Player of the Tournaments in World Cups

#5 Lance Klusener, South Africa - 1999

1999 World Cup came to be known for Klusener's brilliance

One of the many great all-rounders that South Africa have been blessed with, Lance Klusener, was known for his destructive batting and his swing bowling. With an average of over 40 with the bat and around 29 with the ball, Klusener was clearly a big name in International Cricket.

The 1999 World Cup came to be known for Klusener’s brilliance. Man of the Match in four of the nine matches that South Africa played in the tournament, Klusener was in tremendous form both with the bat and the ball and almost single-handedly got them to a place in the semis.

In perhaps the most dramatic semi-final ever, Klusener’s big hits brought South Africa in the final over needing nine runs to win the match against Australia.

Klusener hit the first two balls of the last over for boundaries and it looked like that South Africa have sealed it, with just one run required off four deliveries.

But that was not to be as Klusener came running down to the striker’s end after hitting the ball straight to the mid-wicket fielder inside the ring, while his partner, last man Allan Donald, who was busy watching the ball did not respond.

In a terrible situation, both the batsmen were caught at the same end, before Donald started running but it was too late and the match ended with the scores level.

However, a win against the Proteas in the group stage meant that Australia had made it to the finals. Although South Africa did not reach the finals, Klusener was adjudged the player of the tournament for his all-round performance in the tournament (281 runs, 17 wickets).