This article first appeared in issue 20 of Wisden Cricket Monthly. Subscribe here.
Fans were promised a ‘carnival of cricket’ when the World Cup returned to English shores for the first time in 16 years. The reality for the hosts was rather different. First published in issue 20 of Wisden Cricket Monthly, Jo Harman looks back at how England’s miserable 1999 Cricket World Cup campaign unfolded.
England were not considered among the favourites heading into the 1999 World Cup. Ropey form, a late change of captain – with Alec Stewart replacing Adam Hollioake only a few months out from the tournament – and a pay dispute between the players and the board threatened to undermine their campaign before it had got off the ground. However, with home conditions in their favour, there was an expectation they could still go far in the tournament.
