Cricket World Cup

Cricket World Cup

Varies

Held every four years, the Cricket World Cup is the premier contest in the sport of cricket, a bat-and-ball sport that originated in England. A series of qualification tournaments are played before the World Cup finals, during which teams from 16 nations square off to determine the world champion. The host country or region for each finals tournament is determined by the sport's governing body, the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Although the sport is centuries old, the tournament itself has only existed since 1975. Around the time of the World Cup's inception, the cricket community was facing pressure to expand its membership, which had previously consisted of a handful of present and former countries of the British Commonwealth. The ICC responded by creating a different kind of membership status for new competitors. By 2007, the ICC had designated six slots in the World Cup Finals for these new teams—the other 10 were reserved for the teams of the old guard, known to cricket fans as Test-playing countries.
Over the course of the first nine tournaments, played between 1975 and 2007, Australia dominated the competition, garnering a World Cup trophy in 1987 and later three straight consecutive titles between 1999 and 2007.

CONTACTS:
International Cricket Council
P.O. Box 500070
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
icc-cricket.yahoo.net