Cricket is not an ordinary game, it is an evolution. Starting as a children’s game in South East England in the 16th century, cricket is today the heartbeat of billions of people.

​The primitive era of Test cricket (1877 – 1939)

​Test cricket is called the purest form of cricket. The first Test began in 1877 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

​Birth of the Ashes: When Australia defeated them on English soil in 1882, the British newspaper wrote “English cricket is dead, its body has been burnt to ashes (Ashes).” Since then, the Australia-England match has been known as the ‘Ashes’. ​Don Bradman Era: In the 1930s, Sir Don Bradman started batting in a way that was a nightmare for bowlers. His Test batting average of 99.94 is the biggest surprise in the history of the sport to this day. To stop him, England invented the controversial bowling technique called ‘Bodyline’.

The rise of the World Cup and the dominance of the West Indies (1970s – 1980s)

The 1970s brought a major change in cricket. Limited-overs cricket became more popular.

1975 and 1979: The West Indies won their first two World Cups under the leadership of Clive Lloyd. Viv Richards’ devastating batting and Garner-Holdings’ fiery pace ruled the cricketing world. Back then, bowlers faced that pace without helmets! 1983 Revolution: When India defeated the mighty West Indies to win the World Cup at Lord’s, Asian cricket began to flourish. This victory was the foundation for today’s huge cricket market.

The magical cricket of the 1990s (1990s – 2000s)

The 1990s is called the golden age of cricket. It was during this period that talents like Sachin Tendulkar, Shane Warne, Brian Lara and Wasim Akram ruled the world.

​1992 World Cup (The beginning of the colourful uniforms): Pakistan’s Imran Khan won the trophy with his ‘Cornered Tigers’. This was the first time that the World Cup was held in colourful uniforms and with a white ball. ​Shane Warne’s ‘Ball of the Century’: His whirling delivery to England’s Mike Gatting in 1993 gave a new lease of life to spin bowling. ​Brian Lara’s 400: In 2004, Lara set a personal record of 400 runs in an innings in Test cricket against England, which still stands today.

T20 Revolution and IPL (2007 – present)

​In 2007, the ICC organised the first T20 World Cup. Since then, the pace of cricket has changed.

​Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s India: In 2007, a young Indian team defeated Pakistan to become champions. This led to the start of the IPL in 2008, which ushered in the modern commercial era of cricket. ​Three-format ICC events: Now the ICC Test Championship, ODI World Cup and T20 World Cup determine the world’s best. Australia is currently the most successful team in the history of cricket, having won multiple trophies in all formats.

Some special laws and changes of ICC

​To make cricket transparent, ICC has added many technologies over time:

​DRS (Decision Review System): A system for challenging the umpire’s decision. ​

Pink Ball Test: The use of a pink ball for playing day-night Tests at night. ​

Powerplay: Fielding restrictions in limited-overs cricket that have increased the rate of runs.

​Future of Cricket: Cricket is going to be included in the 2028 Olympics, which will give this sport a global form.