World Cup: Players who won the title without playing a single game

2007

Mitchell Johnson and Brad Haddin

Australia were a dominant force in the first decade of the century

The mighty Aussies dominated not just cricket but also it's marquee quadrennial world event on both sides of the beginning of the millennium. They crushed the three Asian giants in respective finals of 1999, 2003 and 2007.

One of the major reasons for their dominance was the strong outfit they put on the field, virtually making them invincible. This, however, did not help the cause of fringe players as their only way of making the final cut remained an injury to a permanent member of the playing XI.

Left arm pacer Mitchell Johnson was in his formative days in international cricket and he could not force his way through an Australian bowling line up that, though devoid of injured Brett Lee, comprised of the formidable trio of Glenn McGrath, Nathan Bracken and Shaun Tait.

Brad Haddin, on the other hand, was warming the bench as a back up wicket-keeper for man of the final Adam Gilchrist, who never missed a match across his entire career owing to fitness concerns.

Johnson and Haddin thus had to wait for their maiden World Cup appearance till 2011, four years after having already won the world title.