Cricket over the years- from the perspective of the World cups
With England hosting the 12th edition of the Cricket World Cup next year, it is difficult not to mull over how the game has changed throughout the years and how every world cup has been able to bring something new to the table. The first ODI was played in 1971 and only 4 years later, the inaugural world cup was hosted by England. Since then, this prestigious tournament has been organized every four years (exceptions: 1992,1999).
The first three Prudential world cups, played in England were emphatically dominated by the Clive Lloyd lead West Indies. They won the first two world cups and were the runners-up of the third. Non-test playing nations like East Africa, Canada and Zimbabwe were part of the 1975,1979 and 1983 world cups respectively. Sri Lanka played the first two world cups as a non-test playing nation while it achieved test status by the 1983 world cup.
Another common thing about the first three world cups was they had 60 over games. The 1983 world cup saw the birth of the 30-yard circle and fielding restrictions. But the highlight of this world cup was the comeback of Indian bowlers in the final after being restricted to a modest score of 183. This match not only turned the fortunes of Indian cricket, but it gave the game a bigger platform and an even bigger audience. Most importantly, it made possible for nations like India and Pakistan to build the resources needed to host such an event at the highest level.
By 1987, all nations had adapted to the 50 over ODI format except for games in England that were played 55 overs a side. This was done because of the shorter daylight hours in different parts of the world as compared to that of England. With new hosts, shorter format and better telecasting, the game managed to gain a lot of attention. And with the final game between Australia-England being a very close encounter (still the closest world cup final in terms of margin), it set the bar for the upcoming tournament very high. And the 1992 world cup did live up to that expectations.
The 1992 world cup held in Australia and New Zealand saw the game make revolutionary changes and transform into what we call 'The modern day Cricket'. With colored clothing, white balls, day/night matches and a new format (round-robin) all introduced in one tournament itself, the game proved it's capability of not just being a sport but also a potential brand. This tournament also saw the return of South Africa to world cricket after the end of apartheid. And with Pakistan bagging the world cup for the first time, the tournament moved back to the subcontinent in 1996 for its 6th edition.
Sri Lanka co-hosted the world cup for the first time with India and Pakistan as the other hosts. With the new fielding restrictions, that aided the batsmen a lot, it was not a surprise that this world cup saw the highest team score in an ODI and the highest individual score in a world cup match at that time. This tournament included for the first time, three associate members - Kenya, Netherlands and UAE. Sri Lanka won this world cup, defeating Australia in the finals, and becoming the first host/ co-host to win a world cup.
The 1999 world cup moved back to England, with some matches being played in Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Netherlands as well. With this world cup, began the era of Australian dominance wherein they won three world cups back to back. The famous 'Duke' ball was introduced for the first time in this world cup. This world cup saw the first and the only tied semi-final game in the history of the world cup.
The 2003 world cup was hosted by South Africa along with Kenya and Zimbabwe for the first time while West Indies also became first time hosts with the 2007 world cup. Both these world cups saw some major upsets but Kenya's prolific performance in 2003 world cup that took them to the semi-finals still stands out as the best by any associate member ever. Australia continued their 1999 performance during both these world cups by not losing a single match.
World cup returned to the subcontinent once again after 15 years in 2011, only this time it was a much bigger event. This tournament was similar to the 1992 world cup as both these events had managed to upscale their previous editions in many ways. 2011 world cup saw the game being broadcast in high-definition format for the first time. It was also the first time the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) was used in the world cup. Australia's record of 35 unbeaten world cup games finally came to a halt during this world cup. MS Dhoni led India became the first nation to win a world cup final on her own soil. And it was also the first world cup final after 1992 that Australia was not a part of.
An efficient and impressive Trans-tasman bid for the 2011 world cup, managed them to bag the 2015 hosting rights even though they lost the 2011 rights on the account of votes. And so, the world cup moved to the pacy, bouncy pitches and high-scoring grounds of Australia and New Zealand respectively. Chris Gayle became the first player to score a double century in a world cup game. The final, like the previous world cup, was played between the hosts. Australia lifted the world cup for the fifth time, defeating New Zealand in their first ever world cup final.
The 2019 world cup, scheduled to be played in England, will be the first world cup to not include associate members. It will be played between 10 nations in the round-robin format, wherein each team will play 9 matches in the group stage and the top 4 teams will advance to the semi-finals. With the tournament going back to its birthplace after 20 long years and with the final to be played on the mecca of cricket, a fantastic tournament is surely on the cards.