It was the year 1975, a sport that had become a national sport of the Englishmen finally witnessed itself at the world stage! England was all set to host the first ever Cricket World Cup organized by the ICC and was the first limited over format ever to be played.
Venues changed, winners changed & the game evolved year by year giving birth to match winning knocks & some immortal spells. With just 8 teams participating in the first edition, 2015 saw a huge turnout of 14 teams fighting for the top spot.
With just 15 weeks left for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, we celebrate the arrival of the tournament back to where it all began- England & Wales!
The History
England has previously hosted the tournament 4 times in the past:
| Year | Winner |
| 1975 | West Indies |
| 1979 | West Indies |
| 1983 | India |
| 1999 | Australia |
A Windies double & a one-up for India & Australia in the past. Will history repeat itself or are we looking for a twist in the tale?
The Conditions
Get ready to witness some quality pace bowling & classy batting performances this entire season because the English turf has always favoured the technically sound cricketer who knows his game like the back of his hand. The quick pace and bounce of the English pitches might result in some low scoring games but the side having the most balance will eventually take the trophy home. With a lot of grass on the pitches, the toss will play a crucial role because the home side, in this case, has an undue advantage as they already lead the ICC points table. Bowling first would be the go-to for any skipper this season.
The Indian Perspective
From being one of the top favourites of the Trophy to their romance with the Mecca of Cricket, ‘Lord’s’; India will be put to test with their batsmen throughout their batting line up. While we have a combination of hitters and subtle players in the team there is a lack of traditional technique that can help on English pitches. Rohit Sharma & Virat Kohli will be leading the batting department being the two most technically sound players on the field. God bless their running between the wickets looking at the number of times Rohit has contributed in Kohli’s run outs. The bowling machine will be riding high on confidence after the previous series wins but if they fail to cash in on this opportunity they might end up costing us the trophy.
The Trophy
The beautiful silverware is all set to give goosebumps on the day of the Final when it will be lifted by the Winning Captain. The 650mm tall trophy is a handcrafted piece with world-class artists from Ottewill that have worked on it day & night. The Golden Globe on the trophy held up by three silver columns has been engraved with the world map on it making the experience all the more magical. The ICC Cricket World Cup Trophy has proved to be a topclass work of artistry & mastery all through the years & as it goes back to it’s own backyard, the experience is going to be all the more thrilling!
Will India be able to repeat their 1983 triumph on the same turf or is it going to be the first time for England to lift the trophy? Will Australia be able to retain the title or is it going to be the end of the Protean choking spell?
With all these rhetorical questions, we have got our eyes on the World Cup starting in a span of 15 weeks. Go ahead and do all your research because BalleBaazi is all set to give huge surprises this CWC ‘19!
