Though the Cricket World Cup was first played in 1975, the first ever time a player was honoured with this award was in 1992. Since then, at least one player has been honoured with the award in each of the ICC World Cups and the World T20.
Sometimes, the winner might be from the winning team and on few occasions, his team might have failed to win the tournament.
The reason behind this award is to acknowledge the individual performances of a player throughout the tournament. Though the deserving players won the award on most occasions, sometimes, there were some undeserving names that went on to win the award.
Let us take a look at some of the undeserving Player of the Tournaments and the player(s) who deserved to win the award.
1992 World Cup
The 1992 World Cup saw underdogs Pakistan win the World Cup after being eerily close to getting knocked out early in the tournament. They defeated England in the final by 22 runs to win their maiden ICC championship.
The architect of the win for Pakistan was their left-arm seamer Wasim Akram, who looked in a completely different league throughout the tournament. He troubled every single batsman he bowled at in the tournament.
The paceman took 18 wickets in 10 matches at an average of 18.77, with an economy of 3.7, and gave his team crucial breakthroughs whenever needed. But, he was overlooked for the Player of the Tournament as Kiwi captain Martin Crowe was given the award for his 456 runs in 9 matches at an average of 114.
Crowe’s achievement in the World Cup was phenomenal but Wasim had a bigger impact on the tournament as he led his team to the World Cup.
1996 World Cup
The 1996 World Cup was known for two things- Sachin Tendulkar shattering all the World Cup batting records and Sanath Jayasuriya starting a new trend on how to approach batting in ODIs.
Sachin Tendulkar scored the most number of runs in, amassing 523 runs in 7 innings at an average of 87 with five 50+ scores. Though India were knocked out in the semis, not even a single batsman came close to Sachin’s tally.
Jayasuriya, on the other hand, revolutionized batting in ODIs as he smashed the bowlers during the field restriction overs, starting a new trend. He ended the tournament with 221 runs in six innings at an average of 37 and a strike-rate of 131.5. With the ball, the Matara Mauler accounted for seven wickets at an average of 33 and an economy of 4.5.
Jayasuriya was eventually adjudged as the Player of the Tournament ahead of Sachin but that had a valid reason behind it because the former was instrumental in his team’s success in the tournament while the latter wasn’t.
But, there was one guy, who had more impact in Sri Lanka’s title triumph than Jayasuriya - Aravinda de Silva. The right-hander scored 448 runs at an average of 90 and a strike-rate of 108 with the help of four fifty-plus scores in six innings, including a match-winning century in the final. He took four wickets in the tournament as well.
In all likelihood, De Silva should have been adjudged as Player of the Tournament ahead of his teammate Jayasuriya.
2007 World Cup
After the 2003 World Cup, one would have thought that Sachin Tendulkar’s tally of 673 runs in a single World Cup would never be breached by any batsman. Australian opener Matthew Hayden almost surpassed the Master Blaster as he came close to the mark but eventually failed by just 14 runs four years later.
The 2007 World Cup saw Australia win the World Cup for the third consecutive time and the chief architect behind it was Hayden, who scored 659 runs in 10 innings at an average of 73 and a strike-rate of 101, with the help of three centuries and one fifty. These are the numbers that will win a batsman the Player of the Tournament award in any tournament.
But, the ICC had other ideas as they gave Hayden’s teammate Glenn McGrath the prestigious award. Just like Hayden, McGrath had a great tournament that saw him getting 26 wickets in 11 matches at an average of 13.73 and an economy of 4.41.
It was a close race between both the Australians, but, Hayden was a bit more instrumental for his team than the eventual winner, McGrath.
2007 World T20
91 runs in six innings an average of 15 and a strike-rate of 198 and 12 wickets in seven matches at an average of 15 and an economy of 6.71- these are the tournament numbers of the 2007 World T20 Player of the Tournament, Shahid Afridi.
There are three other players who deserved to win the award at the end of the tournament. India’s Yuvraj Singh set the stage on fire with 148 runs in five innings at an average of 30 and a strike-rate of 195, including two fifties in two must-win matches for his team. The numbers weren’t great but the impact he had in India’s victory is much more than that of Afridi in the tournament.
Yuvraj’s teammates RP Singh and Gautam Gambhir were consistent throughout the tournament as they scalped 12 wickets in six innings at an average of 12 and an economy of 6.33 and scored 227 runs in six innings at an average of 38 and a strike-rate of 130 with the help of three fifties including a match-winning 75 in the final respectively.
All these three Indians deserved to win the Player of the Tournament award more than Afridi.
2009 World T20
The 2009 World T20 saw Pakistan beat all odds and come out as the Champions. The Younis-Khan led side beat Sri Lanka in the final by eight wickets.
Two of the main reasons behind Pakistan’s win were all-rounder Shahid Afridi and pacer Umar Gul. Gul ended the tournament as the leading wicket-taker with 13 wickets in seven matches at an average of 12 with an economy of 6.4.
Afridi, on the other hand, scalped 12 wickets in seven matches at an average of 15 and an economy of 5.32. Adding to this, he scored 176 runs in seven innings at an average of 35 with a strike-rate of 141, including two fifties in the semi-final and the final.
Unlike the 2007 World T20, Afridi deserved to win the Player of the Tournament but Sri Lanka’s Tillakaratne Dilshan, who scored 317 runs in 7 innings at an average of 53 and a strike-rate of 145 was named the same.
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