Cricket World Cup

international cricket tournament

The ICC Cricket World Cup is an international cricket competition. It is played in the One Day International (ODI) cricket format. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Cricket Council (ICC). Cricket World Cup is the third largest sporting event in the world, behind soccer's World Cup and the Summer Olympic Games.[1] The first Cricket World Cup contest was organised in England in 1975. A separate Women's Cricket World Cup has been held every four years since 1973.

The finals of the Cricket World Cup are contested by all ten Test-playing nations. They are joined by other nations who qualify through the Cup Qualifying competition. Australia has been the most successful team winning the title five times (in 1987, 1999, 2003 and 2007,2015). West Indies (in 1975 and 1979) and India (in 1983 and 2011) have won the title 2 times each. And Pakistan (in 1992) ,Sri Lanka (in 1996) and England {in 2019} have won the title one time each.

Creation change

The first ever international cricket match was played between Canada and the United States, on the 24 and 25 September 1844. However, the first credited Test match was played in 1877 between Australia and England, and the two teams competed regularly for The Ashes in subsequent years. South Africa was admitted to Test status in 1889.[2] Representative cricket teams were selected to tour each other, resulting in bilateral competition. Cricket was also included as an Olympic sport at the 1900 Paris Games, where Great Britain defeated France to win the Gold medal.[3] This was the only appearance of cricket at the Summer Olympics.

The first multi team competition at international level was the 1912 Triangular Tournament. It was a Test cricket tournament played in England between England, Australia and South Africa.[4] In subsequent years, international Test cricket has been generally been organised as bilateral series. A multi team Test tournament was not organised again until the quadrangular Asian Test Championship in 1999.

In the early 1960s, English county cricket teams began playing a shortened version of cricket which only lasted for one day. Starting in 1962 with a four-team knockout competition known as the Midlands Knock-Out Cup,[5] and continuing with the inaugural Gillette Cup in 1963, one-day cricket grew in popularity in England. A national Sunday League was formed in 1969. The first One-Day International event was played on the fifth day of a rain-aborted Test match between England and Australia at Melbourne in 1971, to fill the time available and as compensation for the frustrated crowd. It was a forty over match with eight balls per over.[6]

The success and popularity of the domestic one-day competitions in England and other parts of the world, as well as the early One-Day Internationals, prompted the ICC to consider organising a Cricket World Cup.[7]

Format change

Qualification change

The Test-playing nations qualify automatically for the World Cup main event, while the other teams have to qualify through a series of preliminary qualifying tournaments. The One Day International playing nations automatically enter the final qualification tournament, the World Cup Qualifier, along with other nations who have qualified through separate competitions.

Qualifying tournaments were introduced for the second World Cup, where two of the eight places in the finals were awarded to the leading teams in the ICC Trophy.[8] The number of teams selected through the ICC Trophy has varied throughout the years; currently, six teams are selected for the Cricket World Cup. The World Cricket League (administered by the International Cricket Council) is the qualification system provided to allow the Associate and Affiliate members of the ICC more opportunities to qualify.The name "ICC Trophy" has been changed to "ICC World Cup Qualifier".[9]

Tournament change

 
The captains of the 2007 Cricket World Cup.

The format of the Cricket World Cup has changed greatly over the course of its history. The first four tournaments were played by eight teams, divided into two groups of four.[10] The competition was held in two stages. A group stage and a knock-out stage. The four teams in each group played each other once in the group stage. The top two teams in each group went through to the semi-finals. The winners of the semi-finals played against each other in the final. With the return of South Africa in 1992 after the ending of the apartheid boycott, nine teams played each other once in the group phase, and the top four teams progressed to the semi-finals.[11] The tournament was made bigger in 1996, with two groups of six teams.[12] The top four teams from each group progressed to quarter-finals and semi-finals.

A new format was used for the 1999 and 2003 World Cups. The teams were split into two pools. The top three teams in each pool went into the Super 6.[13] The "Super 6" teams played the three other teams that had made it through from the other group. The teams carried their points forward from the matches played against the other two who were in their group.[13] The top four teams from the "Super 6" stage progressed to the semi-finals, with winners playing in the final.

The last format used in the 2007 World Cup, features 16 teams allocated into four groups of four.[14] Each team played each other once within the group. Teams earn points for wins and half-points for ties. The top two teams from each group move forward to the Super 8 round. The "Super 8" teams play the other six teams that progressed from the different groups. Teams earned points in the same way as the group stage. Teams also carry their points forward from the match against the other team who qualified from the same group.[15] The top four teams from the "Super 8" round advance to the semi-finals. The winners of the semi-finals play in the final.

The current format features 14 teams. The 14 teams are split into two groups of seven. Within each group each team will play each other once. The top four teams from each group will proceed to the knock out stage playing quarter-finals. Winners of the quarter-finals will play semi-finals and the winning semi-finalists will play in the final.

Trophy change

The ICC Cricket World Cup Trophy is presented to the winners of the World Cup finals. The current trophy was created for the 1999 championships, and was the first permanent prize in the tournament's history; prior to this, different trophies were made for each World Cup.[16] The trophy was designed and produced in London by a team of craftsmen from Garrard & Co over a period of two months.

The current trophy is made from silver and gild, and features a golden globe held up by three silver columns. The columns, shaped as stumps and bails, represent the three fundamental aspects of cricket: batting, bowling and fielding, while the globe characterises a cricket ball.[17] The trophy is designed with platonic dimensions, so that it can be easily recognised from any angle. It stands 60 cm high and weighs approximately 11 kilograms. The names of the previous winners are engraved on the base of the trophy, with space for a total of twenty inscriptions.

The original trophy is kept by the ICC. A replica, which differs only in the inscriptions, is permanently awarded to the winning team.

Media coverage change

 
Mello

The tournament is the world's third largest (with only the FIFA World Cup and the Summer Olympics exceeding it), being televised in over 200 countries to over 2.2 billion television viewers.[18][1][19][20] Television rights, mainly for the 2011 and 2015 World Cup, were sold for over US$1.1 billion,[21] and sponsorship rights were sold for a further US$500 million.[22] The 2003 Cricket World Cup matches were attended by 626,845 people,[23] while the 2007 Cricket World Cup sold more than 672,000 tickets and recorded the highest ticketing revenue for a Cricket World Cup.[24][25]

Successive World Cup tournaments have generated increasing media attention as One-Day International cricket has become more established. The 2003 World Cup in South Africa was the first to sport a mascot, Dazzler the zebra. An orange raccoon-like creature known as Mello was the mascot for the 2007 Cricket World Cup.[26]

Selection of hosts change

 
Civic Centre, South Africa honours the 2003 World Cup.

The International Cricket Council's executive committee votes for the hosts of the tournament after examining the bids made by the nations keen to hold a Cricket World Cup.[27]

England hosted the first three competitions. The ICC decided that England should host the first tournament because it was ready to devote the resources required to organising the inaugural event.[28] India volunteered to host the third Cricket World Cup, but most ICC members believed England to be a more suitable venue because the longer period of daylight in England in June[29] meant that a match could be completed in one day.[30] The 1987 Cricket World Cup was the first hosted outside England, held in Pakistan and India.

Finals change

Year Host Nation(s) Final Venue Final
Winner Result Runner-up
1975
Details
 
England
Lord's, London West Indies
291/8 (60 overs)
WI won by 17 runs Scorecard Australia
274 all out (58.4 overs)
1979
Details
 
England
Lord's, London West Indies
286/9 (60 overs)
WI won by 92 runs Scorecard England
194 all out (51 overs)
1983
Details
 
England
Lord's, London India
183 all out (54.4 overs)
Ind won by 43 runs Scorecard West Indies
140 all out (52 overs)
1987
Details
   
India, Pakistan
Eden Gardens, Kolkata Australia
253/5 (50 overs)
Aus won by 7 runs Scorecard England
246/8 (50 overs)
1992
Details
   
Australia, New Zealand
MCG, Melbourne Pakistan
249/6 (50 overs)
Pak won by 22 runs Scorecard England
227 all out (49.2 overs)
1996
Details
     
India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore Sri Lanka
245/3 (46.2 overs)
SL won by 7 wickets Scorecard Australa
241/7 (50 overs)
1999
Details
       ,  
England, Ireland, Netherlands, Scotland, Wales
Lord's, London Australia
133/2 (20.1 overs)
Aus won by 8 wickets Scorecard Pakistan
132 all out (39 overs)
2003
Details
     
South Africa, Kenya, Zimbabwe
Wanderers, Johannesburg Australia
359/2 (50 overs)
Aus won by 125 runs Scorecard India
234 all out (39.2 overs)
2007
Details
               
West Indies
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown Australia
281/4 (38 overs)
Aus won by 53 runs (D/L) Scorecard Sri Lanka
215/8 (36 overs)
2011
Details
     
Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai India

277/4 (48.2 overs)

India won by 6 wickets

Scorecard

Sri Lanka

274/6 (50 overs)

2015
Details
   
Australia, New Zealand
MCG, Melbourne Australia

186/3 (33.1 overs)

Australia won by 7 wickets

Scorecard

New Zealand

183 all out (45 overs)

2019
Details
 
England
Lord's, London England

241 all out (50 overs)

England won the super over

Scorecard

New Zealand

241/8 (50 overs)

Individual awards change

Since 1992, one player has been declared as "Man of the Tournament" at the end of the World Cup finals:[31]

Year Player Performance details
1992   Martin Crowe 456 runs
1996   Sanath Jayasuriya 221 runs and 7 wickets
1999   Lance Klusener 281 runs and 17 wickets
2003   Sachin Tendulkar 673 runs and 2 wickets
2007   Glenn McGrath 26 wickets
2011   Yuvraj Singh 362 runs and 15 wickets
2015   Mitchell Starc 22 wickets
2019   Kane Williamson 578 runs
2023   Virat Kohli 765 runs

Previously, there was no tournament award, although Man of the Match awards have always been given for individual matches. Winning the Man of the Match in the final is logically noteworthy, as this indicates the player deemed to have played the biggest part in the World Cup final. To date the award has always gone to a member of the winning side. The Man of the Match award in the final of the competition has been awarded to:[31]

Year Player Performance details
1975 Clive Lloyd 102 runs
1979 Viv Richards 138*
1983   Mohinder Amarnath 3/12 and 26
1987   David Boon 75 runs
1992   Wasim Akram 33 and 3/49
1996   Aravinda de Silva 107* and 3/42
1999   Shane Warne 4/33
2003   Ricky Ponting 140*
2007   Adam Gilchrist 149
2011   MS Dhoni 91*
2015   James Faulkner 3/36
2019   Ben Stokes 84*
2023   Travis Head 137

Main individual and team records change

 
Sachin Tendulkar, the leading run-scorer in World Cup history.
World Cup records[32]
Batting
Most runs   Sachin Tendulkar 1796 (19922007)
Highest average (min. 20 inns.) Shivansh Maheshwari 63.31 (2007
Highest score   Glenn Maxwell v AFG 201* (2023)
Highest partnership  Sourav Ganguly & Rahul Dravid
(2nd wicket) v Sri Lanka
318 (1999)
Most runs in a tournament   Virat Kohli 765 (2023)
Bowling
Most wickets   Glenn McGrath 71 (19962007)
Lowest average (min. 1000 balls bowled)   Glenn McGrath
Best bowling figures   Glenn McGrath v Namibia 7/15 (2003)
Most wickets in a tournament   Glenn McGrath 26 (2007)
Fielding
Most dismissals (wicket-keeper)   Adam Gilchrist 39 (19992007)
Most catches (fielder)   Ricky Ponting 24 (19962007)
Team
Highest score   India v Bermuda 413/5 (2007)
Lowest score   Canada v Sri Lanka 36 (2003)
Highest win %   Australia 75% (Played 69, Won 51)
Most consecutive wins   Australia 23 (19992007)
Most consecutive tournament wins   Australia 3 (19992007) [33]

References change

  • Browning, Mark (1999). A complete history of World Cup Cricket. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-7318-0833-9.

Notes change

  1. 1.0 1.1 cbc staff (2007-03-14). "2007 Cricket World Cup". cbc. Archived from the original on March 28, 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-04.
  2. "1st Test Scorecard". cricinfo.com. 1877-03-15. Retrieved 2007-01-28.
  3. "Olympic Games, 1900, Final". cricinfo.com. 1900-08-19. Archived from the original on 2006-11-08. Retrieved 2006-09-09.
  4. "The original damp squib". cricinfo.com. 2005-04-23. Archived from the original on October 16, 2007. Retrieved 2006-08-29.
  5. "The birth of the one-day game". cricinfo.com. 2005-04-30. Retrieved 2006-09-10.
  6. "What is One-Day International cricket?". newicc.cricket.org. Archived from the original on 2006-11-19. Retrieved 2006-09-10.
  7. "The World Cup - A brief history". cricinfo.com. Retrieved 2006-12-07.
  8. "ICC Trophy – A brief history". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 29 August 2006.
  9. "World Cricket League". ICC. Archived from the original on 2007-01-19. Retrieved 2007-01-28.
  10. "1st tournament". icc.cricket.org. Archived from the original on December 17, 2007. Retrieved 2007-02-19.
  11. "92 tournament". icc.cricket.org. Archived from the original on December 17, 2007. Retrieved 2007-02-19.
  12. "96 tournament". icc.cricket.org. Archived from the original on December 17, 2007. Retrieved 2007-02-19.
  13. 13.0 13.1 "Super 6". Cricinfo. Retrieved 2007-02-19.
  14. "World Cup groups". cricket world cup. Archived from the original on 2007-01-26. Retrieved 2007-01-28.
  15. "About the Event" (PDF). cricketworldcup.com. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-09-05. Retrieved 2006-09-02.
  16. "Trophy is first permanent prize in game's history". cnnsi.com. Archived from the original on 2008-03-23. Retrieved 2007-11-09.
  17. "Cricket World Cup- Past Glimpses". webindia123.com. Retrieved 2007-10-31.
  18. "World Cup Overview". cricketworldcup.com. Archived from the original on 2007-01-24. Retrieved 2007-01-29.
  19. "The Wisden History of the Cricket World Cup". www.barbadosbooks.com. Archived from the original on 2012-03-18. Retrieved 2007-04-04.
  20. "Papa John's CEO Introduces Cricket to Jerry Jones and Daniel Snyder". ir.papajohns.com. Archived from the original on July 11, 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-04.
  21. Cricinfo staff (2006-12-09). "ICC rights for to ESPN-star". Cricinfo. Retrieved 2007-01-30.
  22. Cricinfo staff (2006-01-18). "ICC set to cash in on sponsorship rights". Cricinfo. Retrieved 2007-01-30.
  23. "Cricket World Cup 2003" (PDF). ICC. p. 12. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-03-21. Retrieved 2007-01-29.
  24. World Cup profits boost debt-ridden Windies board
  25. "ICC CWC 2007 Match Attendance Soars Past 400,000". cricketworld.com. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-25.
  26. "GuideLines for Media". cricketworldcup.com. Archived from the original on 2007-01-29. Retrieved 2007-01-29.
  27. "Asia to host 2011 World Cup". Cricinfo. 2006-04-30. Retrieved 2007-02-09.
  28. "The History of World Cup's". cricworld.com. Archived from the original on 13 March 2007. Retrieved 19 September 2006.
  29. "World Cup Cricket 1979". cricket.beepthi. Retrieved 2007-01-29.
  30. "The 1979 World Cup in England - West Indies retain their title". Cricinfo. Retrieved 2006-09-19.
  31. 31.0 31.1 "Cricket World Cup Past Glimpses". webindia123.com. Retrieved 2007-10-31.
  32. All records are based on statistics at Cricinfo.com's list of World Cup records
  33. cricinfo.com

Other websites change