1983 World Cup Captains - Where are they now?
The 1983 World Cup is best remembered for India's championship win. They were the underdogs when the competition began but they went on to perform exceptionally well to capture their maiden World Cup.
Eight teams - India, West Indies, Zimbabwe, Australia, Pakistan, England, New Zealand and Sri Lanka - participated in the 1983 World Cup. The tournament had a group stage format, followed by two semifinals and a final.
On that note, we will look at the captains of the eight teams in the 1983 World Cup and where they are now.
#1 India's 1983 World Cup captain - Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev captained India in the 1983 World Cup. He led the side from the front by picking up 12 wickets and scoring the most runs (303) for the team in the competition.
Dev played international cricket for India until 1994. He now works as a cricket expert.
#2 Sri Lanka - Duleep Mendis
Happy birthday to Duleep Mendis, who captained Sri Lanka to their first ever Test series win in 1985 🎂 https://t.co/lUdxvjHgKh
Middle-order batter Duleep Mendis captained Sri Lanka in the 1983 World Cup. Sri Lanka finished last in Group A, winning only one of their six matches. Mendis scored 158 runs for the team in that tournament.
He played his last international match in 1989. Mendis is currently the head coach of Oman.
#3 England - Bob Willis
Fast bowler Bob Willis led home team England in the 1983 World Cup. Under his captaincy, England topped the Group A standings but lost to India in the semifinals. Willis took 11 wickets in seven matches for the team.
He played his last game for England in 1984. Willis died on December 4, 2019, three years after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.
#4 West Indies - Clive Lloyd
Two-time defending World Cup champions West Indies reached the 1983 World Cup Final under Clive Lloyd's captaincy. The left-handed batter scored 112 runs in eight matches in that tournament.
Lloyd's last international appearance for West Indies came in 1985. The 77-year-old worked as a match referee after his retirement. He no longer works as a referee now, but he regularly shares his views on cricket on television channels and publications.
#5 Pakistan - Imran Khan
Prime Minister @ImranKhanPTI ‘s rare footage of 1983 World Cup just before the match against Zimbabwe. https://t.co/8vkDhx4YAm
Captain Imran Khan led the Pakistan team to the semifinals in the 1983 World Cup. Pakistan finished second in Group A, winning three of their six matches but lost to West Indies in the semifinals.
Khan played his last international match in 1992. He is now the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
#6 New Zealand - Geoff Howarth
#HappyBirthday to former NZ captain, Geoff Howarth - one of their best skippers for sure
Was a pretty good batsman too, his twin 100s in the same Test vs Eng were ❤
Led NZ to a memorable series win vs WI in 1980 and their first ever win on Eng soil
Was also fantastic for Surrey https://t.co/2A2G2hagad
New Zealand played under the leadership of Geoff Howarth in the 1983 World Cup. The Kiwis finished third in Group A, with three wins from six matches. Howarth was the top-scorer (224 runs) for the team.
Howarth played his last international match a couple of years later. The 70-year-old worked as a coach after retiring, but has been away from the cricket world for quite some time now.
#7 Zimbabwe - Duncan Fletcher
Zimbabwe made their Cricket World Cup debut in 1983 under Duncan Fletcher's captaincy. Fletcher scored 191 runs and scalped seven wickets for the team, but Zimbabwe finished last in Group B with only one win in six matches.
Fletcher played his last international match in that World Cup. After retirement, he worked as the coach of England and India.
#8 Australia - Kim Hughes
Kim Hughes captained the Australian side in the third edition of the Cricket World Cup. However, Australia failed to qualify for the semifinals after having registered only two wins in six matches.
Hughes scored 170 runs in five matches. He played his last match for Australia in 1985. Since retiring, Hughes has worked as a selector and a commentator.