60 Fun Facts About Cricket World Cup

Which ground hosted the first three World Cup finals?

England hosted the first three tournaments because it was the only nation with the resources to stage them.

The first three World Cups were officially known by the name of which sponsor?

The insurer's name gave the tournament its first identity, the Prudential Cup, before Reliance sponsored the 1987 edition in India and Pakistan.

How many overs did each side receive in the 1975, 1979 and 1983 World Cups?

Matches were played in whites with red balls; the cut to 50 overs came in 1987 because of shorter subcontinental daylight.

Which composite team joined the six Test nations and Sri Lanka in the eight-team 1975 tournament?

South Africa was the notable absentee, banned from international cricket because of apartheid.

By how many runs did the holders beat England in the 1979 final to retain the title?

England lost their last eight wickets for 11 runs chasing 287.

Which captain scored a century off 82 balls in the 1975 final?

He was dropped on 26 and went on to make 102, sharing a 149-run stand with Kanhai in the veteran's last international.

Which Australian left-arm seamer took 5/48 in the 1975 final, following six wickets in the semi-final?

Gilmour's 6/14 against England at Headingley remained the best World Cup figures for years.

Which opener was the first batsman dismissed hit-wicket in an ODI, in the 1975 final?

He hooked Dennis Lillee for six but trod on his stumps in the follow-through.

Who scored 138 in the 1979 final and was named man of the match?

England then collapsed from 183/2 to 194 all out, losing eight wickets for 11 runs.

What odds were India given at the start of the 1983 final?

India had won only one match in the previous two World Cups, against East Africa.

Who was man of the match in the 1983 final for 26 runs and three wickets?

India defended just 183, bowling the two-time champions out for 140.

Kapil Dev's famous 175 not out in 1983 came against which team, after India had slumped to 17/5?

The BBC was on strike that day at Tunbridge Wells, so no footage of the innings exists.

The 1987 tournament, the first outside England, was co-hosted by which two nations?

It was also the first World Cup played over 50 overs a side.

By how many runs did Australia beat England in the 1987 final at Eden Gardens?

It stayed the closest final for 32 years, until the 2019 tie.

Which England captain fell to a reverse sweep off Allan Border in the 1987 final?

The shot ended a 69-run stand with Bill Athey and swung the match Australia's way.

Which World Cup was the first to feature coloured clothing, white balls and day/night matches?

It was also the first held in the Southern Hemisphere and the first to include a readmitted South Africa.

The 1992 rain rule left South Africa needing how many runs off the last ball against England?

The target had been a gettable 23 off 13 balls before the interruption.

Who captained Pakistan to the 1992 title at the MCG?

It was his last international match; his final ball dismissed Richard Illingworth to seal the win.

Who was man of the match in the 1992 final for 3/49 and 33 off 18 balls?

His two wickets in successive balls, Lamb and Lewis, broke England's resistance.

Which New Zealand captain opened the bowling with spinner Dipak Patel in 1992?

Crowe's tactics took New Zealand to the semi-final, where an injury kept him off the field during Pakistan's chase.

Which hosts were losing the 1996 semi-final at Eden Gardens when crowd trouble handed it to Sri Lanka?

India had lost eight wickets for 120 chasing 252 when bottles started flying.

In which city was the 1996 final played, the first World Cup final won by the chasing side?

Sri Lanka chased 242 with 22 balls to spare at the Gaddafi Stadium.

Who scored 107 not out and took three wickets to be man of the match in the 1996 final?

Jayasuriya, whose hitting at the top of the order redefined the format, was named man of the series.

The 1999 tournament, mostly in England, also visited four other countries. Which was NOT one?

Wales also staged matches; it was the first World Cup to use the Super Six stage.

Which South African was run out to tie the 1999 semi-final after a mix-up with Lance Klusener?

Australia went through on their superior Super Six finish and beat Pakistan by eight wickets in the final.

Who took four wickets to be man of the match in the 1999 final?

Pakistan were bowled out for 132 and Australia won inside 21 overs.

The permanent ICC World Cup trophy, introduced in 1999, was made in London by which firm?

Its three silver columns are shaped as stumps and bails, and the golden globe's seam is tilted like the Earth's axis.

The base of the World Cup trophy introduced in 1999 has space for how many winners' names?

It stands 60 centimetres tall and weighs about 11 kilograms; the ICC keeps the original and the winners get a replica.

Which associate nation reached the semi-finals in 2003, the best result ever by a non-Test team?

New Zealand's refusal to travel to Nairobi handed Kenya a forfeit that helped them through.

The 2003 final produced the largest total ever made in a World Cup final. What was it?

The captain's 140 not out and Damien Martyn's 88 not out came in an unbroken stand of 234; India were bowled out for 234, losing by 125 runs.

Which India captain's decision to bowl first in the 2003 final was widely criticised?

India's opener was named man of the series for a record 673 runs despite the loss.

Whose 7/15 against Namibia in 2003 are the best bowling figures in World Cup history?

Bichel took 7/20 against England in the same tournament for the second-best return.

Which team was bowled out for 36 by Sri Lanka in 2003, the lowest World Cup total?

Canada also held the previous low of 45, set against England in 1979.

Which Pakistan coach was found dead in his hotel room after the shock loss to Ireland in 2007?

Jamaican police first opened a murder inquiry before confirming he had died of heart failure.

Adam Gilchrist hit 149 in the 2007 final. To how many overs a side had rain reduced the match?

His score is still the highest in a final; Australia won by 53 runs on Duckworth-Lewis with the last overs bowled in near darkness.

Australia's World Cup unbeaten run ended against Pakistan in 2011 after how many matches?

The run had started on 23 May 1999 and spanned three titles.

Who scored 103 for Sri Lanka in the 2011 final, a century in a losing cause?

Dhoni promoted himself up the order, hit 91 and finished it with a six at the Wankhede.

Who scored 97 for India in the 2011 final, sharing a 109-run stand with MS Dhoni?

India were the first team to win the World Cup at home; Yuvraj Singh was man of the tournament.

Which Irishman hit a 50-ball century, then the fastest in World Cup history, to beat England in 2011?

Ireland's 329 was at the time the highest successful chase in the tournament's history.

Who made 237 not out in a 2015 quarter-final, the highest World Cup score?

Gayle's 215 against Zimbabwe two weeks earlier had been the first World Cup double century.

The 2015 final at the MCG drew how many people, a record for a day's cricket in Australia?

It was the last ODI for Michael Clarke, who dedicated the win to Phillip Hughes.

The 2019 final was tied at 241 and again at 15 in the super over. On what basis did England win?

England had hit 26 boundaries to New Zealand's 17; the rule was scrapped soon afterwards.

Who was run out off the final ball of the 2019 super over trying to scamper a second run?

Ben Stokes was man of the match for his unbeaten 84 plus eight in the super over.

Which Afghan leg-spinner conceded a World Cup-record 110 runs in nine overs against England in 2019?

Eoin Morgan hit 17 sixes in that innings at Old Trafford.

Which two-time champion failed to qualify for a World Cup for the first time in 2023?

The Netherlands, back after 12 years, took the last place via a qualifier eliminator against Scotland.

Whose 201 not out against Afghanistan in 2023 rescued Australia from a losing position?

He batted through cramps with captain Pat Cummins in an unbroken stand; his 160.32 is the highest World Cup strike rate.

Who scored 137 in the 2023 final to become the third Australian with a century in a World Cup final?

He was dismissed two runs short of victory after a 192-run stand with Labuschagne against a previously unbeaten India.

Who set the record for most runs in a single World Cup with 765 in 2023?

He broke a 20-year-old record of 673 and was named player of the tournament.

Which spinner is second on the all-time World Cup wicket list with 68, behind the record of 71?

Mitchell Starc is third on 65 and holds the best strike rate, a wicket every 22.4 balls.

Who has scored the most World Cup runs, 2,278, and is the only player past 2,000?

He also holds the record for most half-centuries, 15, and played six tournaments, equal with Javed Miandad.

Who has played the most World Cup matches, 46, and captained in the most, 29?

He missed only one match, the forfeited 1996 game in Colombo, and also holds the record for most catches by a fielder with 28.

Who holds the record for most World Cup centuries, seven?

He passed the previous mark of six against Afghanistan in 2023; David Warner drew level on six in the same tournament.

Which Sri Lankan wicket-keeper holds the World Cup record for most dismissals, 54?

He passed Gilchrist against Scotland in Hobart in 2015 and also holds the stumpings record with 13.

In which city did South Africa post 428/5 against Sri Lanka in 2023, the highest World Cup total?

It beat Australia's 417/6 against Afghanistan in Perth in 2015.

Both one-run wins in World Cup history, in 1987 and 1992, were by Australia over which team?

Steve Waugh finished both matches, bowling Maninder Singh in Chennai and running out Venkatapathy Raju in Brisbane.

The 2027 World Cup in southern Africa expanded the field from ten teams to how many?

Two groups of six feed a Super 7 stage under the 2027 format; co-hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe qualified automatically but Namibia had to go through qualifying.

The first Women's Cricket World Cup was held how many years before the first men's tournament?

The women's event dates to 1973; the first men's edition followed in England in June 1975, only four years after the first ODI.

In 1912, a triangular Test tournament was played between England, Australia and which other side?

An exceptionally wet summer and poor crowds made it a flop, and multi-team Test events were shelved for decades.

The 1983 World Cup introduced a fielding circle set how far from the stumps?

Four fielders had to stay inside it at all times; teams also faced each other twice in the group stage that year.

The 2011 World Cup was televised in over 200 countries to roughly how many viewers?

Television rights for the 2011 and 2015 tournaments fetched over US$1.1 billion, with a further $500 million in sponsorship.