If you are a cricket fan then you are surely excited about the upcoming ICC World Cup 2019. It is the main event for all cricket fans worldwide when they get to enjoy seeing their national teams and favorite players perform on the biggest sporting stage. There will be a lot of thrill, drama and excitement in the games, so get ready for the tournament by learning everything you need to know right here with this Guide to ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.
Where and When Will ICC World Cup 2019 Take Place
This will be the 12th Cricket World Cup, which will be held in the host nations of England and Wales for the first time in two decades. The ICC World Cup starts on 30th of May 2019 with the first game played at The Oval and will finish on 14th of July with the final match scheduled to be played at Lord`s. This will be fifth time in which England and Wales are hosting the Cricket World Cup and first time since 1999.
ICC World Cup History and Interesting Facts
The first ICC World Cup was held in England, back in 1975. There were only 8 participants in the first-ever tournament – Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, West Indies, Sri Lanka and a compiled team coming from East Africa. West Indies were the inaugural winners of the first Cricket World Cup, beating Australia in the final game. Today Australia is the most successful cricket team, with every team looking to beat them.
Australia has won the Cricket World Cup title 5 times – in 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, and most recently in 2015. West Indies are second-best with two titles won back in 1975 and 1979 when they had the best team. They were close to winning it for a third time in 1983, but got defeated by India in the final match. India also has two Cricket World Cup titles won in 1983 with their top bowler Kapil Dev and won it again in 2011 under their fantastic player MS Dhoni. What made their title especially sweet in 2011 is that they won it at home in India. Besides two titles, India finished once as runners-up, back in 2003, losing in the final against Australia.
Pakistan and Sri Lanka circle the list of most successful cricket nations in the world. Pakistan won their one and only title in 1992 despite starting very badly in that tournament. Not only they won it, but they defeated the strong side of England in the final, forever writing down their names in cricket history. Sri Lanka has also won the Cricket World Cup once, in 1996, beating Australia in the final. Besides that title, Sri Lanka showed good performances at the Cricket World Cups in 2007 and 2011 when they finished second in those tournaments.
Format, Schedule, Venues and Other Info for ICC World Cup 2019
The ICC World Cup 2019 will have one group consisting of 10 teams, with each team playing against the others. The top 4 teams from the group will go to the knockout stages of the tournament, playing the Semifinals and the Final. Participants at the tournament are the following: Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies. Due to the fact that all teams will compete in just one group, without being divided into sub-groups, this tournament is expected to be much tougher than the previous editions.
Regarding the venues of the tournament, multiple cities will be hosts of the games. There will be total of 11 venues where matches will be played. Those are:
- Kennington Oval, London
- Trent Bridge, Nottingham
- County Ground, Bristol
- Hampshire Bowl, Southampton
- County Ground, Taunton
- Old Trafford, Manchester
- Edgbaston, Birmingham
- Headingley, Leeds
- Lords, London
- The Riverside, Durham
- Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
Interestingly, there is even a nice theme song specially created for this edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup. It is nice and catchy, providing a feel of joy and unity for the cricket fans worldwide. The video for the theme song features the former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, who is dancing and singing in the video.
When it comes to tickets for the Cricket World Cup 2019, amazing fact is that almost three million people have applied for 800.000 tickets that are available. However, even if you are not lucky enough to get a ticket, you can still watch the tournament on television as many broadcasters will cover the games live and on-demand.
This ICC World Cup 2019 should be a great tournament because the weather conditions and forecasts are favorable. Despite the fact that the weather in England is highly unpredictable, June and July are expected to be clear and pleasantly warm.
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