World Cup winners who are no longer with us

The cricketing fraternity has lost some gems of the beautiful game, especially in recent years. Some of them are World Cup winners, who had performed brilliantly during the global spectacle and brought laurels to their respective countries.

The ODI World Cup started in 1975, and a total of 13 editions have been completed so far. On the other hand, the T20 World Cup only began in 2007, with nine editions being played.

On this note, let’s look at the World Cup winners who are no longer with us and have left for heavenly abode:

1. Keith Boyce

Keith Boyce was a member of the West Indies squad which won the inaugural World Cup in 1975. He contributed with a crucial 37-ball 34 while batting at No. 7 in the final against Australia. However, with the ball, he had an even better outing, finishing with excellent figures of 4/50 in 12 overs.

Boyce finished the tournament as the joint second-highest wicket-taker, bagging 10 wickets from five games at an average of 18.50. The all-rounder played 21 Tests and eight ODIs for the West Indies. He finished with 714 runs and 73 wickets. He breathed his last on October 11, 1996, after suffering from the effects of chronic cirrhosis of the liver.

2. Roy Fredericks

Roy Fredericks represented the West Indies from 1968 to 1977. He was also a part of the West Indies team which won the World Cup in 1975. The opening batter was out to Dennis Lillee in the final for seven runs. However, the mode of dismissal was unique as he was out hit wicket. This remains the only hit wicket dismissal in World Cup finals.

Fredericks had a below-par outing in the World Cup, scoring 116 runs in five innings at an average of 23.20. However, he scored a crucial half-century against Australia in a Group B fixture, helping the Caribbean side maintain their all-win record heading into the knockouts. The southpaw played 59 Tests and 12 ODIs in his career, finishing with 4645 international runs. He underwent an operation for throat cancer and returned to run cricket programmes for Guyana’s Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, but had to go back to the hospital. Fredericks passed away on September 5, 2000, at the age of 57.

3. Yashpal Sharma

Yashpal Sharma was the second-highest run-getter for India in their triumphant campaign in the 1983 World Cup. He scored 240 runs from eight innings at an average of 34.28. The right-handed batter top-scored in the semi-finals against England, playing a gritty knock of 61 runs off 115 deliveries, with the help of three fours and two sixes.

Yashpal played 37 Tests and 42 ODIs during his international career, and aggregated 2489 runs. On July 13, 2021, at the age of 66, Yashpal lost his life due to a massive heart attack. Later that year, the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) conducted a day/night benefit cricket match in honour of the former India national selector.

4. Dean Jones

Dean Jones was a member of the Australian team which won the World Cup for the first time in 1987. He played a vital knock of 33 runs in the final, which Australia won by seven runs against arch-rivals England. In the semi-final against Pakistan, Jones contributed with a 38-run knock.

The right-handed batter finished the tournament with 314 runs from eight innings, batting at an impressive average of 44.86. Jones registered three half-centuries during the campaign. He finished his international career with 52 Test and 164 ODI appearances under his belt. Jones scored 9669 runs for Australia across formats. After calling time on his playing career, Jones transitioned into commentary and coaching, excelling in both fields. The Coburg-born passed away at the age of 59 after suffering a stroke.

5. Andrew Symonds

Andrew Symonds was a three-dimensional cricketer who could take opposition bowlers to the cleaners with his powerful hitting and bowl handy overs of off-spin or even medium pace. Apart from these two facets, Symonds was a gun fielder, who would stop plenty of runs with his athleticism and sharp reflexes on the field.

Symonds won the World Cup twice in 2003 and 2007. In 2003, the right-handed batter had a mind-boggling strike average of 163. He scored 326 runs from just five innings. The all-rounder scored a belligerent 143 not out off 125 balls against Pakistan in Match No. 4 of the marquee event. In the 2007 World Cup, he aggregated 189 runs from eight innings at an average of 63. In the two editions, he picked up five wickets in total. Symonds died in a single-vehicle road accident on May 13, 2022, at the age of 48.

6. Shane Warne

Shane Warne is one of the best spinners to have ever played the game of cricket. He was the joint-highest wicket-taker in Australia’s victorious campaign in the 1999 World Cup. The star leg-spinner took 20 wickets in 10 matches at an average of 18.05. He had a miserly economy rate of just 3.82 in the competition.

Warne was the Player of the Match in the final against Pakistan, finishing with figures of 4/33 in nine overs. The legendary spinner played 145 Tests and 194 ODIs for the Aussies. In Tests, he picked up 708 wickets, while in ODIs, he scalped 293 wickets. Warne breathed his last on March 4, 2022. He was 52 years old at the time. He lost his life after suffering a heart attack caused by atherosclerosis.