2003 Cricket World Cup
Australia's third World Cup triumph, won with an undefeated record.
The 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup was the eighth Cricket World Cup, co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya from 9 February to 23 March 2003. It was the first World Cup played in Africa, featuring 14 teams—the largest number at the time—playing 54 matches. The tournament followed the format introduced in 1999, with two groups and the top three from each advancing to the Super Sixes stage.
- Year
- 2003
- Captain
- Ricky Ponting
- Matches Won
- 11 (Undefeated)
- Final Opponent
- India
- Final Venue
- Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
- Result
- Champions
Lore & Background
Australia won the tournament, winning all 11 of their matches, and beat India in the final at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. This was Australia's third World Cup win, making them the first team to have done so at that time. Shane Warne was sent home in disgrace after testing positive for a banned substance. Host South Africa advanced to the Super Sixes; Pakistan, West Indies and England were eliminated in the group stage. England forfeited their match with Zimbabwe due to political unrest, enabling Zimbabwe to reach the Super Sixes. New Zealand forfeited their match with Kenya for security reasons, allowing Kenya to reach the semi-finals—the only non-Test-playing nation to do so. Shoaib Akhtar set a world record for fastest delivery, bowling 161.3 km/h (100.23 mph) in a pool match against England.
In Their Own Story
The sun dipped low over the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, casting long shadows across the green oval pitch. As Ricky Ponting lifted the trophy above his head, the roar of the crowd seemed to shake the very ground beneath the wickets. The gold jerseys shimmered under the floodlights, a sea of yellow celebrating an impossible run of eleven victories without defeat. In that moment, the bat and ball were no longer just tools of sport, but symbols of a dynasty forged in fire.
Reader's Guide
The 14 teams were divided into two groups of seven; the top three from each group qualified for the Super Sixes, carrying forward results against other qualifiers. The top four in the Super Sixes advanced to the semi-finals. Australia defeated Sri Lanka in the first semi-final, and India defeated Kenya in the second. In the final, Australia scored 359/2 in 50 overs, their then-highest ODI total, and bowled India out for 234 to win by 125 runs. Ricky Ponting was named Man of the Match, and Sachin Tendulkar was Player of the Series.
Did You Know?
- Shane Warne was sent home before the tournament started after testing positive for a banned substance and did not play.
- Australia won all 11 matches, becoming the first team to win every match in a World Cup tournament.
- Kenya became the only non-Test-playing nation to reach a World Cup semi-final.
- Shoaib Akhtar set a world record for the fastest delivery at 161.3 km/h (100.23 mph) in a pool match against England.
More in Honours & Records
Elsewhere in the Australia National Cricket Team universe
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record