Major changes in the Cricket World Cup since its inception
The ongoing ICC World Cup 2019 in England and Wales is the 12th edition of cricket's biggest event. Ten teams are battling it out for the ultimate prize, with Australia being the title holders. Since its inception in 1975, the World Cup has seen several changes. In the same light, here we talk about six of the most crucial changes.
From whites to colored clothing
The World Cup was played in white kits from 1975 to 1987. In the 1992 World Cup, the colored clothing came into existence for the first time. Pakistan won that edition of the tournament after beating England in the final. Meanwhile, whites are now worn in Test cricket only. Alongside this change, the tournament was played with a white ball instead of red.
The shift towards the 50-over format in 1987
The first three World Cups were played in England and the matches were 60-over a side. India and Pakistan hosted the 1987 edition which saw the format changed to 50-per-side. This was due to shorter daylight in the Indian sub-continent. Since then, ODIs have always followed the 50-over format. Interestingly, India remain the only side to win 60-over, 50-over and T20 World Cup.
The shift from the sponsorship perspective
From 1975 to 1996, each edition had a sponsor and hence we had different names and trophies in each tournament. The first three editions were known as the Prudential Cup. Reliance Trophy (1987), Benson and Hedges (1992) and Wills World Cup Trophy (1996) followed suit. However, since 1999, the ICC has its own trophy and the tournament is simply called the ICC World Cup.
The change in format and participating teams
The World Cups over the years saw several changes in the format of the tournament. The first four World Cups had eight teams in total. 1992 saw the format change to round-robin. The same is being followed in 2019. 1996 and 1999 had 12 teams each. The 2003, 2011 and 2015 has 14 nations taking part. 2007 saw the highest participants (16).
Other tweaks seen over the years
Till the 2011 World Cup, we saw one ball used by a side in an ODI match. But ICC's decision in 2011 made it mandatory to have two new balls in an innings, that's why the 2015 and 2019 editions of the World Cup made life simpler for the batsmen. Changes in power-plays and field restrictions have also been witnessed in this decade.
The introduction of Zing Bails and DRS
The ICC also introduced the Zing Bails in 2014 and since then it has been used in the major tournaments. The 2015 and the ongoing 2019 World Cup have seen the usage of the same. The Decision Review System (DRS) was first implemented in 2011 World Cup. Since then it has undergone some changes, but this is the third edition to use the technology.
