Forget IPL, India Once Hosted A Cricket World Cup In Middle Of A Terrible Drought
The 1987 cricket World Cup was an important moment for Indian cricket. India and Pakistan for the first time jointly hosted the competition. India was facing one of its worst droughts in the century.
CricBuzz
The 1987 cricket World Cup was an important moment for Indian cricket. India and Pakistan for the first time jointly hosted the competition, which was extraordinary as there had been friction between the countries ahead of the tournament. This was the first time the World Cup was played outside England and it signalled India's growing clout in the financial and administrative side of international cricket.
pictures.zimbio
By the time India lost its first match in the Cup to Australia in Madras by one run with one ball to go, there was a new crisis confronting the Rajiv Gandhi government.
India was facing one of its worst droughts in the century. The 1987 drought was an all-India drought. Rainfall was deficient by 19% and it affected almost 60% of the country¡¯s crop area. About 285 million people were affected.
CricBuzz
If there were protests about holding a large tournament in the middle of a terrible drought, they must have been muted. Most of the conversation seemed to be about whether India would retain the Cup which it had won in 1983.
India and Pakistan got knocked out in semi-finals and Australia went on to win the Cup. In some ways, it marked a turning point for Australian cricket. The team went on to become the best side in the world in less than a decade.
CricBuzz
Looking back, the 1987 World Cup seems to belong to another era. Cricket was not made accountable for deficient rainfall or the country¡¯s water management practices. It was quite a year. A near war, perhaps, followed by a severe drought and a cricket World Cup.
