2015 Cricket World Cup facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 2015 Cricket World Cup
Greatness is Contagious
Dates	14 February – 29 March 2015
Administrator(s)	International Cricket Council
Cricket format	One Day International
Tournament format(s)	Round-robin and Knockout
Host(s)	Australia  New Zealand
Champions	Australia (5th title)
Participants	14
Matches played	49
Attendance	1,016,420 (20,743 per match)
Man of the Series	Mitchell Starc
Most runs	Martin Guptill (547)
Most wickets	Mitchell Starc (22) Trent Boult (22)
← 2011 2019 →

The 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup was a huge international cricket tournament. It was the 11th time this exciting event was held. Men's national teams competed in One Day International (ODI) matches. The International Cricket Council (ICC) organized the whole thing.

Australia and New Zealand worked together to host the tournament. It ran from February 14 to March 29, 2015. In the end, Australia won the final match. They beat New Zealand by 7 wickets. This was the second time these two countries hosted the World Cup together. The first time was back in 1992.

India had won the previous World Cup in 2011. However, Australia knocked them out in the semi-finals this time.

Fourteen teams took part in the tournament. They were divided into two groups of seven. Each team played every other team in their group once. The top four teams from each group moved on. This led to the knockout stage, with quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the grand final.

The final match was a big event. It was between the two host countries, Australia and New Zealand. Australia won by seven wickets. This victory gave them their fifth Cricket World Cup title!

Over 1 million people attended the matches in total. The average crowd for each game was about 21,175 fans. The final match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground had a record-breaking crowd of 93,013 people. In India, the semi-final between Australia and India was very popular on TV.

Choosing the Host Countries

How Australia and New Zealand Became Hosts

The International Cricket Council (ICC) decided who would host the 2011 World Cup on April 30, 2006. Australia and New Zealand also wanted to host that tournament. Their plan was to share the games equally, 50-50. They even suggested the final could be played in either country.

Their bid was called "Beyond Boundaries." It was the only bid for 2011 that reached the ICC on time. Australia and New Zealand had great stadiums and facilities. Their governments fully supported the event. This included help with taxes and customs.

Even though the Asian countries won the bid for 2011, the ICC was very impressed. They liked how well Australia and New Zealand planned their bid. Because of this, the ICC decided to give them the next World Cup. So, Australia and New Zealand became the hosts for the 2015 tournament. They had last hosted the Cricket World Cup together in 1992.

Tournament Rules and Teams

How the Cricket World Cup Was Played

The 2015 World Cup had 14 teams, just like the 2011 event. This allowed smaller cricket nations to join in. The tournament rules were the same as in 2011. The 14 teams were split into two groups. Each group had seven teams.

Every team in a group played against each other once. The top four teams from each group then moved forward. These eight teams played in the quarter-finals. If a final match ended in a tie, a "Super Over" would be played. This was a new rule added just before the tournament.

How Teams Qualified for the World Cup

Normally, the 10 main ICC member nations automatically get a spot. After the 2011 World Cup, there was a plan to only have 10 teams in 2015. Many smaller nations, like the Ireland cricket team, were upset. They had played very well in past World Cups.

Because of the strong feedback, the ICC changed its mind. In June 2011, they decided to keep 14 teams. This meant four spots were open for other nations. The top two teams from a special league, the 2011–13 ICC World Cricket League Championship, would qualify directly. The last two spots were decided in a special tournament. This was called the 2014 Cricket World Cup Qualifier.

On July 9, 2013, Ireland became the first team to qualify. They tied a match against the Netherlands. Then, on October 4, 2013, Afghanistan qualified for their first-ever Cricket World Cup. They finished second behind Ireland. Scotland and the United Arab Emirates won the last two spots. They qualified after playing in the 2014 World Cup Qualifier.

Team	How they Qualified	Past World Cups	Last World Cup	Best Performance Before	Rank	Group
England	Full members	10	2011	Runners-up (1979, 1987, 1992)	1	A
South Africa		6	2011	Semi-finals (1992, 1999, 2007)	2	B
India		10	2011	Champions (1983, 2011)	3	B
Australia		10	2011	Champions (1987, 1999, 2003, 2007)	4	A
Sri Lanka		10	2011	Champions (1996)	5	A
Pakistan		10	2011	Champions (1992)	6	B
West Indies		10	2011	Champions (1975, 1979)	7	B
Bangladesh		4	2011	Super 8 (2007)	8	A
New Zealand		10	2011	Semi-finals (1975, 1979, 1992, 1999, 2007, 2011)	9	A
Zimbabwe		8	2011	Super 6 (1999, 2003)	10	B
Ireland	WCL Championship	2	2011	Super 8 (2007)	11	B
Afghanistan		0	—	—	12	A
Scotland	World Cup Qualifier	2	2007	Group stage (1999, 2007)	13	A
United Arab Emirates		1	1996	Group stage (1996)	14	B

Getting Ready for the World Cup

Organizing the Big Event

To prepare for the 2015 Cricket World Cup, a special committee was formed. John Harnden was the chief executive. James Strong was the chairman, and Ralph Waters was the deputy chairman. After James Strong passed away, Ralph Waters became the chairman.

Where the Matches Were Played

When Australia and New Zealand first offered to host, they wanted to share the games equally. On July 30, 2013, it was decided that Australia would host 26 matches. New Zealand would host 23 matches. There was a lot of discussion about where the final would be held. Both Melbourne and Sydney wanted it. Melbourne was chosen to host the final. Sydney and Auckland hosted the semi-finals.

Travel for Fans

A special travel arrangement was made for the World Cup. Fans traveling to New Zealand for matches could enter the country easily. If they had an Australian visitor visa, they did not need a separate New Zealand visa. This made it simpler for people to watch games in both countries.

Promoting the World Cup

The Cricket World Cup has become a huge media event. The International Cricket Council sold the broadcasting rights for $2 billion. The organizers wanted to make it the most fan-friendly event ever. They also aimed to bring cricket to many different communities.

Famous cricketer Sachin Tendulkar was chosen as the World Cup Ambassador. This was his second time in this role. Tickets for the match between India and Pakistan in Adelaide sold out in just 12 minutes! This shows how popular the tournament was.

Opening Celebrations

The opening ceremonies were held in two different cities. One was in Christchurch, New Zealand. The other was in Melbourne, Australia. Both ceremonies took place on February 12, 2015. This was two days before the first matches began.

Prize Money for Teams

The International Cricket Council announced a total prize money pool of $10 million. This was 20 percent more than the 2011 World Cup. The money was given out based on how well each team performed.

If the winning team won all their group matches, they would get even more money. They could have won a total of $4,245,000. A team that lost all its group matches would still receive $35,000.

Cricket Stadiums Used

Each stadium hosted at least three group stage matches. The quarter-finals were held in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Wellington. The semi-finals took place in Auckland and Sydney. The grand final was played in Melbourne. In total, 49 matches were played across 14 different stadiums. Australia hosted 26 games, and New Zealand hosted 23 games.

Umpires for the Matches

A special group chose 20 umpires to oversee the World Cup games. Five umpires were from Australia and five from England. Five more were from Asia. New Zealand and South Africa each provided two umpires. One umpire was from the West Indies.

Team Squads

Each team first named a larger group of 30 players. Then, they had to choose their final 15-player squad. This final list had to be ready by January 7, 2015.

Practice Matches Before the Tournament

Before the main tournament, 14 practice matches were played. These games happened from February 8 to February 13. They helped the teams get ready for the big competition.

Group Stage Matches

A total of 42 matches were played in the group stage. The top four teams from each group moved on to the quarter-finals. If teams had the same points, the one with more wins ranked higher. If wins were also tied, then "net run rate" decided their rank.

Pool A Matches

The second match of the Cricket World Cup at the MCG between Australia and England

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	T	NR	Pts	NRR
1	New Zealand	6	6	0	0	0	12	2.564
2	Australia	6	4	1	0	1	9	2.257
3	Sri Lanka	6	4	2	0	0	8	0.371
4	Bangladesh	6	3	2	0	1	7	0.136
5	England	6	2	4	0	0	4	−0.753
6	Afghanistan	6	1	5	0	0	2	−1.853
7	Scotland	6	0	6	0	0	0	−2.218

•      Advanced to knockout stage.

14 February Scorecard

New Zealand  331/6 (50 overs)

v

Sri Lanka 233 (46.1 overs)

New Zealand won by 98 runs Hagley Oval, Christchurch

14 February (D/N) Scorecard

Australia  342/9 (50 overs)

v

England 231 (41.5 overs)

Australia won by 111 runs Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne

17 February Scorecard

Scotland  142 (36.2 overs)

v

New Zealand 146/7 (24.5 overs)

New Zealand won by 3 wickets University Oval, Dunedin

18 February (D/N) Scorecard

Bangladesh  267 (50 overs)

v

Afghanistan 162 (42.5 overs)

Bangladesh won by 105 runs Manuka Oval, Canberra

20 February (D/N) Scorecard

England  123 (33.2 overs)

v

New Zealand 125/2 (12.2 overs)

New Zealand won by 8 wickets Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington

21 February (D/N) Scorecard

Australia

v

Bangladesh

Match abandoned without a ball bowled Brisbane Cricket Ground, Brisbane

22 February Scorecard

Afghanistan  232 (49.4 overs)

v

Sri Lanka 236/6 (48.2 overs)

Sri Lanka won by 4 wickets University Oval, Dunedin

23 February Scorecard

England  303/8 (50 overs)

v

Scotland 184 (42.2 overs)

England won by 119 runs Hagley Oval, Christchurch

26 February Scorecard

Scotland  210 (50 overs)

v

Afghanistan 211/9 (49.3 overs)

Afghanistan won by 1 wicket University Oval, Dunedin

26 February (D/N) Scorecard

Sri Lanka  332/1 (50 overs)

v

Bangladesh 240 (47 overs)

Sri Lanka won by 92 runs Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne

28 February (D/N) Scorecard

Australia  151 (32.2 overs)

v

New Zealand 152/9 (23.1 overs)

New Zealand won by 1 wicket Eden Park, Auckland

1 March Scorecard

England  309/6 (50 overs)

v

Sri Lanka 312/1 (47.2 overs)

Sri Lanka won by 9 wickets Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington

4 March (D/N) Scorecard

Australia  417/6 (50 overs)

v

Afghanistan 142 (37.3 overs)

Australia won by 275 runs WACA Ground, Perth

5 March Scorecard

Scotland  318/8 (50 overs)

v

Bangladesh 322/4 (48.1 overs)

Bangladesh won by 6 wickets Saxton Oval, Nelson

8 March Scorecard

Afghanistan  186 (47.4 overs)

v

New Zealand 188/4 (36.1 overs)

New Zealand won by 6 wickets McLean Park, Napier

8 March (D/N) Scorecard

Australia  376/9 (50 overs)

v

Sri Lanka 312 (46.2 overs)

Australia won by 64 runs Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney

9 March (D/N) Scorecard

Bangladesh  275/7 (50 overs)

v

England 260 (48.3 overs)

Bangladesh won by 15 runs Adelaide Oval, Adelaide

11 March (D/N) Scorecard

Sri Lanka  363/9 (50 overs)

v

Scotland 215 (43.1 overs)

Sri Lanka won by 148 runs Bellerive Oval, Hobart

13 March (D/N) Scorecard

Bangladesh  288/7 (50 overs)

v

New Zealand 290/7 (48.5 overs)

New Zealand won by 3 wickets Seddon Park, Hamilton

13 March (D/N) Scorecard

Afghanistan  111/7 (36.2 overs)

v

England 101/1 (18.1 overs)

England won by 9 wickets (D/L method) Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney

14 March (D/N) Scorecard

Scotland  130 (25.4 overs)

v

Australia 133/3 (15.2 overs)

Australia won by 7 wickets Bellerive Oval, Hobart

Pool B Matches

Pool B clash between India and South Africa

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	T	NR	Pts	NRR
1	India	6	6	0	0	0	12	1.827
2	South Africa	6	4	2	0	0	8	1.707
3	Pakistan	6	4	2	0	0	8	−0.085
4	West Indies	6	3	3	0	0	6	−0.053
5	Ireland	6	3	3	0	0	6	−0.933
6	Zimbabwe	6	1	5	0	0	2	−0.527
7	United Arab Emirates	6	0	6	0	0	0	−2.032

•      Advanced to knockout stage.

15 February (D/N) Scorecard

South Africa  339/4 (50 overs)

v

Zimbabwe 277 (48.2 overs)

South Africa won by 62 runs Seddon Park, Hamilton

15 February (D/N) Scorecard

India  300/7 (50 overs)

v

Pakistan 224 (47 overs)

India won by 76 runs Adelaide Oval, Adelaide

16 February Scorecard

West Indies  304/7 (50 overs)

v

Ireland 307/6 (45.5 overs)

Ireland won by 4 wickets Saxton Oval, Nelson

19 February Scorecard

United Arab Emirates  285/7 (50 overs)

v

Zimbabwe 286/6 (48 overs)

Zimbabwe won by 4 wickets Saxton Oval, Nelson

21 February (D/N) Scorecard

West Indies  310/6 (50 overs)

v

Pakistan 160 (39 overs)

West Indies won by 150 runs Hagley Oval, Christchurch

22 February (D/N) Scorecard

India  307/7 (50 overs)

v

South Africa 177 (40.2 overs)

India won by 130 runs Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne

24 February (D/N) Scorecard

West Indies  372/2 (50 overs)

v

Zimbabwe 289 (44.3 overs)

West Indies won by 73 runs Manuka Oval, Canberra

25 February (D/N) Scorecard

United Arab Emirates  278/9 (50 overs)

v

Ireland 279/8 (49.2 overs)

Ireland won by 2 wickets Brisbane Cricket Ground, Brisbane

27 February (D/N) Scorecard

South Africa  408/5 (50 overs)

v

West Indies 151 (33.1 overs)

South Africa won by 257 runs Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney

28 February (D/N) Scorecard

United Arab Emirates  102 (31.3 overs)

v

India 104/1 (18.5 overs)

India won by 9 wickets WACA Ground, Perth

1 March (D/N) Scorecard

Pakistan  235/7 (50 overs)

v

Zimbabwe 215 (49.4 overs)

Pakistan won by 20 runs Brisbane Cricket Ground, Brisbane

3 March (D/N) Scorecard

South Africa  411/4 (50 overs)

v

Ireland 210 (45 overs)

South Africa won by 201 runs Manuka Oval, Canberra

4 March (D/N) Scorecard

Pakistan  339/6 (50 overs)

v

United Arab Emirates 210/8 (50 overs)

Pakistan won by 129 runs McLean Park, Napier

6 March (D/N) Scorecard

West Indies  182 (44.2 overs)

v

India 185/6 (39.1 overs)

India won by 4 wickets WACA Ground, Perth

7 March (D/N) Scorecard

Pakistan  222 (46.4 overs)

v

South Africa 202 (33.3 overs)

Pakistan won by 29 runs (D/L method) Eden Park, Auckland

7 March (D/N) Scorecard

Ireland  331/8 (50 overs)

v

Zimbabwe 326 (49.3 overs)

Ireland won by 5 runs Bellerive Oval, Hobart

10 March (D/N) Scorecard

Ireland  259 (49 overs)

v

India 260/2 (36.5 overs)

India won by 8 wickets Seddon Park, Hamilton

12 March (D/N) Scorecard

South Africa  341/6 (50 overs)

v

United Arab Emirates 195 (47.3 overs)

South Africa won by 146 runs Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington

14 March (D/N) Scorecard

Zimbabwe  287 (48.5 overs)

v

India 288/4 (48.4 overs)

India won by 6 wickets Eden Park, Auckland

15 March Scorecard

United Arab Emirates  175 (47.4 overs)

v

West Indies 176/4 (30.3 overs)

West Indies won by 6 wickets McLean Park, Napier

15 March (D/N) Scorecard

Ireland  237 (50 overs)

v

Pakistan 241/3 (46.1 overs)

Pakistan won by 7 wickets Adelaide Oval, Adelaide

Knockout Stage: The Finals Begin

The knockout stage was where the competition got even more intense. The dates and locations for these matches were set. However, which teams played where could change if the host countries qualified. Both Australia and New Zealand made it to the quarter-finals. Australia played in Adelaide, and New Zealand played in Wellington.

The teams from each group were matched up in a specific way. For example, the top team from Pool A played the fourth team from Pool B. New Zealand's semi-final match against South Africa was in Auckland. Australia's semi-final against India was in Sydney. Both host nations, Australia and New Zealand, reached the final. Australia then won the final by 7 wickets.

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

Final

A3

Sri Lanka

133

B2

South Africa

134/1

B2

South Africa

281/5

A1

New Zealand

299/6

A1

New Zealand

393/6

B4

West Indies

250

A1

New Zealand

183

A2

Australia

186/3

B3

Pakistan

213

A2

Australia

216/4

A2

Australia

328/7

B1

India

233

B1

India

302/6

A4

Bangladesh

193

Quarter-Finals: Who Made It?

18 March (D/N) Scorecard

Sri Lanka  133 (37.2 overs)

v

South Africa 134/1 (18 overs)

South Africa won by 9 wickets Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney

19 March (D/N) Scorecard

India  302/6 (50 overs)

v

Bangladesh 193 (45 overs)

India won by 109 runs Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne

20 March (D/N) Scorecard

Pakistan  213 (49.5 overs)

v

Australia 216/4 (33.5 overs)

Australia won by 6 wickets Adelaide Oval, Adelaide

21 March (D/N) Scorecard

New Zealand  393/6 (50 overs)

v

West Indies 250 (30.3 overs)

New Zealand won by 143 runs Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington

Semi-Finals: The Road to the Final

24 March (D/N) Scorecard

South Africa  281/5 (43 overs)

v

New Zealand 299/6 (42.5 overs)

New Zealand won by 4 wickets (D/L method) Eden Park, Auckland

26 March (D/N) Scorecard

Australia  328/7 (50 overs)

v

India 233 (46.5 overs)

Australia won by 95 runs Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney

The Grand Final

29 March (D/N) Scorecard

New Zealand  183 (45 overs)

v

Australia 186/3 (33.1 overs)

Australia won by 7 wickets Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne

Top Players and Stats

Players with the Most Runs

Player	Team	Mat	Inns	Runs	Ave	SR	HS	100	50	4s	6s
Martin Guptill	New Zealand	9	9	547	68.37	104.58	237*	2	1	59	16
Kumar Sangakkara	Sri Lanka	7	7	541	108.57	105.87	124	4	0	57	7
AB de Villiers	South Africa	8	7	482	96.40	144.31	162*	1	3	43	21
Brendan Taylor	Zimbabwe	6	6	433	72.16	106.91	138	2	1	43	12
Shikhar Dhawan	India	8	8	412	51.50	91.75	137	2	1	48	9

Players with the Most Wickets

Player	Team	Mat	Inns	Wkts	Ave	Econ	BBI	SR
Mitchell Starc	Australia	8	8	22	10.18	3.50	6/28	17.40
Trent Boult	New Zealand	9	9	22	16.86	4.36	5/27	23.10
Umesh Yadav	India	8	8	18	17.83	4.98	4/31	21.40
Mohammed Shami	India	7	7	17	17.29	4.81	4/35	21.50
Morné Morkel	South Africa	8	8	17	17.58	4.38	3/34	24.00

Images for kids

• 

  Countries that participated in the 2015 Cricket World Cup.

• 

  Sydney Cricket Ground

• 

  Melbourne Cricket Ground

• 

  Adelaide Oval

• 

  The Gabba in Brisbane

• 

  WACA Ground in Perth

• 

  Bellerive Oval in Hobart

• 

  Manuka Oval in Canberra

• 

  Eden Park in Auckland

• 

  Hagley Oval in Christchurch

• 

  Seddon Park in Hamilton

• 

  McLean Park in Napier

• 

  Wellington Regional Stadium in Wellington

• 

  Saxton Oval in Nelson

• 

  University Oval in Dunedin

See also

In Spanish: Copa Mundial de Críquet de 2015 para niños