History of Cricket World Cup in Timeline
The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup is a quadrennial international One Day International (ODI) cricket championship organized by the International Cricket Council (ICC). It is held every four years, featuring preliminary qualification rounds culminating in a final tournament. Recognized as a flagship event within international cricket, the World Cup stands as one of the most-watched sporting events globally and the pinnacle championship in the sport.
1900: Cricket at the Paris Olympics
In 1900, cricket was included as an Olympic sport at the Paris Games, where Great Britain defeated France to win the gold medal.
1912: Triangular Tournament of Test Matches
In 1912, a triangular tournament of Test matches was held between Australia, England, and South Africa, representing an early instance of a multi-team international cricket competition.
1912: Triangular Tournament
In 1912, the Triangular Tournament, a Test cricket tournament played in England, involved England, Australia, and South Africa. The event was not a success.
1928: West Indies Test status
In 1928, West Indies was added as Test status.
1930: New Zealand Test status
In 1930, New Zealand was added as Test status.
1962: Midlands Knock-Out Cup
Starting in 1962, the Midlands Knock-Out Cup, a four-team knockout competition, was introduced.
1963: Inaugural Gillette Cup
In 1963, the inaugural Gillette Cup was introduced.
1969: National Sunday League Formed
In 1969, a national Sunday League was formed.
June 1975: First Cricket World Cup
In June 1975, the first Cricket World Cup was organised in England, marking a significant milestone as the first ODI cricket match had occurred just four years prior.
1975: Qualification
From the first World Cup in 1975 the majority of teams taking part qualified automatically.
1975: West Indies Win First Title
In 1975, The West Indies won the first tournament.
1975: Use of Prudential Cup Trophies
In 1975, the Prudential Cup trophies were used for the first edition of the tournament, when Prudential plc was the sponsor.
1975: Inaugural Cricket World Cup Hosted by England
In 1975, the inaugural Cricket World Cup was hosted by England, known as the Prudential Cup.
1979: England makes it to the final
In 1979, England made it to the final which was hosted by their country.
1979: West Indies win their second consecutive titles
In 1979, The West Indies won the second tournament.
1979: Use of Prudential Cup Trophies
In 1979, the Prudential Cup trophies were used when Prudential plc was the sponsor.
1979: West Indies Win Second Consecutive World Cup
In 1979, the West Indies won their second consecutive World Cup tournament, defeating England in the final. Also, the ICC agreed to make the competition a quadrennial event.
1979: Qualification
Since the second World Cup in 1979, the teams that qualified automatically were joined by a small number of others who qualified for the World Cup through the qualification process.
1983: Use of Prudential Cup Trophies
In 1983, the Prudential Cup trophies were used when Prudential plc was the sponsor.
1987: Hosting Shared Between Countries
From the 1987 tournament onwards, hosting of the Cricket World Cup has been shared between countries under an unofficial rotation system.
1987: Australia has played in eight of the thirteen finals
In 1987, Australia has played in eight of the thirteen finals.
1987: South Asia Hosting
In 1987, the World Cup was jointly hosted by nations from the South Asia.
1992: Australia Eliminated in the First Round
In 1992, Australia was eliminated in the first round while being a host team.
1992: Pakistan Emerges as Winners
In 1992, Pakistan defeated England in the final, held in Australia and New Zealand, and the South African cricket team participated in the event for the first time.
1992: Australasia Hosting
In 1992, the World Cup was jointly hosted by nations from the Australasia.
1992: South Africa's Return and Format Change
In 1992, the fifth tournament saw South Africa's return after the end of the apartheid boycott. Nine teams played each other once in the group phase, and the top four teams progressed to the semi-finals.
1992: Similar Format to the 2019 and 2023 World Cups
In 1992, the format was similar to the 2019 and 2023 World Cups with a round robin format before the semi-finals.
1996: Australia has played in eight of the thirteen finals
In 1996, Australia has played in eight of the thirteen finals.
1996: South Asia Hosting
In 1996, the World Cup was jointly hosted by nations from the South Asia.
1996: Tournament Expanded with Two Groups
The 1996 tournament was further expanded, featuring two groups of six teams, with the top four teams from each group progressing to the quarter-finals and semi-finals.
May 1999: Start of Australia's Unbeaten World Cup Streak
On 23 May 1999, Australia began an unbeaten streak of 35 World Cup matches.
1999: England Eliminated in the First Round
In 1999, England was eliminated in the first round while being a host team.
1999: Introduction of the Super 6 Format
In 1999, a distinct format was introduced, splitting teams into two pools with the top three advancing to the Super 6 stage, carrying forward points from matches against other advancing teams.
1999: Asian Test Championship
In 1999, the triangular Asian Test Championship was held.
1999: Introduction of Permanent ICC Cricket World Cup Trophy
The current ICC Cricket World Cup Trophy was created for the 1999 championships, marking the first permanent prize in the tournament's history, designed and produced in London.
2003: Australia Defeats India
2003: Australia win their second consecutive titles
In 2003, Australia won the tournament.
2003: Kenya Reached Semi-Finals
In 2003, Kenya made the semi-finals of the tournament.
2003: South Africa Eliminated in First Round
In 2003, South Africa was eliminated in the first round while being a host team.
2003: Southern Africa Hosting
In 2003, the World Cup was jointly hosted by nations from the Southern Africa.
2003: Future Format for 2027 and 2031 World Cups
In the 2003 edition of the tournament, the format was announced to be the same for the 2027 and 2031 world cups.
2003: Super 6 Format Continues
The 2003 World Cup used the same Super 6 format as in 1999, where teams advanced from group stages to the Super 6, carrying forward points from previous matches against other advancing teams to the semi-finals.
2007: Super 8 round format
In 2007, 16 teams were allocated into four groups of four. The top two teams from each group moved forward to the Super 8 round, carrying their points forward from previous matches against the other teams who qualified from the same group.
2007: Australia win their third consecutive titles
In 2007, Australia won the tournament.
2007: West Indies Hosting
In 2007, the World Cup was jointly hosted by nations from the West Indies.
2009: Pakistan Stripped of Hosting Rights
In 2009, Pakistan was stripped of its hosting rights following the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team.
2011: Qualification
For the 2011 World Cup, the ICC World Cricket League replaced the past pre-qualifying processes; and the name "ICC Trophy" was changed to "ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifier".
2011: India Wins as Host
In 2011, India won the World Cup as host, becoming the first team to win a final played in their own country.
2011: Increased Viewership and Revenue
In 2011, the Cricket World Cup was televised in over 200 countries to over 2.2 billion viewers, with television rights sold for over US$1.1 billion and sponsorship rights for a further US$500 million.
2011: Round-Robin Format with Knockout Stage
In 2011, the World Cup featured two groups of seven teams playing in a round-robin format, with the top four teams from each group proceeding to the knockout stage, including quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final.
2011: South Asia Hosting
In 2011, the World Cup was jointly hosted by nations from the South Asia.
2015: Australia Defeats New Zealand
In 2015, Australia defeated New Zealand by seven wickets in the final at Melbourne to lift the World Cup for the fifth time.
2015: Australia has played in eight of the thirteen finals
In 2015, Australia has played in eight of the thirteen finals.
2015: Continued High Revenue from Television Rights
In 2015, television rights, mainly for the 2011 and 2015 World Cup, were sold for over US$1.1 billion, and sponsorship rights were sold for a further US$500 million.
2015: Australasia Hosting
In 2015, the World Cup was jointly hosted by nations from the Australasia.
2015: Continuation of 2011 Format
The 2015 World Cup used the same format as the 2011 World Cup, featuring two groups of seven teams in a round-robin format, followed by a knockout stage for the top four teams from each group.
2015: Qualification
Until the 2015 World Cup this was mostly through having Full Membership of the ICC.
2019: England Win World Cup on Boundary Count
In 2019, England won the World Cup, whose boundary count was greater than New Zealand's.
2019: New Zealand runner-up
In 2019, New Zealand has yet to win the World Cup, but has been runners-up two times.
2019: Closest Margin in World Cup Final
In 2019, the final between England and New Zealand saw the closest margin in the World Cup final.
2019: Reduced Number of Teams
In 2019, the number of participating teams dropped to 10, with each team playing against each other once in a round-robin format before entering the semi-finals.
2019: Qualification
Up to the 2019 World Cup, the teams that qualified automatically were joined by a small number of others who qualified for the World Cup through the qualification process.
November 2021: ICC Announces Hosts for Future Events
In November 2021, the ICC published the names of the hosts for ICC events, including the 50-over World Cup, T20 World Cup, and Champions Trophy, to be played between 2024 and 2031.
2023: Overview of Team Performances
As of the end of the 2023 tournament, the table provides an overview of the performances of teams over past World Cups, ordered by best result, appearances, winning percentage, total wins, total games, and alphabetically.
2023: Australia win 2023 World Cup
2023: Host Nation Qualification Changes
From the 2023 World Cup onward, only the host nation(s) will qualify automatically, requiring all other countries to participate in a series of leagues for qualification, with promotion and relegation between divisions from one World Cup cycle to the next. This new format was instated in 2023.
2023: Australia has played in eight of the thirteen finals
In 2023, Australia has played in eight of the thirteen finals.
2023: India makes it to the final
In 2023, India made it to the final which was hosted by their country.
2023: Continuation of 10-Team Format
The 2023 edition of the tournament continued with 10 teams, utilizing a round-robin format where each team played each other once before the semi-finals.
2024: Future ICC Events Hosting
In November 2021, the ICC published the names of the hosts for ICC events, including the 50-over World Cup, T20 World Cup, and Champions Trophy, to be played in 2024.
2027: Expanded 14-Team Final Competition
In the 2027 edition, the format will be changed to accommodate an expanded 14-team final competition.
2027: Future Expansion to 14 Teams
The 2027 World Cup is planned to have 14 teams, with a format similar to the 2003 edition, as announced in 2027.
2027: 2027 World Cup
The 2027 World Cup will be held jointly in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
2031: Future ICC Events Hosting
In November 2021, the ICC published the names of the hosts for ICC events, including the 50-over World Cup, T20 World Cup, and Champions Trophy, to be played in 2031.
2031: Future Expansion to 14 Teams
The 2031 World Cup is planned to have 14 teams, with a format similar to the 2003 edition, as announced in 2031.
