The 13th edition of ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup and just the third one, after 1975 and 1979 (both in England), to be entirely held in one country will be played from October 5 to November 19 in the 10 cities of India.
The 48-match tournament will feature 10 teams with the final taking place in Ahmedabad’s 132,000-seat Narendra Modi Stadium, the largest cricket venue in the world.
We take a look at some historic numbers and quirky facts of the tournament.
The most dominant team
Australia are the most successful team in tournament history, lifting the trophy on five occasions, the most recent being at home in 2015. The Aussies won an unprecedented hat-trick of titles from 1999 to 2007 and have won four of the last six Cricket World Cups. Their first title came in India in 1987.
Irrespective of the format, Australia have always been a team to beat in ICC tournaments. Just two years ago they also won the T20 World Cup in the UAE. In June they were crowned ICC Test Champions after beating India in the final in London.
The favourite team
Australia may have dominated the tournament historically but 2023 hosts India appear to be the strongest team at present
Only a month ago, India won the Asia Cup after defeating Sri Lanka in a one-sided final in Colombo. They are also the No 1 team in the ODI Rankings.
With the last three World Cup finals won by the host nations, India will be looking to make it four in a row in 2023.
The combined ODI experience in their squad is 1,449 matches, the most for any team. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the only two players in the tournament who have more than 10,000 ODI runs, are also in the Indian camp. It’s that experience which could make all the difference.
In the last three World Cups, India have lost just four of 26 matches.
The surprise package
New Zealand will be eager to finish off on a successful note this time. They have been runners-up in the last two World Cups, losing the 2019 final to England on boundary count after the match and the super over were tied.
They know a thing or two about performing in big tournaments. In 2021, they won the ICC Test Championship against India and were runners-up in the T20 World Cup in the UAE.
New Zealand arrive at the World Cup as the winners of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League (2020-23), which was a 13-team pathway cycle for the World Cup in India.
The first World Cup without West Indies
For the first time in the tournament’s 48-year history, West Indies, winners in 1975 and 1979, have not qualified. After failing to make it to the tournament from the Super League, they got another opportunity in the Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe this year but failed to finish in the top two.
Ireland and Zimbabwe are two more Test playing nations who failed to qualify for the World Cup.
The seven year wait
Pakistan are touring India for the first time since 2016.
No one in their 15-man squad has played an international match on Indian soil. Indeed only two have been to India previously. Mohammad Nawaz was part of the T20 World Cup in 2016 but didn’t get a game whereas Salman Ali Agha toured in 2014 with Lahore Lions, a domestic team from Pakistan that played in the now-defunct Champions League T20.
The lack of experience could go against them. They are also the only team in the tournament who don’t have any player with an experience of 10 years in international cricket.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The five pillars of Islam
THE BIO
Favourite author - Paulo Coelho
Favourite holiday destination - Cuba
New York Times or Jordan Times? NYT is a school and JT was my practice field
Role model - My Grandfather
Dream interviewee - Che Guevara
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
ATP RANKINGS (NOVEMBER 4)
1. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 9,585 pts ( 1)
2. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 8,945 (-1)
3. Roger Federer (SUI) 6,190
4. Daniil Medvedev (RUS) 5,705
5. Dominic Thiem (AUT) 5,025
6. Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) 4,000 ( 1)
7. Alexander Zverev (GER) 2,945 (-1)
8. Matteo Berrettini (ITA) 2,670 ( 1)
9. Roberto Bautista (ESP) 2,540 ( 1)
10. Gaël Monfils (FRA) 2,530 ( 3)
11. David Goffin (BEL) 2,335 ( 3)
12. Fabio Fognini (ITA) 2,290
13. Kei Nishikori (JPN) 2,180 (-2)
14. Diego Schwartzman (ARG) 2,125 ( 1)
15. Denis Shapovalov (CAN) 2,050 ( 13)
16. Stan Wawrinka (SUI) 2,000
17. Karen Khachanov (RUS) 1,840 (-9)
18. Alex De Minaur (AUS) 1,775
19. John Isner (USA) 1,770 (-2)
20. Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) 1,747 ( 7)
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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The Bio
Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
Innotech Profile
Date started: 2013
Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari
Based: Muscat, Oman
Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies
Size: 15 full-time employees
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now.
Results
6.30pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes Group Three US$200,000 (Turf) 2,000m; Winner: Ghaiyyath, William Buick (jockey), Charlie Appleby (trainer).
7.05pm: Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Cliffs Of Capri, Tadhg O’Shea, Jamie Osborne.
7.40pm: UAE Oaks Group Three $250,000 (Dirt) 1,900m; Winner: Down On Da Bayou, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8.15pm: Zabeel Mile Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Zakouski, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby.
8.50pm: Meydan Sprint Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,000m; Winner: Waady, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson.
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
%3Cp%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%201.9km%20King%20Salman%20Boulevard%2C%20a%20Parisian%20Champs-Elysees-inspired%20avenue%2C%20is%20scheduled%20for%20completion%20in%202028%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20Royal%20Diriyah%20Opera%20House%20is%20expected%20to%20be%20completed%20in%20four%20years%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%20first%20of%2042%20hotels%2C%20the%20Bab%20Samhan%20hotel%2C%20will%20open%20in%20the%20first%20quarter%20of%202024%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20On%20completion%20in%202030%2C%20the%20Diriyah%20project%20is%20forecast%20to%20accommodate%20more%20than%20100%2C000%20people%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20%2463.2%20billion%20Diriyah%20project%20will%20contribute%20%247.2%20billion%20to%20the%20kingdom%E2%80%99s%20GDP%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20It%20will%20create%20more%20than%20178%2C000%20jobs%20and%20aims%20to%20attract%20more%20than%2050%20million%20visits%20a%20year%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20About%202%2C000%20people%20work%20for%20the%20Diriyah%20Company%2C%20with%20more%20than%2086%20per%20cent%20being%20Saudi%20citizens%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A