History and evolution of the tournament
The ICC had been planning to restructure international cricket since the 1990s. In 1998, they formulated a ‘Future Tours Program, which was meant to ensure that there was a regular and sustained program of international cricket among the top cricketing nations. While this program was a step in the right direction, it had not been able to create a competitive platform for Associate and Affiliate teams to compete against the top teams. On top of that, the timing of the program meant that there had been a large gap in the calendar that needed to be filled with cricket. The International Cricket Council had, therefore, looked for a solution that could generate more frequent and competitive matches between the top cricketing nations, as well as provide a platform for Associate and Affiliate teams to prove their worth and improve. After a lot of brainstorming, the International Cricket Council zeroed in on the idea of a league format for the top international teams. This format would include a structured series of bilateral matches, in which the top teams would play against each other on a home and away basis. This would be accompanied by a round-robin tournament involving the top teams from the league format, with the top two teams earning themselves spots in the final. A detailed proposal for this format had been presented to the Board of Directors of the International Cricket Council in 2004. They had then approved the restructuring of the international cricket system, with the first edition of the tournament to be hosted in 2007.
Division structure of the tournament
The format of the tournament is designed such that the top teams get to compete in the finals for the coveted trophy. The tournament is divided into several divisions, with the top teams competing in Division One. The teams are first categorized into groups based on the rankings issued by the International Cricket Council. The groups are then assigned the top teams in ICC’s rankings based on their current standing. The top eight teams in the world are currently competing in the tournament. The teams are then seeded for the tournament, which is done based on the team’s most recent performance. For example, the team that had won the last edition of the tournament gets seeded as the top team in the next tournament. The top teams are then divided into two groups, which are further subdivided into zones so that each team plays against each other in a home and away-format. The top team from each group then progresses to the finals, where they compete for the top spot in the tournament.
Teams that have participated in the tournament
Australia, England, New Zealand, West Indies, South Africa, and Sri Lanka are some of the world’s top cricketing nations and have competed in the tournament since the first edition in 2007. While Australia and England have been regular participants in the tournament, New Zealand’s participation in the tournament had been limited to just two editions. Their absence from the latest edition of the tournament has been attributed to the change in the administration of the New Zealand Cricket Board. West Indies, on the other hand, has not been able to finish on top of the tournament since its inception. South Africa and Sri Lanka, on the other hand, have been the most consistent teams in the tournament, finishing first in the tournament on two occasions each. Afghanistan, Ireland, Scotland, Nepal, and the UAE, are some of the top teams from the Associate and Affiliate categories that have participated in the competition since its inception.
Notable moments and matches in ICC World Cricket League
There have been several memorable moments in the tournament since its inception. One of the most famous moments in the tournament’s history is when Ireland’s William Porterfield hit a century against the West Indies in the inaugural edition of the tournament. The win had taken Ireland one step closer to qualifying for the finals of the tournament. Australia’s win against England in the 2010 edition of the tournament is another memorable moment in the history of the tournament. This win had helped Australia qualify for the finals of the tournament, and had also seen them win the title for the first time. The finals of the tournament have seen some nail-biting moments as well. In the 2010 edition of the tournament, West Indies defeated New Zealand by a mere four runs to win their maiden title. One of the most memorable moments in the finals of the tournament had been when New Zealand defeated the hosts England in the final of the 2012 edition of the tournament.
Prize money and awards for the tournament
Being one of the most sought-after international cricket tournaments, the ICC World Cricket League has seen a wide range of prize money and awards being given away as prizes to the winning teams. The prize money that has been given as prizes in the tournament since its inception is listed below. In the inaugural edition of the tournament, the top teams had been given a total cash prize of $100,000. This had been increased to $150,000 in the second edition of the tournament. The third edition of the tournament had seen the prize money increase to $250,000. The fourth edition of the tournament increased the cash prize to $750,000. This made the tournament one of the most lucrative cricket tournaments around the world. The fifth edition of the tournament had seen the cash prize increase to $1,000,000.
