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The Cricket World Cup
is the premier international championship of men's One-Day International
(ODI) cricket. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the
International Cricket Council (ICC), with preliminary qualification
rounds leading up to a finals tournament which is held every four years.
The tournament is world's third largest and most viewed sporting
events.[1][2][3] According to the ICC, it is the most important
tournament and the pinnacle of achievement in the sport.[4][5] 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
and ODI-playing nations, together with other national teams that qualify
through the ICC Trophy competition. Australia has been the most
successful of the five teams to have won the tournament, taking three
titles. The West Indies have won twice, while India, Pakistan, and Sri
Lanka have each won once.
The 2003 Cricket World Cup finals were held between 9 February and 24
March 2003, in South Africa. Australia defeated India in the final to
retain the championship.[6] The 2007 Cricket World Cup is being held in
the West Indies, it commenced on 13 March 2007. The 2007 tournament has
sixteen teams competing in a pool stage (played in round-robin format),
then a "super 8" stage, followed by semi-finals and a final. |