A look back at the Cricket World Cup

Ahead of the Cricket World Cup final on Sunday, PA Media’s Cricket correspondent Rory Dollard reflects on his experience of the tournament whilst covering it in the news, sharing what his average day has been like, the stories that have dominated the tournament and what legacy he feels this World Cup will leave.

How’s this Cricket World Cup been like for you? What’s been the general atmosphere?

Travelling in India can be a sensory overload and it has an energy unlike anywhere else I’ve covered sport. It’s also the heart – and the piggy bank – of international cricket. There isn’t a rickshaw driver or a hotel receptionist who doesn’t have their own thoughts on the World Cup and there’s something exciting about the tournament being right at the heart of the national conversation. 

What has an average day reporting at this Cricket World Cup looked like for you?

Days at the stadium usually involve some combination of over-officious military-grade security and lengthy negotiations to get into the inner sanctum. In the sub-continent, no possession is more valuable than your accreditation lanyard. Once there, the reward usually involves one of the best seats in the house, an excellent local curry and a daily arm wrestle with the WiFi. Travel days, and there have been many with England playing each of their matches in a new city, offer much of the grind with none of the benefits.

What have been the stories that have dominated this Cricket World Cup?

Sadly for England fans, the demise of the defending champions has been one of the talking points. Having arrived heavily fancied to defend their 2019 title, England put together their worst ever sequence of World Cup results to turn the tournament into an extended inquest for the travelling pack. India’s dominance of the group stage kept the locals happy but off the field but one of the negatives has been the notable rise in pollution levels across the country – not good during an event sponsored by oil giants Aramco.

Who have been the surprise package so far in the Cricket World Cup?

Without question, Afghanistan, a national team with the briefest of histories, the meagrest resources and no real domestic infrastructure. They shocked England in Delhi and went on to beat Sri Lanka and Pakistan to announce themselves as a serious threat. The Cinderella story is compromised by the fact that they no longer operate a women’s team since the Taliban took back control.

What do you think will be the legacy of this Cricket World Cup?

Hopefully the end of a misguided 10-team format. The current structure is too long, stretches the attention of the casual fan to breaking point and keeps too many aspiring nations on the outside. More participants, smaller groups and more knockout matches is the only way for the competition to stay relevant.

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