Cricket World Cup 2015: Tournament Format, Rules, Groups and Schedule
The 2015 edition of the Cricket World Cup is on the horizon as the finest players in the game throng to Australia and New Zealand looking to bat, bowl and field their way to glory.
India come into the competition as reigning champions and will feel as though they have a fine chance of defending their crown. But amid the ferocious landscape of limited overs cricket, any of the major Test-playing nations will feel as though they have a fair shot at lifting the trophy at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on March 29.
Here’s all the information you need on the format of the competition, the schedule of matches and a closer look at some of the most enticing games in the pool phase.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
| Afghanistan | India |
| Australia | Ireland |
| Bangladesh | Pakistan |
| England | South Africa |
| New Zealand | United Arab Emirates |
| Scotland | West Indies |
| Sri Lanka | Zimbabwe |
| Pool Matches | Feb. 14 - Mar. 15 |
| Quarter-Finals | Mar. 18 - Mar. 21 |
| Semi-Finals | Mar. 24 - Mar. 26 |
| Final | Mar. 29 |
Format and Rules
All 14 teams will take part in the opening stages of the competition and will be split into two groups of seven. Each team will play each other once in a round-robin format. The matches will be played in a 50-over format and the top four sides from each group will progress to the quarter-finals.
The team that tops Group A will play the side that finishes fourth in Group B, the team that finishes second in one group will play the country that ends up in third in the other and so forth.
From that point, the tournament will be run in standard knockout style, with the winners progressing to the next round.
Australia vs. England, Feb. 14
The MCG will be a cauldron of noise for this one as these two eternal enemies get set to add another chapter to their longstanding rivalry. Australia will be the big favourites and, backed by a thunderous home support, will be looking to get their assault on the world title started with a momentum-building victory.
It remains to be seen whether or not Michael Clarke will be back to lead the team for this tournament, but the co-hosts have an array of exceptional batting talents. Opener David Warner is certainly one to watch out for, and as noted by BBC TMS, he’s a player that’s in excellent form coming into this tournament:
The pressure will definitely be on the Aussies—who have won three of the last four World Cups—and England will be hoping that plays into their hands. Indeed, there’s little expected of Eoin Morgan and his side coming into this one and fans of the Three Lions will be hoping that they can flourish as a result.
Australia will surely have too much for the visitors, though. Players like Warner, Steve Smith and Aaron Finch are very tough to pin down, and although there have been some signs of improvement from the English in warm-up matches, the Aussies will get their tournament off to the best possible start.
India vs. South Africa, Feb. 22
South Africa will be looking to abate their longstanding reputation as chokers on the World Cup stage and their match against India looks as though it could determine who finishes top of their particular group. The Proteas have the class to go far in this competition and all eyes will be on skipper AB de Villiers after his recent record-breaking century.
Here’s a look at why the South African is rated among the best players on the planet at the moment:
With the ball, they have some major threats, too. Dale Steyn remains one of most devastating fast bowlers around, and he’s well supported by the rangy Morne Morkel. On paper, this team is well balanced, and if they can get a group-stage win over a team like India, it could breathe initiative into the side with bigger challenges to come.
But India are also one of the most entertaining teams around and will be desperate to defend the title they won four years ago. Their star man is Virat Kohli, and as we witnessed in earnest during the 2011 tournament and in subsequent years, the batsman is a player who relishes the big occasion.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
