1. Two Australians are the only players who have appeared in four World Cup finals - in 1996, 1999, 2003 and 2007. One is Glenn McGrath. Who is the other?
2. Shankar Mahadevan composed the official song for the 2011 World Cup. Who composed the song for this year's World Cup?
3. Which legendary opening batsman scored his only ODI century at the age of 38, in a 1987 World Cup match against New Zealand?
4. In 1983 when Kapil Dev scored 175 not out, who scored a half century for Zimbabwe and also took 3 wickets? (Hint: his sons represent a different team in international cricket)
5. Simon Taufel, among world's best umpires, officiated his first World Cup 'final match' in 2011, even though he made his ODI debut in 1999. What prevented him from officiating in the earlier World Cup finals?
6. After watching a World Cup match affected by rain in 1992, renowned commentator Christopher Martin-Jenkins said on radio: "Surely someone, somewhere, could come up with something better." This comment led to the invention of what system in cricket?
7. Which country's Cricket Board provided the Sri Lankan Cricket Board funds to hire Dav Whatmore as coach of their 1996 World Cup winning squad?
8. Amay Khurasia was a part of the 1999 World Cup squad, though he did not play any matches. He was the first cricketer to represent India in international cricket who also: was a doctor, cleared UPSC, was an MP, was an MLA?
9. In the Hindi film '83, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, son of Shivnarine Chanderpaul, played the role of which left-handed batsman from the West Indies? (Hint: not his father!)
10. Which Indian all-rounder, who was part of the 1999 World Cup squad, was born in Trinidad?
11. The film, Chain Kulii ki Main Kulii, is the story of a child who finds a 'magical piece' of cricketing equipment, used by a legend during a World Cup. Whose bat was the centrepiece of the story?
12. Which legendary cricketer was banned from the 2003 World Cup for testing positive for a diuretic?
13. Who won a winners' medal in the 2003 World Cup final without batting or bowling in the final match?
14. He is captaining his country in the 2023 World Cup. He was also the captain in the 2011 World Cup. Which cricketer has this unique honour?
15. At the end of the 2015 World Cup, what did the following cricketers do: Kumara Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Shahid Afridi, Misbah-ul-Haq, Michael Clark, Brad Haddin, Daniel Vettori and Kyle Mills?
16. When India chose to play Rahul Dravid as the wicket keeper in the 2003 World Cup, who, initially chosen as the specialist wicket-keeper, missed out?
17. Which is the only country to win World Cups in both the 60-over and 50-over formats?
18. What was unique about Chaminda Vaas' hat-trick against Bangladesh in the 2003 World Cup?
19. The 1992 World Cup was the first to have introduced three new features: the use of the white cricket ball and day-night matches. What was the third innovation?
20. Who, unfortunately, is the only member of the 1983 World Cup winning team who has died?
Answers
1. Ricky Ponting
2. Pritam
3. Sunil Gavaskar. Chetan Sharma took a hat-trick in the same match
4. Kevin Curran. His sons, Sam and Tom, represent England in international cricket.
5. Since Australia were in the finals in 2003 and 2007, he was not allowed to officiate in matches involving his home country
6. The Duckworth-Lewis-Stern formula for rain affected matches. Frank Duckworth soon realised that it was a mathematical problem that required a mathematical solution and so devised the method along with Tony Lewis. It was in this match when South Africa was required to score 22 runs of 1 ball, after rain affected play
7. The Australian Cricket Board. They had initially agreed to A$100,000 as a guarantee payment for Sri Lanka's tour, but upon learning that the Sri Lankan Cricket Board could not afford a new coach, they doubled the sum
8. He is the first Indian cricketer to have cleared the UPSC exam and also represented India in international cricket
9. Larry Gomes
10. Robin Singh
11. Kapil Dev. The child found the bat he used to score 175 not out against Zimbabwe in 1983.
12. Shane Warne
13. Michael Bevan
14. Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh
15. All retired from ODI cricket at the end of the World Cup
16. Parthiv Patel
17. India. 1983 (60 overs). 2011 (50 overs)
18. He completed the hat-trick with the first three balls of the match
19. Wear coloured jerseys
20. Yashpal Sharma (many of his teammates say he was apparently the fittest member of the squad)
If you scored:
17-20: Wow! You are a cricket freak
12-16: Impressive! You know your cricket
8-11: You are in good nick
5-7: Well played
0-4: Do you know, the Cricket World Cup is on?
(Derek O'Brien, MP, leads the Trinamool Congress in the Rajya Sabha.)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author.