They had one chance, and made it count
Players with plenty of runs and wickets in one World Cup who didn't get the opportunity to play in another
Travis Basevi and George Binoy
02-Mar-2011
Peter Kirsten played only one World Cup and had a pretty good tournament in 1992 • Getty Images
Over the next month, as many as 116 cricketers could make their World Cup debuts during the 2011 tournament in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Some of them may be around in 2015, but for others - and especially those from Associate teams, given the ICC's intentions - this could be their first and final World Cup appearance. This week we've looked back at players who made a splash in one World Cup, and never played another.
In 1992, when readmitted, South Africa travelled to Australia and New Zealand to compete in their first World Cup. Peter Kirsten was nearly 37, but despite being one of the oldest players, he was a rock at No. 3 and scored four out of his nine one-day half-centuries in the tournament. He scored a total of 410 runs - the third best in the competition - at an average of 68.33. It remains the highest aggregate by a batsman to have played only one World Cup. Kirsten played only 29 more ODIs and was long retired by the time the 1996 tournament came around.
A two-year career was much too brief for an allrounder with Neil Johnson's talents. But that's all he had with Zimbabwe on the international stage, the centrepiece being the 1999 World Cup in England. He scored 367 runs at 52.42, including 132 against eventual champions Australia, and also took 12 wickets at 19.41 apiece. His all-round contributions were instrumental in Zimbabwe's satisfactory campaign, which included victories against India and South Africa. Johnson was not yet 30 at the time, but moved to South Africa in 2000.
The World Cup was invented a bit too late in Dennis Amiss' career for him to play more than one. He was the World Cup's first centurion and scored 243 runs at 60.75 in the 1975 tournament. He played international cricket only until 1977 but his limited-overs record was exceptional - 859 runs in 18 matches at an average of 47.72.
| Player | Series | Mat | Inns | Runs | HS | Ave | 100 | 50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PN Kirsten (SA) | 1991/92 | 8 | 8 | 410 | 90 | 68.33 | 0 | 4 |
| NC Johnson (Zim) | 1 | 3 | ||||||
| G Fowler (Eng) | 1983 | 7 | 7 | 360 | 81* | 72.00 | 0 | 4 |
| MJ Greatbatch (NZ) | 1991/92 | 7 | 7 | 313 | 73 | 44.71 | 0 | 3 |
| PG Fulton (NZ) | 0 | 2 | ||||||
| CB Wishart (Zim) | 2002/03 | 8 | 7 | 293 | 172* | 48.83 | 1 | 0 |
| HA Gomes (WI) | 1983 | 8 | 7 | 258 | 78 | 64.50 | 0 | 3 |
| DL Amiss (Eng) | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| Yashpal Sharma (India) | 1983 | 8 | 8 | 240 | 89 | 34.28 | 0 | 2 |
| Mohsin Khan (Pak) | 1983 | 7 | 7 | 223 | 82 | 31.85 | 0 | 2 |
| SM Patil (India) | 0 | 2 | ||||||
| CJ Tavare (Eng) | 1983 | 7 | 7 | 212 | 58 | 30.28 | 0 | 1 |
| JP Bray (Ire) | 2006/07 | 9 | 9 | 212 | 115* | 26.50 | 1 | 0 |
| CWJ Athey (Eng) | 0 | 2 | ||||||
| KWR Fletcher (Eng) | 1975 | 4 | 3 | 207 | 131 | 69.00 | 1 | 1 |
| SG Law (Aus) | 1995/96 | 7 | 6 | 204 | 72 | 51.00 | 0 | 1 |
| A Turner (Aus) | 1 | 0 | ||||||
| MW Goodwin (Zim) | 1999 | 8 | 8 | 201 | 57 | 25.12 | 0 | 1 |
| MJ Horne (NZ) | 1999 | 8 | 8 | 199 | 74 | 24.87 | 0 | 1 |
| AJ Burger (Nam) | 0 | 1 |
You would have got good odds if you had bet on New Zealand's Geoff Allott being the top wicket-taker in the 1999 World Cup, and breaking the record for most wickets in a tournament too. Allott's style of bowling - swing at brisk pace - was effective in damp English conditions and he scalped 20 wickets in nine matches at 16.25. His tally was later equalled by Shane Warne, who played one more game than Allott did. Allott, however, didn't play for much longer. A persistent back injury cut short his career and he played his tenth and last Test in July 1999, and his 31st and final ODI in November 2000.
West Indies fast bowler Vasbert Drakes made his one-day debut in 1995 but played his first and only World Cup in 2003. During that period he barely represented West Indies because he chose to play domestic cricket in England and South Africa, making him ineligible for national selection. Only when the selectors eased up on that policy did Drakes make a comeback in 2002 and secure a place for the World Cup at the age of 33. He was West Indies' best bowler in South Africa by a distance, taking 16 wickets at an average of 13. Their next-highest wicket-taker was Wavell Hinds, with seven. Drakes played only 12 Tests and 34 ODIs for West Indies and his last appearance was in January 2004.
With the exception of Richard Illingworth, who played World Cups in 1992 and 1996, specialist England spinners have had a shelf life of only one tournament. Derek Underwood played only the 1975 World Cup, Phil Edmonds the 1979 one, Vic Marks 1983, John Emburey and Eddie Hemmings 1987, Phil Tufnell 1992, Robert Croft 1999, Ian Blackwell and Ashley Giles 2003, and Jamie Dalrymple and Monty Panesar 2007. The 2011 World Cup is the first for Graeme Swann and Michael Yardy. Swann is 31, Yardy 30. What are the chances they'll be around in 2015?
| Player | Series | Mat | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | Ave | Econ | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GI Allott (NZ) | 1999 | 9 | 526 | 325 | 20 | 4/37 | 16.25 | 3.70 | 2 | 0 |
| VC Drakes (WI) | 2002/03 | 6 | 311 | 208 | 16 | 5/33 | 13.00 | 4.01 | 0 | 2 |
| AJ Bichel (Aus) | 2002/03 | 8 | 342 | 197 | 16 | 7/20 | 12.31 | 3.45 | 0 | 1 |
| NW Bracken (Aus) | 2006/07 | 10 | 430 | 258 | 16 | 4/19 | 16.12 | 3.60 | 1 | 0 |
| A Nehra (India) | 2002/03 | 9 | 415 | 289 | 15 | 6/23 | 19.26 | 4.17 | 1 | 1 |
| Maninder Singh (India) | 1987/88 | 7 | 420 | 280 | 14 | 3/21 | 20.00 | 4.00 | 0 | 0 |
| DBL Powell (WI) | 2006/07 | 9 | 510 | 385 | 14 | 3/38 | 27.50 | 4.52 | 0 | 0 |
| VJ Marks (Eng) | 1983 | 7 | 468 | 246 | 13 | 5/39 | 18.92 | 3.15 | 0 | 1 |
| EE Hemmings (Eng) | 1987/88 | 6 | 357 | 274 | 13 | 4/52 | 21.07 | 4.60 | 1 | 0 |
| NC Johnson (Zim) | 1999 | 8 | 300 | 233 | 12 | 4/42 | 19.41 | 4.66 | 1 | 0 |
| A Nel (SA) | 2006/07 | 6 | 314 | 217 | 12 | 5/45 | 18.08 | 4.14 | 0 | 1 |
| GJ Gilmour (Aus) | 1975 | 2 | 144 | 62 | 11 | 6/14 | 5.63 | 2.58 | 0 | 2 |
| KD Boyce (WI) | 1975 | 5 | 312 | 185 | 10 | 4/50 | 18.50 | 3.55 | 1 | 0 |
| BD Julien (WI) | 1975 | 5 | 360 | 177 | 10 | 4/20 | 17.70 | 2.95 | 2 | 0 |
| M Hendrick (Eng) | 1979 | 5 | 336 | 149 | 10 | 4/15 | 14.90 | 2.66 | 1 | 0 |
| JR Ratnayeke (SL) | 1987/88 | 6 | 324 | 313 | 10 | 3/41 | 31.30 | 5.79 | 0 | 0 |
| RW Ali (Kenya) | 1995/96 | 6 | 248 | 190 | 10 | 3/17 | 19.00 | 4.59 | 0 | 0 |
| MA Ealham (Eng) | 1999 | 5 | 300 | 191 | 10 | 2/28 | 19.10 | 3.82 | 0 | 0 |
| AD Mullally (Eng) | 1999 | 5 | 300 | 176 | 10 | 4/37 | 17.60 | 3.52 | 1 | 0 |
| S Elworthy (SA) | 1999 | 8 | 432 | 262 | 10 | 2/20 | 26.20 | 3.63 | 0 | 0 |
| DS Mohanty (India) | 1999 | 6 | 312 | 260 | 10 | 4/56 | 26.00 | 5.00 | 1 | 0 |
| AR Adams (NZ) | 2002/03 | 7 | 346 | 347 | 10 | 4/44 | 34.70 | 6.01 | 1 | 0 |
| WK McCallan (Ire) | 2006/07 | 9 | 352 | 233 | 10 | 2/12 | 23.30 | 3.97 | 0 | 0 |
If there's a particular List you would like to see, email us with your comments and suggestions.
Travis Basevi is a cricket statistician and UK Senior Programmer for Cricinfo and other ESPN sports websites. George Binoy is an Assistant Editor at ESPNcricinfo