ABSTRACT
Australia aimed to defend its World Cup title in South Africa and Zimbabwe with one of the most formidable teams of recent years. Without doubt, the present Australian side is one of the most successful sides in the history of the shorter game. This is not surprising, given the position of cricket in Australia, its health, and the resources channelled into the game’s development. Australians were looking forward to the tournament, as was every other country, well aware of its magnitude. A North Queensland paper had described the tournament in glowing terms: ‘The 2003 Cricket World Cup is being claimed as the biggest sporting event in Africa this decade. It will involve 14 nations playing 54 matches over 46 days.’1
