World Cup Tales: Border, Greatest Australian Captain, Ponting the Most Capped

Australians have won the maximum World Cup winning 4 titles. Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting made the Aussies invincible, but Allan Border is the best Australian captain when it comes to the World Cup. He won them the first world cup in the most alien conditions with the weakest Australian team of all times. Haddin and McGrath are their oldest player, while Andrew Zesers is their youngest player to appear in World Cup. Check the complete squads and the age of Australian team members of all the World Cup editions.

After 1975 World Cup, Australians never posed a challenge to other teams in the race to World Cup. Even in 1987 World Cup, they reached India with one of their most inexperienced team. Only their captain Allan Border had played before in World Cup, playing his third consecutive World Cup.

Still Border shocked not only the hosts but also their arch rival and comparatively stronger team of England despite playing in the sub-continent. From then on, Australians just went higher. Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh and then Ricky Ponting made them the world Champion.

Steve Waugh won them the cup in 1999, while under Ponting they completed a hattrick of wins after consecutive victory in 2003 and 2007 World Cup.

Ricky Ponting has played the maximum World Cups appearing in 5 editions since 1996 till 2011 World Cup. He also equalled the record of Clive Lloyd of being the captain in three different World Cup editions.

Glenn McGrath, Steve Waugh and Allan Border have appeared in 4 editions of World Cups. Allan Border and Kim Hughes have captained their team in two different World Cups. Ian Chappell, Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh have led their teams in one World Cup each.

At 21 years, Andrew Zesers became the youngest player to represent Australia in the World Cup (1987).

At 38 years, Glenn McGrath became their oldest player to play in the World Cup (2007). Brad Haddin playing in 2015 World Cup will equalize the record of being the oldest Australian player in a World Cup.

In 2015, if Michael Clarke fails to prove his fitness, vice captain George Bailey may take over unless the Australian Board decides to ask Steven Smith to become the captain in the 2015 World Cup too.

Australia
1975

    Captain: Ian Chappell (33)
    Wicketkeeper: Rod Marsh
    Youngest: Gary Gilmour (24)
    Oldest: Ross Edwards (33)
    Team (Age): Ross Edwards (33), Ian Chappell (32), Doug Walters (30), Ashley Mallett (30), Rick McCosker (29), Rod Marsh (28), Greg Chappell (27), Max Walker (27), Dennis Lillee (26), Jeff Thomson (25), Alan Turner (25), Gary Gilmour (24)

1979

    Captain: Kim Hughes (25)
    Wicketkeeper: Kevin Wright
    Youngest: Rick Darling (22)
    Oldest: Geoff Dymock (34)
    Team (Age): Geoff Dymock (34), Jeff Moss (32), Alan Hurst (29), Rodney Hogg (28), Trevor Laughlin (28), Graham Yallop (27), Gary Cosier (26), Kevin Wright (26), Kim Hughes (25), Graeme Porter (24), Allan Border (24), Andrew Hilditch (23), Rick Darling (22)

1983
2nd WC: Rod Marsh, Kim Hughes, Allan Border, Denniss Lillee, Jeff Thomson, Graham Yallop, Rodney Hogg

    Captain: Kim Hughes (29)
    Wicketkeeper: Rod Marsh (36)
    Youngest: Geoff Lawson (26), Kepler Wessels (26)
    Oldest: Rod Marsh (36)
    Team (Age): Rod Marsh (36), Denniss Lillee (34), Jeff Thomson (33), Rodney Hogg (32), Graham Yallop (31), Kim Hughes (29), Allan Border (28), David Hookes (28), Tom Hogan (27), Graeme Wood (27), Geoff Lawson (26), Kepler Wessels (26)

1987
3rd WC: Allan Border

    Captain: Allan Border
    Wicketkeeper: Greg Dyer (28)
    Youngest: Andrew Zesers (21)
    Oldest: Allan Border (32), Tom Moody (32)
    Team (Age): Allan Border (32), Peter Taylor (31), Geoff Marsh (29), Greg Dyer (28), David Boon (27), Dean Jones (26), Tim May (25), Simon O’Donnell (24), Mike Veletta (24), Bruce Reid (24), Tom Moody (22), Craig McDermott (22), Steve Waugh (22), Andrew Zesers (21)

1992
4th WC: Allan Border
2nd WC: David Boon, Dean Jones, Craig McDermott, Geoff Marsh, Tom Moody, Bruce Reid, Peter Taylor, Steve Waugh

    Captain: Allan Border (36)
    Wicketkeeper: Ian Healy
    Youngest: Steve Waugh (26), Craig McDermott (26)
    Oldest: Allan Border (36), Tom Moody (36)
    Team (Age): Allan Border (36), Tom Moody (27), Peter Taylor (35), Geoff Marsh (33), Mike Whitney (33), David Boon (31), Merv Hughes (31), Dean Jones (30), Bruce Reid (28), Mark Taylor (28), Ian Healy (28), Mark Waugh (27), Steve Waugh (26), Craig McDermott (26)

1996
3rd WC: Steve Waugh, Craig McDermott
2nd WC: Mark Taylor, Ian Healy, Mark Waugh

    Captain: Mark Taylor
    Wicketkeeper: Ian Healy
    Youngest: Ricky Ponting (22)
    Oldest: Mark Taylor (32), Ian Healy (32)
    Team (Age): Mark Taylor (32), Ian Healy (32), Mark Waugh (31), Steve Waugh (30), Craig McDermott (30), Paul Reiffel (29), Stuart Law (28), Shane Warne (27), Michael Bevan (26), Damien Fleming (26), Glenn McGrath (26), Michael Slater (26), Shane Lee (23), Ricky Ponting (22)

1999
4th: Steve Waugh
3rd: Mark Waugh, Tom Moody
2nd: Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Ricky Ponting, Shane Lee, Michael Bevan, Damien Fleming, Paul Reiffel

    Captain: Steve Waugh
    Wicketkeeper: Adam Gilchrist (28)
    Youngest: Ricky Ponting (26)
    Oldest: Mark Waugh (35)
    Team (Age): Mark Waugh (35), Steve Waugh (34), Tom Moody (34), Paul Reiffel (33), Shane Warne (31), Adam Dale (31), Michael Bevan (30), Damien Fleming (30), Glenn McGrath (30), Darren Lehmann (29), Brendon Julian (29), Damien Martyn (28), Adam Gilchrist (28), Shane Lee (27), Ricky Ponting (26)

2003
3rd: Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Ricky Ponting, Michael Bevan
2nd: Adam Gilchrist, Darren Lehmann, Damien Martyn

    Captain: Ricky Ponting
    Wicketkeeper: Adam Gilchrist
    Youngest: Nathan Hauritz (22)
    Oldest: Shane Warne (35)
    Team (Age): Shane Warne (35), Michael Bevan (34), Glenn McGrath (34), Darren Lehmann (33), Andy Bichel (33), Matthew Hayden (32), Brad Hogg (32), Damien Martyn (32), Ian Harvey (31), Ricky Ponting (30), Jimmy Maher (29), Jason Gillespie (28), Andrew Symonds (28), Brett Lee (27), Nathan Bracken (26), Nathan Hauritz (22)

2007
4th: Glenn McGrath, Ricky Ponting
3rd: Adam Gilchrist
2nd: Brad Hogg, Matthew Hayden, Andrew Symonds, Nathan Bracken

    Captain: Ricky Ponting
    Wicketkeeper: Adam Gilchrist
    Youngest: Shaun Tait (24)
    Oldest: Glenn McGrath (38)
    Team (Age): Glenn McGrath (38), Matthew Hayden (36), Brad Hogg (36), Ricky Ponting (34), Brad Hodge (33), Andrew Symonds (32), Stuart Clark (32), Michael Hussey (32), Nathan Bracken (30), Brad Haddin (30), Michael Clarke (26), Mitchell Johnson (26), Shane Watson (26), Shaun Tait (24)

2011
5th: Ricky Ponting
2nd: Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Shane Watson, Michael Hussey, Brett Lee, Shaun Tait

    Captain: Ricky Ponting
    Wicketkeeper: Brad Haddin, Tim Paine
    Youngest: Steven Smith (22)
    Oldest: Ricky Ponting (37)
    Team (Age): Ricky Ponting (37), Michael Hussey (36), Brett Lee (35), Brad Haddin (34), David Hussey (34), Michael Clarke (30), Mitchell Johnson (30), Shane Watson (30), Shaun Tait (28), Cameron White (28), Jason Krejza (28), Tim Paine (27), Callum Ferguson (27), John Hastings (26), Steven Smith (22)
    Withdrawn: Michael Hussey, Nathan Hauritz and Doug Bollinger

2015
3rd: Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Shane Watson
2nd: Steve Smith

    Captain: Michael Clarke
    Wicketkeeper: Brad Haddin
    Youngest: Pat Cummins (22)
    Oldest: Brad Haddin (38)
    Team (Age): Brad Haddin (38), George Bailey (35), Michael Clarke (34), Mitchell Johnson (34), Shane Watson (34), Xavier Doherty (33), Aaron Finch (29), David Warner (29), Glenn Maxwell (27), James Faulkner (25), Mitchell Starc (25), Josh Hazlewood (24), Mitch Marsh (24), Pat Cummins (22)

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