International cricket’s biggest tournament is set to get under way in India on October 5.
A blockbuster clash between the 2019 finalists England and New Zealand will kick off the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Men’s Cricket World Cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad that day.
The tournament will run for 46 days and will see 10 teams vying for the men’s one-day international (ODI) cricket championship in the final on November 19.
Here’s what you need to know about the 2023 Cricket World Cup:
Teams and qualification
The 10 teams featuring at this year’s event are India, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka.
Two-time winners, the West Indies, are a shock omission after failing to grab one of the nine qualification spots.
India gained an automatic spot as the host nation, while the other nine countries had to go through a qualification process spread over three years in multiple stages and smaller tournaments.
Seven teams – including defending champions England – qualified on the basis of their standings in the ICC Super League which ran from July 2020 to May 2023.
The Netherlands and Sri Lanka took the final two spots after coming out on top in the knockout qualification stage earlier this year.
Just 10 days to go 🤩
Which team will come out on top and lift the #CWC23 trophy? 🏆
All you need to know 📝 https://t.co/LhlFiQe9fo pic.twitter.com/8PyJ0srHiH
— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) September 25, 2023
Format and schedule
The first stage of the ODI tournament will be a round-robin format where all teams will play each other once, resulting in 45 matches. The first phase will conclude on November 12 with a match between India and Netherlands in Bengaluru.
The top four teams at the end of the round-robin stage will qualify for the semifinals. The teams finishing first and fourth will play the first semifinal on November 15 in Mumbai, while the second and third teams will meet in the second semifinal on November 16 in Kolkata.
However, if Pakistan qualify for the semifinals, they will play the match in Kolkata irrespective of their ranking in the table; and if India qualify, they will play in Mumbai. If both teams clash in the semifinal, the match will be played in Kolkata.
Venues
Matches will be spread all over the length and breadth of the country, from Chennai in the south to Dharamshala in the north, Kolkata in the east, to Ahmedabad in the west.
The host cities are Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Dharamshala, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, New Delhi, Mumbai, and Pune.
India vs Pakistan
Ahead of the final, the biggest game of the Cricket World Cup – or any cricket tournament involving the two teams – will undoubtedly be India versus Pakistan.
The marquee match takes place on October 14 in Ahmedabad. Indian media reports say online tickets were sold out in less than an hour of being released.
India hold a 7-0 lead over their bitter rivals when it comes to results at the Cricket World Cup.
With their latest meeting at the Asia Cup also going India’s way, the hosts will be favourites playing at home.
Controversies
In advance of the October 5 inauguration, the tournament has been marred by various controversies related to its management, scheduling and liaison for participating teams and fans.
The tournament schedule was announced 100 days before the first match, drawing derision from fans who made comparisons with how other major sports events release their schedules months and sometimes years in advance.
Pakistan’s participation in the tournament and their travel plans to India have been subject to the thorny ties between the two neighbours. The Pakistan team’s departure and tournament preparations were disrupted by visa delays from India.
Tickets
The ICC has released tickets for the tournament in batches, with the latest being both the semifinals and the final which have sold out.
Cricket fans have complained about the inaccessibility of tickets for local and travelling supporters, all while the Indian cricket chief Jay Shah has handed out so-called “golden tickets” to Indian film and cricket celebrities.
Golden ticket for our golden icons!
BCCI Honorary Secretary @JayShah had the privilege of presenting our golden ticket to none other than the "Superstar of the Millennium," Shri @SrBachchan.
A legendary actor and a devoted cricket enthusiast, Shri Bachchan's unwavering support… pic.twitter.com/CKqKTsQG2F
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 5, 2023
Prize money
Total: $10m
Winners: $4m
Runners-up: $2m
Semifinalists: $800,000
Teams finishing at the group stage: $100,000
Each group stage win: $40,000
Who will take home the top #CWC23 prize? 💰
More: https://t.co/sxQyzm7lxi pic.twitter.com/9vV3xAd7kq
— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) September 25, 2023
Previous winners
2019: England
2015: Australia
2011: India
2007: Australia
2003: Australia
1999: Australia
1996: Sri Lanka
1992: Pakistan
1987: Australia
1983: India
1979: West Indies
1975: West Indies
