Personal Guide Prepared By Rohail Ali
The 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup will be the 11th ICC Cricket World Cup, scheduled to be jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand from 14 February to 29 March 2015. 49 matches will be played in 14 venues with Australia staging 26 games at grounds in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney while New Zealand hosts 23 games in seven cities, including Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Napier, Nelson and Wellington. The final match of the tournament will take place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. It will be one of the world's largest international sports tournaments, with 14 competing teams and more than 400 accredited players and officials taking part in it. The hosting rights were awarded at the same time as those of the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, which Australia and New Zealand had originally bid to host, and the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, which was awarded to England. The 2011 tournament was awarded to the four Asian Test cricket playing countries, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, in a 10 to 3 vote (Pakistan later lost the co-hosting rights due to a terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team). The International Cricket Council were sufficiently impressed with the trans-tasman bid that it was decided to award the next World Cup to Australia and New Zealand. This is the second time that the tournament will be held in Australia and New Zealand, with the first being the 1992 Cricket World Cup.
ICC WORLD CUP 2015 - GROUP - A ENGLAND: Despite coming runners up in 1979, 1987 and 1992, England is yet to win an ICC Cricket World Cup title. With a large ex-pat population in both Australia and New Zealand and the vocal support of the travelling Barmy Army, you can expect the English to bring strong support to make history in 2015. SRI LANKA: A competitor since the inaugural tournament in 1975, Sri Lanka has seen success on the World Cup stage. It won the title in 1996, overpowering Australia in the final but was unable to repeat the feat in either 2007 or 2011 when it was defeated in the final by Australia and India respectively. NEW ZEALAND: New Zealand will play proud co-host to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and will be hoping that a home crowd advantage as well as past semifinal experience will help achieve its first finals appearance in the tournament. Can the home fan base motivate New Zealand to its best World Cup performance yet? AUSTRALIA: Australia has competed at each of the 10 editions of the ICC Cricket World Cup, winning the title four times - more than any other country. As co-hosts of the 2015 tournament, Australia will be out to wow the hometown fans and claim an unprecedented fifth World Cup title. BANGLADESH: Bangladesh got a real taste of ICC Cricket World Cup action when it co-hosted the tournament in 2011, alongside India and Sri Lanka. Bangladesh qualified for its first ICC Cricket World Cup in 1999 where it shocked Pakistan in its last group match before making a creditable exit. Although its 2003 campaign went winless it bounced back in 2007 to achieve significant victories over India and South Africa. AFGHANISTAN: It has been a remarkable journey for Afghanistan over the years. After rising rapidly through the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League, starting in Division Five in May 2008, the team qualified for its maiden ICC Cricket World Cup on 4 October 2013. SCOTLAND: Scotland made it to the ICC Cricket World Cup for only the third time ever. The side had previously made its ICC Cricket World Cup debut in 1999. It then qualified for the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2007. Scotland qualified by finishing on top of the Super Six table in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier New Zealand 2014.
ICC WORLD CUP 2015 - GROUP - B SOUTH AFRICA: After qualifying for the first time for ICC Cricket World Cup in 1992, South Africa has made it through to the knock-out stage in all bar one tournament (2003) but is yet to win. The team will be looking to take its performance one step further in 2015 by securing a spot in the final. PAKISTAN: The last time the ICC Cricket World Cup was held in Australia and New Zealand, it was Pakistan which was crowned champion. It reached the final again in 1999 but failed to get out of the group stages in the last two competitions. Pakistan will be hoping for an encore of 1992 in 2015. ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwe first joined the ICC Cricket World Cup in 1983 and became a full-member nation of the International Cricket Council in 1992. In 1999 and 2003 it made it through to the final Super 6 but is yet to progress through to the knock-out stages of the tournament. INDIA: India's triumph in the ICC Cricket World Cup 1983 is still talked about today but it wasn t until 2011, under Mahendra Singh Dhoni, that it repeated the feat at home in Mumbai. India beat co-hosts Sri Lanka in the final, leading to wide celebrations across the country. After its taste of glory in 2011, India will be out to claim back to back titles in 2015. WEST INDIES: West Indies saw early success in the ICC Cricket World Cup winning the first two titles in 1975 and 1979 but since then has only featured twice in the knock-out stages, reaching the semi-finals in 1996 and the quarter-finals in 2011. IRELAND: Ireland will be in Australia and New Zealand in 2015 for their 3rd Cricket World Cup after qualifying for the first time in 2007. During their last two appearances at the Cricket World Cup in 2007 and 2011 managed to beat traditional cricketing nations Pakistan and England respectively. UAE: UAE has made it to the ICC Cricket World Cup for the first time since 1996. Coached by former Pakistan pace bowler Aqib Javed, UAE has made it to a global event for only the third time.
VENUES - AUSTRALIA ADELAIDE: Stadium name: Adelaide Oval BRISBANE: Stadium name: Gabba CANBERRA: Stadium name: Manuka Oval HOBART: Stadium name: Bellerive Oval For cricket fans, Adelaide Oval is practically a sacred ground, rich in sporting history and charmed with genteel heritage. From its beginnings in 1871, Adelaide Oval has hosted some of cricket s defining moments. Brisbane is the capital of the stunning subtropical state of Queensland and gateway to the region s many attractions. With warm and sunny days almost allyear round, it s the ultimate destination for 75 million visitors a year. Manuka Oval boasts a rich and diverse history. It is the premier site for Cricket and AFL in Canberra and plays home to the state teams, the ACT Comets and Meteors. Bellerive Oval is Tasmania's international cricket venue and home of cricket since 1988, just a 10 minute drive from Hobart s city center. MELBOURNE: Stadium name: MCG Melbourne Cricket Ground The MCG was built in 1853 and hosted the first ever Test Match in 1877 between Australia and England, making it the birthplace of Test cricket. It was also the venue for the first-ever One Day International in 1970-71 between Australia and England and hosted the ICC Cricket World Cup final in 1992 between England and Pakistan. Perth: Stadium name: WACA The Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA) Ground was officially opened in 1893 with the first match played on the turf wickets in February 1894. Sydney: Stadium name: SCG Sydney Cricket Ground Steeped in sporting history, the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) has been providing a wealth of entertainment for over 150 years. The venue also hosted one of the semi-finals in the ICC Cricket World Cup 1992 between England and then firsttimers South Africa.
VENUES NEW ZEALAND CHRISTCHURCH: Stadium name: Hagley Oval Hagley Oval is conveniently located in Hagley Park in the central city of Christchurch and has hosted cricket for more than 150 years. WELLINGTON: Stadium name: Wellington Regional Stadium Wellington Stadium is a multipurpose facility, accommodating a range of sporting and entertainment events. The stadium has a total capacity of around 34,000. Most of the seats (70%) are undercover. HAMILTON: Stadium name: Seddon Park Seddon Park is a purpose-built international cricket facility with a village green setting and picnic like atmosphere in the heart of Hamilton City. NAPIER: Stadium name: McLean Park McLean Park features four covered grandstands and a large grass embankment for spectators to enjoy. AUCKLAND: Stadium name: Eden Park NELSON: Stadium name: Saxton Oval The Oval is part of a wider sports complex which also offers athletics, association football, field hockey and softball facilities. DUNEDIN: Stadium name: University Oval University Oval is Dunedin s world class cricket stadium located close to the city s iconic university grounds. Eden Park has been the home of Auckland Cricket since 1910 and Auckland Rugby since 1925. Its 100-year history boasts some of New Zealand s proudest sporting moments, including the 1950 Empire Games, the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987, Rugby World Cup 2011 and ICC Cricket World Cup 1992.
HALL OF FAME WORLD CUP HISTORY 1975 World Cup - England WINNERS: WEST INDIES The 1975 Cricket World Cup (officially called the Prudential Cup) was the first edition of the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Cricket World Cup. It was held from 7 to 21 June 1975 in England. The tournament was sponsored by Prudential Assurance Company and had 8 participating countries. These were the 6 Test playing teams of that time (namely Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan & West Indies) and Sri Lanka & East Africa. The preliminary matches were played in 2 groups of 4 each. The top two teams from each group then played the knock-out rounds of semi-finals and final. The matches were played as 60 overs per team in traditional white clothing and with red balls. They were all played during the day and, hence, started early. One of the most bizarre batting efforts in oneday history was made by Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar. England scored 334 (4 wickets, 60 overs) with Dennis Amiss (137 from 147 balls, 18 fours) scoring the first ever World Cup century, nobly supported by Keith Fletcher (68 from 107 balls, 4 fours, 1 six). The response of Gavaskar (36 from 174 balls, 1 four) was to bat through the 60 overs for 36 not out. The Prudential Cup was lifted by Clive Lloyd, captain of West Indies, who had started the tournament as the favorites. This was the only ODI World Cup which didn't feature a sub-continent team in the semi-finals. 1979 World Cup - England WINNERS: WEST INDIES The 1979 Cricket World Cup (aka Prudential World Cup, 1979) was the second edition of the tournament and was won by the West Indies. It was held from 9 to 23 June 1979 in England. The format had remained unchanged from 1975. Eight countries participated in the event. The preliminary matches were played in 2 groups of 4 each. The top two teams in each group played the semifinals, whose winners played the final. The matches played consisted of 60 overs per team and were played in traditional white clothing and with red balls. They were all played during the day and hence started early. The Prudential Cup was lifted by Clive Lloyd, captain of the West Indies who started as the favorites to win the cup again. There was no 'Man of the Series' awarded in 1979.
HALL OF FAME WORLD CUP HISTORY 1983 World Cup - England WINNERS: INDIA The 1983 ICC Cricket World Cup (also known as Prudential World Cup) was the third edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup tournament. It was held from 9 June to 25 June 1983 in England and was won by India. Eight countries participated in the event. The 1983 World Cup was full of dramatic cricket right from the start. Teams like India and Zimbabwe who were not playing well at those times scored upset victories over the West Indies and Australia respectively. England, Pakistan, India and tournament favorites West Indies qualified for the semi-finals. The preliminary matches were played in two groups of four teams each, and each country played the others in its group twice. The top two teams in each group qualified for the semi-finals. The matches consisted of 60 overs per team and were played in traditional white clothing and with red balls. They were all played during the day. 1987 World Cup India & Pakistan WINNERS: AUSTRALIA The 1979 Cricket World Cup (aka Prudential World Cup, 1979) was the second edition of the tournament and was won by the West Indies. It was held from 9 to 23 June 1979 in England. The format had remained unchanged from 1975. Eight countries participated in the event. The preliminary matches were played in 2 groups of 4 each. The top two teams in each group played the semifinals, whose winners played the final. The matches played consisted of 60 overs per team and were played in traditional white clothing and with red balls. They were all played during the day and hence started early. The Prudential Cup was lifted by Clive Lloyd, captain of the West Indies who started as the favorites to win the cup again. There was no 'Man of the Series' awarded in 1979.
HALL OF FAME WORLD CUP HISTORY 1992 World Cup Australia & New Zealand WINNERS: PAKISTAN The 1992 Cricket World Cup was the fifth staging of the Cricket World Cup organized by the International Cricket Council (ICC). It was held in Australia and New Zealand from 22 February to 25 March 1992, and finished with Pakistan beating England in the final to become the World Cup champions for the first time. The 1992 World Cup was the first to feature colored player clothing, white cricket balls and black sightscreens with a number of matches being played under floodlights. These innovations had been increasingly used in One Day Internationals since World Series Cricket introduced them in the late 1970s, but they were not a feature of previous World Cups. The 1992 World Cup was also the first to be held in the Southern hemisphere. It was also the first World Cup to include the South Africa national cricket team, which had been allowed to re-join the International Cricket Council as a Test-playing nation after the end of apartheid. 1996 World Cup India, Pakistan & Sri Lanka WINNERS: SRI LANKA The 1996 Cricket World Cup, also called the Wills World Cup after its official sponsors, ITC's Wills brand, was the sixth Cricket World Cup, organized by the International Cricket Council (ICC). It was the second World Cup to be hosted by Pakistan and India, and for the first time by Sri Lanka. The tournament was won by Sri Lanka, who defeated Australia in the final at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. The Wills World Cup was played in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Controversy dogged the tournament before any games were played; Australia and the West Indies refused to send their teams to Sri Lanka following the Central Bank bombing by the Tamil Tigers in January 1996. Sri Lanka, in addition to offering maximum security to the teams, questioned the validity of citing security concerns when the International Cricket Council had determined it was safe. After extensive negotiations, the ICC ruled that Sri Lanka would be awarded both games on forfeit. As a result of this decision, Sri Lanka automatically qualified for the quarterfinals before playing a game.
HALL OF FAME WORLD CUP HISTORY 1999 World Cup England WINNERS: AUSTRALIA The 1999 ICC Cricket World Cup, the seventh edition of the tournament, was hosted primarily by England, with some games being hosted in Scotland, Ireland, Wales and the Netherlands. The World Cup was won by Australia, who beat Pakistan by 8 wickets at Lord's Cricket Ground in London. New Zealand and South Africa were the other semifinalists. The 12 contesting teams were divided into 2 groups; each team played all the others in their group during the league stage. The top three from each group advanced to the Super Sixes, a new concept for the 1999 World Cup, where each qualifier from group A played each qualifier from group B. The teams also carried forward their points from the games against the other qualifiers from their group. The top four in the Super Sixes contested the semifinals. 2003 World Cup South Africa WINNERS: AUSTRALIA The 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup was the eighth Cricket World Cup, organized by the International Cricket Council (ICC). It was co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya from 9 February to 23 March 2003. This edition of the World Cup was the first to be played in Africa. The tournament featured 14 teams, the largest number in the World Cup's history at the time, playing a total of 54 matches. It followed the format introduced in the 1999 World Cup, with the teams divided into two groups, and the top three in each group qualifying for the Super Sixes stage. The tournament saw numerous upsets, with South Africa, Pakistan, West Indies and England all being eliminated at the group stage. England forfeited their match with Zimbabwe, due to the political unrest in the country, which ultimately enabled that team to reach the Super Sixes. Kenya, a non-test playing nation, went even further, making the semi-finals. The tournament was eventually won by defending champions Australia, who won all eleven of their matches, beating India in the final played at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. This was Australia's third World Cup, making them the most successful nation in the tournament's history.
HALL OF FAME WORLD CUP HISTORY 2007 World Cup West Indies WINNERS: AUSTRALIA The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was the 9th edition of the Cricket World Cup tournament that took place in the West Indies from 13 March to 28 April 2007, using the sport's One Day International format. There were a total of 51 matches played, three fewer than at the 2003 World Cup (despite a field larger by two teams). 2011 World Cup India, Sri Lanka & Bangladesh WINNERS: INDIA The 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup was the tenth Cricket World Cup. It was played in India, Sri Lanka, and (for the first time) Bangladesh. Pakistan was also scheduled to be a co-host, but after the 2009 attack on the Sri Lanka national cricket team in Lahore, the International Cricket Council (ICC) cancelled that and the headquarters of the organizing committee, originally in Lahore, was transferred to Mumbai. Pakistan was to have held 14 matches, including one semi-final. Eight of the games (including the semi-final) were awarded to India, four to Sri Lanka, and two to Bangladesh. All the matches were One Day Internationals, and all were played over 50 overs. Fourteen national cricket teams took part, including ten full members and four associate members of the ICC. The opening ceremony was held on 17 February 2011 at Banglabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka, and the tournament was played between 19 February and 2 April. The first match was played between India and Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka. The final was between India and Sri Lanka at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. India won the tournament, defeating Sri Lanka by 6 wickets in the final in Mumbai, thus becoming the first country to win the Cricket World Cup final on home soil. India's Yuvraj Singh was declared the man of the tournament. This was the first time in World Cup history that two Asian teams had appeared in the final. It was also the first time since the 1992 World Cup that the final match did not feature Australia. The 16 competing teams were initially divided into four groups, with the two bestperforming teams from each group moving on to a "Super 8" format. From this, Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and South Africa won through to the semi-finals, with Australia defeating Sri Lanka in the final to win their third consecutive World Cup and their fourth overall. Australia's unbeaten record in the tournament increased their total to 29 consecutive World Cup matches without loss, a streak dating back to 23 May 1999, during the group stage of the 1999 World Cup. The tournament also saw upsets in the first round with tournament favorites India and Pakistan failing to making it past the group stage while Bangladesh, the lowest-ranked Test playing nation, and Ireland, an associate (non-test playing) nation, made it to the Super 8s. Following the tournament the ICC distributed surplus tournament revenues of USD 239 million to its members.
Pool A England Australia Sri Lanka Bangladesh New Zealand Afghanistan Scotland Pool B South Africa India Pakistan West Indies Zimbabwe Ireland UAE (Pakistan Standard Time) GROUP MATCHES: Saturday, 14 th Feb Sunday 15 th Feb Monday 16 th Feb Tuesday 17 th Feb Wednesday 18 th Feb 3:00AM: NZ vs SL Christchurch 6:00AM: SA vs ZIM Hamilton 3:00AM: IRE vs WI Nelson 3:00AM: NZ vs SCO Dunedin 8:30AM: BAN vs AFG - Canberra 8:30AM: AUS vs ENG Melbourne 8:30AM: PAK vs IND Adelaide Thursday 19 th Feb Friday 20 th Feb Saturday 21 st Feb Sunday 22 nd Feb Monday 23 rd Feb 3:00AM: UAE vs ZIM Nelson 6:00AM: NZ vs ENG Wellington 3:00AM: PAK vs WI Christchurch 3:00AM: AFG vs SL Dunedin 3:00AM: ENG vs SCO - Christchurch 8:30AM: AUS vs BAN Brisbane 8:30AM: IND vs SA Melbourne Tuesday 24 th Feb Wednesday 25 th Feb Thursday 26 th Feb Friday 27 th Feb Saturday 28 th Feb 8:30AM: WI vs ZIM Canberra 8:30AM: IRE vs UAE Brisbane 3:00AM: AFG vs SCO Dunedin 8:30AM: SA vs WI Sydney 6:00AM: NZ vs AUS Auckland 8:30AM: BAN vs SL Melbourne 11:30AM: IND vs UAE Perth Sunday 1 st Mar Tuesday 3 rd Mar Wednesday 4 th Mar Thursday 5 th Mar Friday 6 th Mar 3:00AM: ENG vs SL Wellington 8:30AM: IRE vs SA Canberra 6:00AM: PAK vs UAE Napier 3:00AM: BAN vs SCO Nelson 11:30AM: IND vs WI Perth 8:30AM: PAK vs ZIM Brisbane 11:30AM: AUS vs AFG Perth Saturday 7 th Mar Sunday 8 th Mar Monday 9 th Mar Tuesday 10 th Mar Wednesday 11 th Mar 6:00AM: PAK vs SA Auckland 2:00AM: NZ vs AFG Napier 8:30AM: ENG vs BAN Adelaide 6:00AM: IND vs IRE Hamilton 8:30AM: SL vs SCO Hobart 8:30AM: IRE vs ZIM Hobart 8:30AM: AUS vs SL Sydney Thursday 12 th Mar Friday 13 th Mar Saturday 14 th Mar Sunday 15 th Mar 6:00AM: SA vs UAE - Wellington 6:00AM: NZ vs BAN Hamilton 6:00AM: IND vs ZIM Auckland 3:00AM: WI vs UAE Napier 8:30AM: AFG vs ENG Sydney 8:30AM: AUS vs SCO Hobart 8:30AM: PAK vs IRE Adelaide QUARTER FINALS: Wednesday 18 th Mar 1 st QF Thursday 19 th Mar 2 nd QF Friday 20 th Mar 3 rd QF Saturday 21 st Mar 4 th QF 8:30 AM: A1 vs B4 Sydney 8:30AM: A2 vs B3 Melbourne 8:30AM: A3 vs B2 Adelaide 6:00AM: A4 vs B1 Wellington SEMI FINALS: FINAL: Tuesday 24 th Mar 1 st SF Thursday 26 th Mar 2 nd SF Sunday 29 th Mar FINAL 6:00 AM: TBC vs TBC - Auckland 6:30AM: TBC vs TBC - Sydney 8:30AM: TBC vs TBC Melbourne Copyrights Be Rohailian 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Defending Champion: India Runners-Up: Sri Lanka Hosts & Year: India, Sri Lanka Bangladesh 2011 Previous Champions: Australia (4) West Indies (2) India (2) Pakistan (1) Sri Lanka (1)
COPYRIGHTS BE ROHAILIAN Personal Guide: Prepared By Rohail Ali