Cricket World Cup
trophy. That was right up until they
ran into an England side that played
their best cricket of the tournament
in the semi-final and for Australia it
was probably just a case of facing the
wrong team at the wrong time. It has
been a hard few years for everyone
involved with Australian cricket but
this was certainly a step in the right
direction as they look to re-establish
their reputation in the game.
Pakistan
Pakistan can consider themselves
unlucky not to qualify for the
knockout stages of the competition,
missing out only on run rate to
eventual finalists New Zealand.
They played some fine cricket over
the tournament and can hold their
heads high.
The Also Rans
The World Cup never really came
to life for South Africa who never
looked like getting out of the group
while Sri Lanka and Bangladesh
will both be disappointed not to
have won more games. For the West
Indies, Chris Gayle did not get his
fairy tale ending while Afghanistan
will have learned a lot from the
tournament and should have a
better chance of making an impact in
the 2023 event which is to be hosted
in more familiar conditions in India.
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