The history of the ICC World Cup spans nearly half a century, and the cup has been played on twelve occasions. The World Cup title is the most sought after prize in the cricket world, making it the stuff of legends.
An Eventful History
The history of the tournament is eventful and full of legendary feats and victories. Such as the victory of the West Indies in the first-ever World Cup in 1975, the surprise Indian victory over the dominating West Indies in 1983, the first-ever English victory in the 2019 tournament, and the emotional victory of India in 2011 after a losing streak of nearly three decades.
While the sport has become a global phenomenon and is followed with religious fervour in many countries, some teams have excelled over the others. Read here which teams have been the most successful ones in the ICC World Cup history.
Australian Supremacy
The most successful team by far in World Cup history has been Australia. It has won the cup title five times, and it has been the runner-up twice. This sets Australia clearly apart from all other participating teams.
This compares favourably to West Indies and India, which have both won the title twice and been the runner-up once. No other team has won the Cup title more than once.
England, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka also have one World Cup title each. Beyond these teams, no country has won the ICC cup title at all.
Australia is also the only team to have won three cup titles in consecutive World Cups in 1999, 2003, and 2007. The second-longest streak was that of West Indies in the 1970s when it won two titles in a row.
Australia also holds the record for the highest score count in a final. It broke West Indie’s record in 2003 when it beat South Africa in the final by 125 runs.