June 2000: The decade began with a scandal so shameful it shook the roots of the game. Hansie Cronje's admission that he took bribes from bookmakers to provide information and fix matches exposed the extent of the corruption that had beset the game. Cronje was banned for life, and died in 2002 when the cargo plane in which he was travelling crashed.
October 2000: The only major tournament New Zealand won in the decade was the ICC Knockout Trophy in Nairobi. Chris Cairns, who only played in two of New Zealand's four matches, scored an unbeaten hundred in the final as New Zealand chased 265 to beat India. New Zealand reached the Champions Trophy semi-finals in 2006, the World Cup semi-finals in 2007, the World Twenty20 semi-finals in 2007 and 2009 and the Champions Trophy final in 2009
December 2000: In Karachi the predictions went awry and the critics ate their words when, in near darkness, England achieved an extraordinary victory in a compelling climax to the tour. It was their first Test win in Pakistan in 39 years, Pakistan's first Test loss at the National Stadium, and a match that will remain in the memory for the circumstances in which Nasser Hussain led his team to it, with Graham Thorpe paving the way
March 2001:Kolkata 2001 will be remembered as one of the greatest Tests ever, for an astonishing Indian recovery that provided several records and led to only the third victory in Test history for a side that had followed on. VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid's partnership of 376, an Indian fifth-wicket record, dispelled India's troubles and paved the way for the win. They batted together for 104 overs, including the whole of the fourth day, when they added 335 in 90 over
May 2002: The first in a series of events that would ultimately culminate in Pakistan losing hosting rights for international cricket. The New Zealand team left Pakistan after a bomb exploded outside their Karachi hotel, causing the tour to be cancelled just prior to the second Test. On his return home, New Zealand's captain Stephen Fleming struggled to hold back tear
July 2002: The Natwest Series final at Lord's was one of the most thrillingly topsy-turvy limited-overs internationals ever played. Centuries by Marcus Trescothick and Nasser Hussain took England to 325, and when Sachin Tendulkar fell with India's score at 146 for 5, it looked like the hosts would take the title with ease. But Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif added 121 runs for the sixth wicket; Kaif scored an unbeaten 87 and India won by two wickets, with three balls to spare. Sourav Ganguly, who had scored a half-century, ripped his shirt off on the dressing-room balcony, to lead the wild celebrations
January 2003: Off the last ball of the second day's play in the final Ashes Test in Sydney in 2003, Steve Waugh produced a stroke that completed, in his own words, "the Cinderella story". On his home ground, after becoming only the third batsman to make over 10,000 Test runs, the Australian captain drove the final ball of the day, from Richard Dawson, to the cover boundary to complete his 29th Test hundred, equalling Sir Donald Bradman's record. However, England won the Test by 225 runs
February 2003: One of the abiding memories of the 2003 World Cup was the protest by Andy Flower and Henry Olonga against the Mugabe regime during Zimbabwe's opening match in Harare. Knowing there would be no way back once they took a stand, Flower and Olonga went ahead and wore black armbands to mourn "the death of democracy" in the country
March 2003: Australian captain Ricky Ponting lifted the World Cup after his side beat India in the final in Johannesburg. Ponting played a captain's innings to deliver Australia their third title. His 140, the highest individual score in a World Cup final at the time, and his leadership through the tournament completed his ascent from under-achieving Tasmanian devil to cornerstone of Australian dominance
August 2003: Makhaya Ntini became the first South African to take 10 wickets at Lord's in the 2003 Test there. Ntini took 5 for 75 on the first day as England were bundled out for a paltry 173, and repeated the dose in the second innings with 5 for 145. South Africa won massively, inflicting on England their biggest-ever first-innings deficit
October 2000: The only major tournament New Zealand won in the decade was the ICC Knockout Trophy in Nairobi. Chris Cairns, who only played in two of New Zealand's four matches, scored an unbeaten hundred in the final as New Zealand chased 265 to beat India. New Zealand reached the Champions Trophy semi-finals in 2006, the World Cup semi-finals in 2007, the World Twenty20 semi-finals in 2007 and 2009 and the Champions Trophy final in 2009
December 2000: In Karachi the predictions went awry and the critics ate their words when, in near darkness, England achieved an extraordinary victory in a compelling climax to the tour. It was their first Test win in Pakistan in 39 years, Pakistan's first Test loss at the National Stadium, and a match that will remain in the memory for the circumstances in which Nasser Hussain led his team to it, with Graham Thorpe paving the way
March 2001:Kolkata 2001 will be remembered as one of the greatest Tests ever, for an astonishing Indian recovery that provided several records and led to only the third victory in Test history for a side that had followed on. VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid's partnership of 376, an Indian fifth-wicket record, dispelled India's troubles and paved the way for the win. They batted together for 104 overs, including the whole of the fourth day, when they added 335 in 90 over
May 2002: The first in a series of events that would ultimately culminate in Pakistan losing hosting rights for international cricket. The New Zealand team left Pakistan after a bomb exploded outside their Karachi hotel, causing the tour to be cancelled just prior to the second Test. On his return home, New Zealand's captain Stephen Fleming struggled to hold back tear
July 2002: The Natwest Series final at Lord's was one of the most thrillingly topsy-turvy limited-overs internationals ever played. Centuries by Marcus Trescothick and Nasser Hussain took England to 325, and when Sachin Tendulkar fell with India's score at 146 for 5, it looked like the hosts would take the title with ease. But Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif added 121 runs for the sixth wicket; Kaif scored an unbeaten 87 and India won by two wickets, with three balls to spare. Sourav Ganguly, who had scored a half-century, ripped his shirt off on the dressing-room balcony, to lead the wild celebrations
January 2003: Off the last ball of the second day's play in the final Ashes Test in Sydney in 2003, Steve Waugh produced a stroke that completed, in his own words, "the Cinderella story". On his home ground, after becoming only the third batsman to make over 10,000 Test runs, the Australian captain drove the final ball of the day, from Richard Dawson, to the cover boundary to complete his 29th Test hundred, equalling Sir Donald Bradman's record. However, England won the Test by 225 runs
February 2003: One of the abiding memories of the 2003 World Cup was the protest by Andy Flower and Henry Olonga against the Mugabe regime during Zimbabwe's opening match in Harare. Knowing there would be no way back once they took a stand, Flower and Olonga went ahead and wore black armbands to mourn "the death of democracy" in the country
March 2003: Australian captain Ricky Ponting lifted the World Cup after his side beat India in the final in Johannesburg. Ponting played a captain's innings to deliver Australia their third title. His 140, the highest individual score in a World Cup final at the time, and his leadership through the tournament completed his ascent from under-achieving Tasmanian devil to cornerstone of Australian dominance
August 2003: Makhaya Ntini became the first South African to take 10 wickets at Lord's in the 2003 Test there. Ntini took 5 for 75 on the first day as England were bundled out for a paltry 173, and repeated the dose in the second innings with 5 for 145. South Africa won massively, inflicting on England their biggest-ever first-innings deficit
