World Cup History: Three best sportsmanship acts across tournaments

#2 Courtney Walsh turns down a Mankad opportunity against Pakistan

Courtney Walsh

The face-off between Pakistan and West Indies in the 1987 World Cup at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, to date, is remembered for the incident on the last ball of the game. Requiring 14 off the final over, Abdul Qadir and Saleem Jaffar somehow saw the equation at just 2 required on the ultimate delivery with Courtney Walsh with the ball in hand.

However, as the West Indian quick ran in to bowl the last delivery, he pulled out at the non-striker end as Jaffar had backed up way too far. It was an opportunity to 'Mankad' the non-striker but Walsh resorted not to do so and ran up again to bowl the final ball.

As it turned out, Qadir managed to score two off the final ball and took his side home in an enthralling encounter. The game, however, is remembered not for the result but for Walsh’s act of sportsmanship which might have cost his team the match but was widely appreciated for playing the game in the spirit of the game.