Australia
The most successful nation at the World Cup. Kids who grew up in the noughties were left wondering when the stranglehold that the Australians had on the Cup would end. From Border’s unlikely victors in ‘87, sprouted a generation that would dominate the World Cup like no other team.
Birmingham
Not the venue but the match that was held there on June 17, 1999. In one of the greatest-ever ODI matches, South Africa entered the final over in their semifinal against Australia needing nine runs to win. Lance Klusener hit the first two balls for four. The Proteas still managed to mess up one run off four balls.
Colour
For so long, WC cricket was played in whites. But 1992 gave it a dash of colour, taking a cue from Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket. That wasn’t the only change; white balls were introduced as were fielding restrictions allowing only two men outside the ring in the first fifteen overs.
Dalmiya
The man credited with turning the 1996 World Cup into a money-making machine and kickstarting Indian cricket’s financial boom. By the time Jagmohan Dalmiya had quit as ICC president in 2000, the WC TV rights, that he had sold for $10 million in 1996, had been sold for a staggering $550 million.
East Africa
The 1975 Cup had a rather curious entity fielding a team. East Africa like West Indies wasn’t a country but a collection of nations. Even though most of its players were Kenyans of Indian and Pakistani origin, they did have players from Zambia, Tanzania and Uganda. Lost every match.
Fixing
Fixing has been the bane of the game for decades and some World Cup matches have also come under the scanner. Vinod Kambli has raised questions over India’s dramatic loss to Sri Lanka in the 1996 semis while a recent report claimed that Pakistan fixed four World Cup matches in 1999.
Gatting
One of the first people credited with throwing away a World Cup. England skipper Mike Gatting was taking his team to a win in the 1987 final. England were 135/2 chasing 253 when Gatting attempted an ill-advised reverse sweep & perished. They would lose by seven runs.
Hosts
The people who invented cricket are yet to win its biggest prize even once despite having hosted more World Cups than anyone else. While they contested the final in 1979, 1987 & 1992, they fell short every single time. This time though, they have a solid, balanced team and could lift the cup on home soil.
India
If England is cricket’s birthplace, India is its spiritual home. Nowhere else has the masses taken to the game like in India and the financial power it has generated has allowed them to rule world cricket. They are also the joint second-most successful team in WCs.
Javed
Javed Miandad’s the only man apart from Sachin Tendulkar to have played six World Cups. He was not yet 18 when he was picked for the 1975 edition and his best moments came in the 1992 Cup when he scored five fifties en route Pakistan lifting the trophy.
Kapil’s Devils
Not one punter backed Kapil Dev’s men to lift the 1983 WC but their victory in the final against West Indies would not only re-define cricket but also what it meant to be Indian. Without Kapil’s Devils, cricket may still have been a sport for Indians and not a religion.
Lord’s
The home of cricket and also home to one of the world’s oldest sporting museums. Lord’s has hosted four Cup finals already and will host a fifth one on July 14. Few venues have as much history — the present version of Lord’s was established in 1814.
Minnows
Once lent colour (and the element of surprise) and will be sorely missed this time. At almost every Cup, they had their moments, be it Zimbabwe beating Australia in 1983, Kenya beating Windies in 1996 or racing to the semis in 2003.
Netherlands
The Dutch first came to the cricket fan’s consciousness when they contested the 1996 WC in bright orange clothing. They managed to pick up wins in 2003 and 2007, downing fellow associates Namibia and Scotland respectively. Despite not qualifying in 1999, the Dutch hosted a match in Amstelveen.
One ball,22 runs
One of the most ridiculous scenarios in WC history played out in the 1992 semis. Rain interrupted play with South Africa needing 23 runs from 15 balls against England. When they came back, then-rain rules had revised the target to 22 runs from 1 ball. Led to adoption of Duckworth-Lewis rule.
Prudential
When the ICC first floated the idea of a cricket World Cup, it gained little traction commercially. It was insurance company Prudential — then sponsors of the English cricket team — who would step in as a title sponsor. It would be Prudential World Cup till ‘83 after which Reliance took over the mantle.
Quarters
The quarterfinals won’t be there this time, but the stage has given fans many memorable matches to remember. India beating Pakistan in 1996 quarters, the Australia-New Zealand thriller in the same edition and India downing Australia en route winning the 2011 Cup stand out as some of the more memorable ones.
Ricky
One of only two men to win the World Cup as captain twice, Ricky Ponting had some moments with the bat too. Perhaps the most memorable of these is the 121-ball 140 that he smashed in the 2003 final. He was also a member of the winning team in 1999.
Supercat
The other man to captain two Cup-winning teams, Supercat Clive Lloyd was the man at the helm of the dominant West Indians of the 70s and the 80s. Like Ponting, he has won a Cup final with his bat — his 102 against Australia sealed the 1975 summit clash.
Tendulkar
Where do you start about the man they call the God of cricket? He’s had a pretty remarkable run in World Cups bursting onto the scene as a 19-year-old in 1992. He top-scored in 1996 and 2003 and played a major role in 2011 when India lifted the trophy again, finishing as the tournament’s second-highest scorer.
Umpires
Without umpires, the game cannot go on. And there have been some pretty remarkable umpiring records at cricket’s biggest stage. Englishman David Shepherd officiated in a staggering 46 matches, closely followed by West Indian Steve Bucknor who has 45.
Viv
How many players can claim to have played pivotal roles in two finals? Viv Richards can. In 1975 vs Australia, he changed the course of the game by inflicting three quick run-outs. Four years later, an unbeaten 138 off 157 balls blew away England.
Woolmer
Perhaps the most unfortunate event in World Cup history. Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer was found dead in his room hours after his team had confirmed their exit in 2007 after a loss to Ireland. Woolmer was also the coach of the South African team in 1996 and 1999.
X-Factors
If you want to win the Cup, you better have a couple of these! West Indies had Richards (and the best fast-bowling unit in the world) in ‘79, Sri Lanka had Sanath Jayasuriya in 1996, Australia had Shane Warne in 1999 and India had Yuvraj Singh in 2011. Who will be the deciding factor in 2019? Jasprit Bumrah? Ben Stokes? The next couple of months will tell.
Youngsters
From a 22-year-old Inzamam winning a semifinal in 1992 to a 23-year-old Sachin top-scoring in the 1996 edition, the World Cup has always been a ground for youngsters to shine. This summer, the likes of Pakistan’s Mohammad Hasnain, South Africa’s Lungi Ngidi and Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan will be some of the players to watch out for.
Zimbabwe
Fans will miss their red jerseys at the World Cup this time. Ever since they first played the tournament in 1983, Zimbabwe pulled off upsets — Australia in 1983, England in 1992 and India and South Africa in 1999. This is the first time in 36 years that the team from the south of Africa are missing from a World Cup.