was lurking at win game to reach the semi-finals. point as an anxious Inzamam-ul- Tendulkar again failing to make Haq and his captain Imran Khan an impact. worked the ball around, searching Sri Lanka as well. They looked for runs, sweating with resolve, a sorry bunch at Lord’s in the giving Pakistan the edge. opening game didn’t they? It didn’t A buzzing Gabba crowd and tel- get much better either. This, mind evision audiences both sides of you is after a successful 1998 cam- the Indian Ocean, were trying to paign in England with a massive fathom the mathematical mine- Test victory along with an field of playing conditions with by Trevor Chesterfield Emirates Trophy event. sneaky rain interruption clauses. Arjuna Ranatunga and the rest If you think Duckworth/Lewis is orld Cup history, of the side went into the tourna- a conundrum, regulations Yahaluweni, often makes a ment as defending champions with employed for CWC92 gave a bigger Wblunt habit of thumbing egos the size of Sigiriya and sarcastic middle finger with its its nose as those who poke fun at choked on their own inability to dirty imprint to the question of the chokers tag. master the conditions. It was runrate equation. You do not have to delve too argued how they would be the first It was a game South Africa deep into the various results of side since the West Indies in 1979 needed to win. A euphoric opening the tournament to discover as to retain the title. tournament success over many broken dreams among Watching them being destroyed Australia in Sydney was followed Asian teams as you would with at Wantage Road, with defeats by New Zealand and those from say England, South Northamptonshire, by South Sri Lanka before beating the West Africa or even New Zealand, for Africa in bowler-friendly condi- Indies in Christchurch. In want of an example. tions, brings a grim reminder how Brisbane, rain had halted the Why, the biggest chokers of all Sri Lanka’s batting in that game Pakistan innings after South are India. Recall The Wanderers, was typical of their largely feeble Africa scored a stodgy 211 for 2003, the final against Australia performances in that tournament. Jonty Rhodes . thinking on his feet as he set a fielding template seven in 50 overs and Imran Khan, and Zaheer Khan starts the game South Africa were restricted to 199 on winning the toss, gambled with with a 10-ball over and 15 runs on with Klusener’s contribution 52 of As it is, Pakistan’s 2003 CWC in Brisbane’s Gabba CWC92? Not of the subcontinent. It was largely the conditions. the board – wides and no-balls as 45 balls. Sri Lanka dismissed for South Africa saw them eliminated thinking on their feet? The mercu- a political exercise: the newly Rain and the absurd “best he and India quickly lost the plot. 110 with only Roshan Mahanama at an early stage: choked on a rial Rhodes would laugh at such a formed United Cricket Board and overs” run rate had Pakistan - 74/2 This, mind you, is after Sourav and Mahela Jayawardene’s stylish series of defeats, including one by myopic suggestion. India overthrew the old political in the 22nd over at the interrup- Ganguly, winning the toss, asked batting pulchritude reaching dou- India at Centurion and another by The way he plucked catches and order to embark on the eight-day tion- facing a revised target of 194 Australia to bat first in a day game ble figures. Australia at The Wanderers. saved runs at backward point tour. It was just as well. in 36 overs. and Ricky Ponting plundering an It would probably be harsh to It was recently suggested how exploded another of those myths, That Clive Rice-led side Having seen Rhodes up close on unbeaten 140 in a first innings suggest that Sri Lanka, as did South Africa have a legacy of fail- as was the case on Wednesday received a grim lesson in strategy the cricket and hockey fields over total of 359 for two wickets. It was India, choked in the final in the ure since they entered the event when AB de Villiers and JP during those remarkable eight a period of four years, the run out carnage as India’s bowlers were 2007 tournament held in the for the first time in 1992. Forgotten Duminy took the batting power days. From the first game at Eden of the striker Inzamam at the crushed with humiliating ease. Caribbean. Certainly, India choked is how it was a weird rain and play and plundered the Indian Gardens, it became all too evident Gabba did not surprising; just its What followed was a Sachin and so did Pakistan. “best overs” playing condition sys- bowling in such a way, unless you to those of us on that tour how execution. Tendulkar quick departure when Defeats by Sri Lanka and five tem, concocted by Richie Benaud followed the game closely, you South Africa’s game plans had The scoreboard read 135 for India batted as Glenn McGrath left wickets with nine balls remaining and a group of “experts,” resulted would have missed it taking place. become adorned with outdated two, Inzamam, sought a quick sin- India wondering about the chokers in the game saw India fold in Port in the Kepler Wessels-led team If you examine the Rhodes lega- thinking. Amazing when it is gle; a prowling Rhodes at back- tag. They have a reputation of ask- of Spain, Trinidad, to Bangladesh being eliminated that soggy night cy and what he brought to the remembered how Rice once led ward point swooped, a panicking ing teams to bat first and losing. in the second game and an early in Sydney. game, as well as others, it rejects Nottinghamshire to an English Imran had Inzamam scooting back Eden Gardens, Kolkata, 1996, exit. How embarrassing. India fail- Not, as was suggested recently, such suggestions that South county championship title. too late. Memory recalls it in slow Mohammad Azaharuddin inviting ing to Bangladesh and a World a matter of “choking” but because Africans are conservative. It was Peter van der Merwe and the motion: Rhodes analytically pro- Sri Lanka to bat first. When their Cup event that suddenly went flat there was a matter of rain and the Rhodes who set the fielding tem- rest of the national selectors were cessing the moment, in the next eighth wicket fell, a riot erupted, for the big neighbours. Their South Africans felt they had the plate for others to follow and it stunned at how far ahead were three seconds he charged, ball in as the locals couldn’t stomach get- lights went out in such a way their edge over England until the rain wasn’t all a matter of sharpening teams such as India. For the World hand, arm outstretched, disman- ting a hiding: they were choking return home was greeted with typ- arrived and Allan Lamb told his skills on the cricket field Cup in Australia and New Zealand tling the stumps to perform the big-time. The result of the game ical aggravation from the team’s Graham Gooch to quit being Mr either. fresh ideas were needed. most celebrated run out and field- brought shame to India as initially supporters. Nice Guy and take England off the As a prologue to CWC92, South Wessels had played for Kerry ing act of the decade, creating an it was abandoned. Pakistan’s defeat in 2007 was field and into the final. Africa’s international admission Packer and then Australia; he international reputation and It was a decision that was marred by the tragic death and Also, to suggest that South in November 1991 saw a curious knew the conditions that would be establishing a legacy. reversed and the game awarded to murder of Bob Woolmer. It is still Africans are conservative in their sports world community re- faced for the 1992 version better Whatever way you want to view Sri Lanka. After all, it wasn’t their being felt and no matter how many thinking – “can’t think on their embraced cricket’s prodigal than anyone. He had taken the it that is thinking on your feet. fault THAT the Indian spectators will try and suggest otherwise, feet” - is a myth. Does anyone stepchildren after a politically tougher route to achieve a Test don’t know how to behave when there was far too many loose ends remember the Jonty Rhodes run forced absence of 21 years when cap: Australia in preference to (email: they see they are losing and misbe- in the aftermath of that sordid out of Inzamam-ul-Haq at embarking on a first historic tour England and learnt what was [email protected]) episode to hide the truth.