Mumbai: According to few former cricketers, the ICC World Cup trophy should have been "shared" and the England team shouldn’t have been declared as the winners. "Is it only the boundaries that are counted?", Sir Gary Sobers, the former West Indies all-rounder, reacted exclusively over telephone from Barbados.
"If the score was level at the end of the match and also in Super Over, how is it fair to declare England the winner?. "Why New Zealand could not be declared the (joint) winner", Sir Sobers, who did watch the match on TV, said when his comments were sought.
Sobers further added, "It is OK if the rules are made before the game and the trophy stays in England, but sportingly, New Zealand captain too should have been at the dais to lift the World Cup."
Interestingly, Sobers on whose name the Sir Garfield Sobers trophy is warded every year to the best player of the year was a member of the team that had witnessed the first historic tied Test (against Australia at Brisbane in 1960).
Former Pakistan captain, Asif Iqbal, who watched the final on TV, has stated, "In my opinion the trophy should have been shared. It was an amazing World Cup final. Best-ever. Best teams do not deserve to lose...In fact, on that day neither of the teams lost the match."
Official result
The "official result" of the final is a tie, cricket statisticians Mohandas Menon and Sudhir Vaidya (both Indians) and Ric Finlay (Australia) has said.
"A tied match. World Cup awarded to England by dint of most boundaries scored in the final. The official score card will be read", the statisticians said.
Incidentally, New Zealand had lost two wickets less than England but that was not counted. "It (cricket) is a game for batsmen. The batsmen can face 50 overs. There is no restriction. It is a restriction on bowlers. Each bowler cannot deliver more than 10 overs", Vaidya pointed out.
Bets refunded
Australian bookmaker Sportsbet has refunded bets to those who put money on Black Caps victory because the New Zealand team has "not lost" the final.
