International cricket matches are played between the teams representing their nations, organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC). The main forms are Test matches, One-Day matches and Twenty20 matches.
Most games are played as parts of "tours" when one nation travels to another for a number of weeks or months and plays a number of matches of various sorts against the host nation. The ICC also organises competitions that are for several countries at once, including the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup & ICC Men's T20 World Cup.
See main article: History of cricket. There was no formal structure for international cricket until the early 20th century.[1] It had long been traditional for countries, without any intervention from a body such as the ICC, to organise for themselves the various cricket matches. The first international match was contested in 1844 between teams representing the United States and Canada, at St George's Cricket Club in New York.[2] The ICC later committed the Test-playing nations to play each other in a programme of matches over a period of 10 years known as the ICC Future Tours Programme. This system was set up to encourage some of the better-established countries to play the lesser nations more frequently.
Most Test, One-Day and Twenty20 matches take place in the form of "tours". In a tour, one nation travels to another and plays warm-up matches, which may be first-class matches, against domestic teams such as county or state teams, a series of Test matches against the host nation, and either a series of One-Day (ODi) and T20 matches against the host nation or a tournament involving the host nation and another touring nation. Tours may include Test, ODI and T20I matches, or just one or two of these formats.
Test series can last from two to six matches, but some tours consist of only a single Test. Six-match series were common in the 1970s and early 1980s, with the last six-match series to date taking place in 1997–98 between the West Indies and England. Ashes Test series in England were six-match affairs between 1981 and 1997, but Australia reverted to five matches in its home series from 1982 to 1983.[3] [4] [5] The most important series last four or five matches, while the less important ones last two to three matches. Sometimes, a perpetual trophy is awarded to the winning team. Perpetual trophies include:
One-day series generally last from three to seven matches. T20 series last from one to five matches.
Tours may include a multi-team one-day tournament, often referred to as a "triangular" or "quadrangular" tournament. Teams play a round-robin format, often with teams playing each other twice. Points are awarded for wins, ties and no results, and some tournaments also award bonus points based on the margin of victory. There may be a final match played between the two teams with the most points from the round-robin stage.[20] [21]
See main article: ICC Future Tours Programme.
In 2001 the ICC decided to create a plan designed to make all ICC full member countries play each other for Test cricket over a period of ten years (known as the ICC Ten Year Plan). This was approved in February 2001 by the ICC member countries. Starting from 2002 and running until 2011, it ensured that each Test country played the other nine home and away over a period of ten years, in addition to any matches the individual cricket boards organised on their own. Thus, India and Pakistan played 12 ODIs and 6 Tests against each other in their respective countries (not including neutral ground ODI tournaments such as the Asia Cup) from 2004 to April 2005, and played a further series of 3 Tests and 5 ODIs in the winter of 2006. However, because of the rigorous schedule of the Ten Year Plan, there was hardly any time left over to schedule other series, and there were voices criticising the amount of international cricket that is played,[22] with the risk of injury and player burnout as reasons for why this amount should be reduced. The ICC defended their policy, citing the number of international players in English county cricket as a sign that there was not too much cricket for the players.[23]
Despite criticism of its original Ten Year Plan, the ICC created an ICC Future Tours Programme (or FTP for short). In the same way as for the Ten Year Plan, this is a schedule of international cricket tours which structure the programme of cricket for ICC full members, with an objective of each team playing each other at least once at home and once away over a period of 10 years. If the cricket boards of two individual countries reach an agreement, they can play more than two series. If a team doesn't want to travel to a particular country for a bilateral series due to security reasons, then, by the mutual agreement of the respective boards, that series can be shifted to a neutral venue or another country with appropriate facilities, such as in the United Arab Emirates. Recently, the Pakistan Cricket Team has played many of their home bilateral series on Emirati soil.[24]
In addition to tours, nations may organise one-day matches at neutral venues. The Sahara Cup was a one-day series played annually between India and Pakistan in Toronto, until the Indian government ordered the suspension of all cricketing ties with Pakistan because of the countries' hostile diplomatic situation. The BCCI revived ties in 2004. Similarly, a semiannual Triangular Tournament was organised at Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates. However, the tournament has lost its lustre because the overwhelming number of cricket matches has spoiled the pitch.
In contrast to the one-dayers, Tests are almost never held in neutral venues. A once-off triangular Test tournament was held in England in 1912, which saw South Africa play Australia in three tests at neutral venues, but otherwise it has only been security risks which have seen Tests played on neutral soil. Most notably, Pakistan has "hosted" Test series in England, the UAE and Sri Lanka in the 21st century. Security implications have also affected tours to Sri Lanka and tours to Zimbabwe in the past.The final of the ICC World Test Championship is played at a neutral venue, and for its first three editions was played in England (England did not qualify for any of these finals).
The main men's international tournaments organized by the ICC are the ICC Men's World Test Championship, the ICC Men's Champions Trophy, the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup and the ICC Men's T20 World Cup. Australia is currently the most successful team overall with 10 ICC trophies, and also the only one to win all tournaments atleast once.
The following table shows the events won by each team:
| Team | World Championships | World Cups | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ICC World Test Championship | ICC Champions Trophy | ICC Cricket World Cup | ICC Men's T20 World Cup | |||
| 1 (2023) | 2 (2006, 2009) | 6 (1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015, 2023) | 1 (2021) | 10 | ||
| 0 | 2 (2002, 2013) | 2 (1983, 2011) | 2 (2007, 2024) | 6 | ||
| 0 | 1 (2004) | 2 (1975, 1979) | 2 (2012, 2016) | 5 | ||
| 0 | 1 (2002) | 1 (1996) | 1 (2014) | 3 | ||
| 0 | 1 (2017) | 1 (1992) | 1 (2009) | 3 | ||
| 0 | 0 | 1 (2019) | 2 (2010, 2022) | 3 | ||
| 1 (2021) | 1 (2000) | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 0 | 1 (1998) | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Total played | 2 | 9 | 13 | 9 | 33 | |
The main women's international tournaments organized by the ICC are the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup, ICC Women's T20 World Cup and the ICC Women's T20 Champions Trophy.
The following table show the events won by each team:
| 7 (1978, 1982, 1988, 1997, 2005, 2013, 2022) | 6 (2010, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2020, 2023) | 13 | |||
| 4 (1973, 1993, 2009, 2017) | 1 (2009) | 5 | |||
| 1 (2000) | 0 | 1 | |||
| 0 | 1 (2016) | 1 | |||
| Total played | 12 | 8 | 20 |
|---|
The main Under-19 men's international tournament organised by the ICC is the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup.
The following table show the events won by each team:
| Country/Team | ICC Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cup | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 (2000, 2008, 2012, 2018, 2022) | text align="center" | 5 | |
| 4 (1988, 2002, 2010, 2024) | text align="center" | 4 | |
| 2 (2004, 2006) | text align="center" | 2 | |
| 1 (2020) | text align="center" | 1 | |
| 1 (2014) | text align="center" | 1 | |
| 1 (2016) | text align="center" | 1 | |
| 1 (1998) | text align="center" | 1 | |
| Total played | 15 | 15 |
The main u-19 women's international tournaments organized by the ICC is the U-19 T20 World Cup which is only played once so far.
The following table show the events won by each team:
The main men's international tournaments organised by the ACC is the Asia Cup and earlier the Asian Test Championship which is now defunct.
| Country/Team | Asia Cup | Asian Test Championship | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 (1984, 1988, 1990–91, 1995, 2010, 2016, 2018, 2023) | 0 | 8 | ||
| 6 (1986, 1997, 2004, 2008, 2014, 2022) | 1 (2001–02) | 7 | ||
| 2 (2000, 2012) | 1 (1998–99) | 3 | ||
| Total played | 15 | 2 | 17 |
The main women's international tournaments organised by the ACC is the Asia Cup.
| Country/Team | Women's Asia Cup | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 (2004, 2005–06, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2022) | 7 | ||
| 1 (2024) | 1 | ||
| 1 (2018) | 1 | ||
| Total played | 8 | 8 |
The main u-19 men's international tournaments organized by the ACC is the U-19 Asia Cup.
The following table show the events won by each team:
| Country/Team | Under-19 Asia Cup | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 (1989, 2003, 2012, 2013–14, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021) | 8 | ||
| 1 (2023) | 1 | ||
| 1 (2017) | 1 | ||
| 1 (2012) | 1 | ||
| Total played | 9 | 9 |
The following table show the events won by each team:
The following table show the events won by each team:
The following table show the events won by each team:
| Country/Team | Asian Games | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (2022) | 1 | ||
| 1 (2014) | 1 | ||
| 1 (2010) | 1 | ||
| Total played | 3 | 3 |
The following table show the events won by each team:
| Country/Team | Asian Games | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 (2010, 2014) | 2 | ||
| 1 (2022) | 1 | ||
| Total played | 3 | 3 |
See also: ICC women's ODI and T20I rankings.
See main article: ICC Men's Test Team Rankings.
In essence, after every Test series, the two teams involved receive points based on a mathematical formula. The total of each team's points total is divided by the total number of matches to give a 'rating', and the Test-playing teams are by order of rating (this can be shown in a table).[25]
From 2002 to 2019, the top-ranked Test team was awarded with the ICC Test Championship mace and the top team at each 1 April cut-off (until 2019) was also awarded a cash prize, the winners of which are listed below. The mace is now awarded to the winners of the ICC World Test Championship.
| Country/Team | Test Mace Awarded | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2016) | ||
| 5 (2010, 2011, 2017, 2018, 2019) | ||
| 3 (2013, 2014, 2015) | ||
| 1 (2012) | ||
| Reference: ICC[26] | ||
See main article: ICC Men's ODI Team Rankings.
The ICC Men's ODI Team Rankings were created, and are run, by the ICC for reasons similar to the Test Rankings. The rankings are simply an international ranking scheme overlaid on the regular ODI (One Day International) match schedule. After every ODI match, the two teams involved receive points based on a mathematical formula. The total of each team's points total is divided by the total number of matches to give a rating, and all teams are ranked on a table in order of rating.[27] The ranking does not replace the World Cup; the latter still carries much more significance to most cricket fans.
The ranking consisted two separate tables until merged into a single table in 2018. The ten ICC Full Members that play Test cricket were automatically listed on the main table while the six Associate Members with One Day International status were listed on a secondary table, but are eligible for promotion to the main table by meeting certain criteria.[28]
See main article: ICC Men's T20I Team Rankings.
As with the Test and ODI Rankings, the ICC Men's T20I Team Rankings are an international Twenty20 ranking system run by the ICC. It is simply a ranking scheme overlaid on the regular T20I match schedule.[29] After every T20I match, the two teams involved receive points based on a mathematical formula. The total of each team's points total is divided by the total number of matches to give a rating, and all teams are ranked on a table in order of rating.[30] [31] This ranking does not replace the ICC World Twenty20 competition.
Competitions for member nations of the ICC with Associate status include:
See main article: 2024–2026 ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 and ICC World Cup Qualifier.
It featured seven teams: Scotland, Nepal and the United Arab Emirates were joined by the top four teams (Namibia, Oman, Papua New Guinea, United States) from the 2019 ICC World Cricket League Division Two tournament.[32]
The top three teams advanced to the 2022 Cricket World Cup Qualifier tournament, with the bottom four teams advancing to the 2022 ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off.[33] All matches played as One Day Internationals (ODIs).[34] Each set of fixtures will take part as a tri-series.
See main article: 2024–2026 ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League and 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off.
The Cricket World Cup Challenge League replaced the World Cricket League (WCL) which was previously used as the pathway to the Cricket World Cup.[35] The first fixtures took place in September 2019, with all matches having List A status.[36]
The league features the twelve teams ranked from 21st to 32nd place in the WCL following the conclusion of the 2019 ICC World Cricket League Division Two tournament in Namibia.[35] The twelve teams are split into two groups, with each group playing a six-team tournament three times on an annual basis.[35]
The top team in each group will advance to the Qualifier Play-off, taking place in 2022, which feeds into the 2022 Cricket World Cup Qualifier tournament.[34] [37] The remaining ten teams will be eliminated from the 2023 World Cup.
See main article: ICC Intercontinental Cup.
This allowed teams the chance to play first-class cricket matches against teams of similar skill in a competition environment, and prepared them for eventual promotion to Test cricket status.
See main article: ICC World Cup qualifier.
See main article: ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier.
See main article: World Cricket League.
The ICC WCL (known as the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League for sponsorship reasons) was a series of international one-day cricket tournaments for national teams without Test status, administered by the ICC.[38] All associate and affiliate members of the ICC were eligible to compete in the league system, which featured a promotion and relegation structure between divisions. The league system had two main aims: to provide a qualification system for the World Cup that can be accessed by all associate and affiliate members, and as an opportunity for those sides to play international one-day matches against teams of similar standards.
The top division of the WCL was known as the ICC World Cricket League Championship.
Since the WCL started in 2007, the final matches in the WCL have formed the ICC World Cup Qualifier competition. This competition dates back to 1979.