Cricket World Cup hosts
The International Cricket Council's executive committee votes for the hosts of the tournament after examining the bids made by the nations keen to hold a Cricket World Cup. All the World Cup events so far have been held in nations in which cricket is a popular sport. Most of the tournaments have been jointly hosted by nations from the same geographical region, such as South Asia in 1987, 1996, and 2011, Australia in 1992 and 2015, Southern Africa in 2003 and West Indies in 2007.
England have hosted the most World Cups – a total of 5. They hosted it in 1975, 1979, 1983, 1999 and 2019. England are also the only nation to have hosted a World Cup alone, doing it in 1975 and 1979. In 1983 & 1999, despite being regarded as the only host for the tournament, some matches were played in Ireland, Netherlands, Scotland and Wales. The West Indies hosted the tournament in 2007 but are not considered as sole hosts because the West Indies represents a sporting confederation of 15 mainly English-speaking Caribbean countries, British dependencies and non-British dependencies.
Summary
Tournament | # Matches | Matches Hosted by Nations | Other bidders |
1975 | 15 | England | |
1979 | 15 | England | |
1983 | 27 | England Wales | |
1987 | 27 | India Pakistan | England |
1992 | 39 | Australia New Zealand | |
1996 | 37 | India Pakistan Sri Lanka | England South Africa |
1999 | 42 | England Scotland Ireland Netherlands Wales | |
2003 | 54 | South Africa Zimbabwe Kenya | |
2007 | 51 | West Indies | Bahamas Bermuda United States |
2011 | 49 | India Sri Lanka Bangladesh | Australia New Zealand Pakistan United Arab Emirates |
2015 | 49 | Australia New Zealand | |
2019 | 48 | England Wales | |
2023 | - | India |
Hosts Selection
1975">1975 Cricket World Cup">1975, 1979">1979 Cricket World Cup">1979 and [1983 Cricket World Cup]s
England hosted the first three competitions. The ICC decided that England should host the first tournament because it was ready to put the resources needed in organising the inaugural event. India proposed that it should host the third Cricket World Cup, but most ICC members believed England was a more suitable venue because longer period of daylight in June. This meant that a match could be completed in one day.1975, 1979 & 1983† Host:
†In 1983, England are considered as sole hosts. However, one match was played in Swansea, Wales.
[1987 Cricket World Cup]
The first competition hosted outside England was the 1987 Cricket World Cup, which was jointly held in India and Pakistan. A change in location led to a reduction in the number of overs from sixty to fifty in each innings because of the shorter duration of daylight.1987 Hosts: and
[2007 Cricket World Cup]
The World Cup was awarded to the West Indies via the International Cricket Council's rotational policy. It was the first time the Cricket World Cup had been held in the Caribbean despite the fact that the West Indies cricket team had been the second most successful team in past World Cups. Bermuda and the United States unsuccessfully bid for the right to host matches.2007 Hosts:
2011">2011 Cricket World Cup">2011, 2015">2015 Cricket World Cup">2015 and [2019 Cricket World Cup]s
2011 Bids:- and
- ,, and
ICC President Ehsan Mani said the extra time taken by the Asian bloc to hand over its bid compliance book had harmed the four-nation bid. However, when the time came to vote, Asia won the hosting rights by ten votes to three. The Pakistan Cricket Board revealed that it was the vote of the West Indies Cricket Board that swung the matter, as the Asian bid had the support of the four bidding countries along with South Africa and Zimbabwe. It was reported in Pakistani newspaper Dawn that the Asian countries promised to hold fund-raising events for West Indian cricket during the 2007 World Cup, which may have influenced the vote. However, chairman of the Monitoring Committee of the Asian bid, I. S. Bindra, said it was their promise of extra profits in the region of US$400 million that swung the vote, that there "was no quid pro quo for their support", and that playing the West Indies had "nothing to do with the World Cup bid".
After missing out on 2011, Australia and New Zealand were awarded the 2015 World Cup. England was awarded the 2019 event as part of rotational policy.
2011 Voting Result:
- ,, and , 10 votes
- and, 3 votes
World cup event was moved out of Pakistan
On 9 April 2009, PCB chairman Ijaz Butt revealed that they had issued a legal notice to oppose ICC decision. However, the ICC claims that PCB is still a co-host and they have only shifted the matches out of Pakistan. Pakistan had proposed that South Africa host the 2015 World Cup and Australia/New Zealand host 2011, however this option did not find favour with their co-hosts and hence didn't materialise.
2011 Hosts:, and
2015 Hosts: and awarded after losing the 2011 hosting bid
2019 Host: and awarded as per rotational policy
2023 Host: