ODI World Cup: Who has lost and won the most finals?

The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 is near and all teams are gearing up for the marquee tournament by playing crucial International matches in upcoming weeks. One of the most successful teams in the tournament, West Indies will not be a part of the ODI World Cup for the first time in their history. They were unable to qualify for the multi-nation tournament after playing ICC World Cup qualifiers. In this article, we will take a look at who has lost and won the most finals in the ODI World Cup.

ODI World Cup: Most runner-up

England

England has reached the finals of four Cricket World Cups. In the 2019 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, England won the coveted trophy for the first time ‘by the barest of all margins’ by defeating New Zealand. Before the 2019 World Cup, England had lost in the finals thrice in 1979, 1987 and 1992.

• 1979 Cricket World Cup: England topped their group with three wins in three games against Pakistan, Australia and Canada. In the semi-finals, they defeated New Zealand in a closely contested match. England scored 221 runs in the first innings and restricted New Zealand to 212 runs and won the game by nine runs. In the finals, they faced off against the defending champions, West Indies. West Indies showcased their class as Viv Richards scored a century in the finals getting the total to 286 runs. England were then bowled out for 194 runs and lost the game by 92 runs.
• 1987 Cricket World Cup: In the group stage, England finished 2nd below Pakistan and qualified for the semi-finals. England met India in the semi-finals. Graham Gooch scored a century and England reached a total of 254 runs. India was bowled out for just 219 runs and lost the match by 35 runs. It was a match between the arch-rivals as Australia and England faced off each other in the finals. David Boon scored 75 runs in the first innings as Australia scored 253 runs in their 50 overs. England came close to chasing down the target thanks to a half-century from Bill Athey and a couple of scores of 40s from Mike Gatting and Allan Lamb. England lost the final by just 7 runs.
• 1992 Cricket World Cup: The 1992 World Cup saw the abandonment of group stages and the introduction of the round-robin league stage. England finished 2nd in the league below New Zealand. They won five of their 8 league games. In the semi-finals, England defeated South Africa in a rain-interrupted game. Pakistan defeated England in the finals of the 1992 World Cup thanks to an all-rounder performance from Wasim Akram. Pakistan scored 249 runs in the first innings and Akram scored 33 runs in 18 balls. England was then bowled out for 227 runs and lost the game by 22 runs. Akram took three wickets in his 10 overs. This is Pakistan’s only win in the World Cup.

ODI World Cup: Most champions

Australia

Australia is undoubtedly the most successful team in ODI World Cups. They have a total of seven appearances in the World Cup finals. Out of those seven finals they have been the winning side five times. Here is a look at their five victories in ODI World Cups.

Also Read: Which Test match had the most sixes in history?

• 1987 Cricket World Cup: Australia finished 2nd in their group below India. In the semi-finals, Australia defeated Pakistan by 18 runs. Craig McDermott was adjudged the Player of the Match for his impressive bowling figures of 5/44. It was an England vs Australia at the 1987 Cricket World Cup finals. Australia won by just seven runs with David Boon winning the Player of the Match award.
• 1999 Cricket World Cup: Australia finished 2nd in Group B below Pakistan. They qualified for the Super Six. In Super Six, they once again finished 2nd behind Pakistan. In the semi-finals, Australia tied with South Africa and only managed to progress to the finals as they had a better position in the Super Six points table. In the finals, it was a great bowling performance from Australia against Pakistan. Shane Warne took four wickets and helped Australia to restrict Pakistan to just 132 runs. The Australian batters chased down the target while losing just two wickets in just 20.1 overs.
• 2003 Cricket World Cup: Australia won all of their six games and finished at the top position in Group A. In Super Six, they once again finished at the top winning all their games. They played Sri Lanka in the semi-finals in a rain-interrupted match. The Australian team scored 212 runs in the first innings. Sri Lanka was given a target of 172 runs to chase in 38.1 overs. Sri Lanka only managed 123 runs in their innings with Brett Lee picking up three wickets. In the finals, Australia showed complete dominance over India. The Aussies scored 359 runs in the first innings with Ricky Ponting scoring 140*. In reply, India only managed 234 runs before they were bowled out. Australia won the finals by 125 runs and remained undefeated throughout the tournament.
• 2007 Cricket World Cup: Australia continued their winning streak from the 2003 World Cup with three wins in three group-stage games. In the Super 8, they won all of their six games and qualified for the semi-finals. In the semi-finals, they first bowled out South Africa for just 149 runs and then chased down the total in 31.3 overs with the loss of just three wickets. In the finals, they faced Sri Lanka in a rain-interrupted match. Australia scored 281 runs in their 38 overs and gave Sri Lanka a target of 269 in 36 overs. Sri Lanka only managed to score 215 runs and lost the match by 53 runs.
• 2015 Cricket World Cup: The Cricket World Cup returned to Australia and New Zealand in 2015. Australia finished second in their group after suffering a defeat to New Zealand who finished first. In the quarter-finals, Australia bowled out Pakistan for just 213 runs and then chased down the target with 6 wickets and 97 balls still remaining. In the semi-finals, Australia defeated India thanks to an all-round performance from the batters and bowlers. Australia scored 328 runs in the first innings and then bowled India out for just 233 runs in the second innings. In the finals, it was a clash between the two host countries. Australia dominated the game by first bowling New Zealand out for 183 runs and then chasing down the total in 33.1 overs with 7 wickets in hand.

Conclusion

In the run-up to the upcoming ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, teams are intensifying their preparations through crucial international matches. However, notably absent from this edition will be the West Indies, a team with a storied history in the tournament. In this article, we explored the teams that have both triumphed and come up short in the ODI World Cup finals. England, with four appearances in the finals, finally clinched the title in 2019. Meanwhile, Australia has asserted its dominance, winning the prestigious tournament five times in seven final appearances. These statistics remind us of the thrilling moments and fierce competition that define cricket’s grandest stage.