Cricket, a game born in England, has a long and storied history. The first match ever recorded was between England and Australia. Cricket is played on a field with a diameter between 56 and 82 meters. The game is contested by two teams of eleven players each, with three umpires overseeing the match—two on the field and one as the TV umpire. Within the field, there’s a smaller circle known as the powerplay zone, where at least four fielders (excluding the wicketkeeper and bowler) must be present.

In its early days, cricket had two formats: Test matches and One Day Internationals (ODIs). The first Cricket World Cup took place in 1975, with the West Indies emerging as champions. They repeated their victory in 1979. Subsequent winners included India (1983), Australia (1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015, and 2023), Pakistan (1992), Sri Lanka (1996), and England (2019).

In 2007, the International Cricket Council (ICC) introduced a third format, Twenty20 (T20), with the inaugural T20 World Cup won by India. Pakistan, England, West Indies, and Australia have also claimed titles in this format, with the most recent T20 World Cup in 2024 being won by India.

Cricket is always played outdoors, never on a covered ground. The most successful batsman in cricket history is Sachin Tendulkar, who scored over 34,000 runs and made 100 centuries. The most successful bowler is Muttiah Muralitharan, with 1,347 wickets. The longest six in cricket, 158 meters, was hit by Pakistani player Shahid Afridi against South Africa, and the fastest ball, at 161.3 kph, was bowled by Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar against England. The top three most successful cricket teams are Australia, West Indies, and India.

DAWOOD SIDDIQUE,

Askani.