Cricket is the most-watched sport in India and the second-most-followed sport in the world. Quite interestingly, it is the game that is being played in different formats nowadays. Long ago, there were only two formats namely Test and One Day Internationals. While the Test format is played across five days, the ODI was played in a 60-over format.
Later on, the ICC decided to trim the format by 10 overs to make it a 50-over format. As the years progressed, the apex cricket body had a haunch that the T20I format would go on to reach the fans on a wide scale The first T20I was played between Australia and New Zealand in 2005 and since then, the format started to gain traction among the fans.
England launched their own franchise cricket league called The Hundred where each team gets to play 100 balls. On the other side of the coin, local tournaments in franchise cricket leagues have seen games being played in 10 overs and 5 overs as well.
How many countries play cricket?
There are as many as 108 ICC members including 12 Full Members and 96 Associate Members. Six years ago, there were 10 Full Members but the likes of Ireland and Afghanistan were granted Full Member (and Test) status. As a result, it brought the full members’ count to 12.
Full members have the privilege to send a representative team to play official Tests. They are automatically qualified to play the other two formats such as One Day Internationals and Twenty20 Internationals. The 12 nations include the West Indies, Australia, India, New Zealand, South Africa, England, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Ireland and Afghanistan.
For the record, the likes of Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Ireland played as Associate Members before getting full voting rights at the ICC meetings to become Full members.
Full members with most ICC titles
Among the Full members, Australia are the most successful team in the history of the ICC events. Australia won 5 ODI World Cups, 2 Champions Trophies, 1 T20I World Cup and 1 World Test Championship and became the first team to win all the ICC titles. On the other hand, West Indies won 2 ODI World Cups, 2 T20I World Cups and 1 Champions Trophy.
Team India have won 2 ODI World Cups, 2 Champions Trophies (1 trophy shared with Sri Lanka) and 1 T20I World Cup. Sri Lanka have won 1 ODI World Cup, 1 T20I World Cup and 1 Champions Trophy (trophy shared with India).
Pakistan won 1 ODI World Cup, 1 T20I World Cup and 1 Champions Trophy. South Africa have won 1 ICC Champions Trophy. England have 1 ODI World Cup and 2 T20I World Cups. New Zealand won 1 Champions Trophy and 1 World Test Championship.
