Look at what comes up when you search for "cricket world cup (link:http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=cricket+world+cup&sourceid=navclient-ff&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1B3GGGL_enIE216IE216&aq=t)

http://aycu35.webshots.com/image/11114/2001598114112708026_rs.jpg

Is this new and has anyone else seen it or something like it before?

I don't think I ever saw this cricket man. What Google did do before was deliver live scores for the football world cup in mid-2006:

http://blogoscoped.com/files/google-england-paraguay.png

So its not new