INDIA
The BCCI governs the Indian Cricket Team. In 1721, a group comprising sailors met in Western India to play the first-ever recorded match. A Test match was played in India on the 25th of June 1932, at the Lord’s Cricket Ground in England. India is the sixth team to have played Test cricket. They are also known for being firm on their home ground, but not impacting away tours. India won just 35 of the 196 matches in their 50-year history. It’s encouraging to see how much has changed in the last few years.
India has generally performed well at ICC events, except for the 2007 World Cup. They played a vigorous brand of cricket in the 2015 World Cup but lost to eventual winners Australia in the semis. The leadership was changed when MS Dhoni retired from shorter formats and Virat Kohli took over as captain. India lost to their arch-rivals in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. India’s performance in the longer format has been exceptional, especially at home. They currently hold the ICC Test mace. In Australia, they also made history by winning a Test series after a long wait. This feat was never accomplished by any Asian team before.
PAKISTAN
The Pakistan Cricket Board manages the Pakistan cricket team. It is an International Cricket Council full member with Test and one-day international status. Before the first Test team was established, cricket in Pakistan had been played for many years. Their first match was against India in Delhi in 1952, while their first international trip to England was in 1954.
In 2016, history was made when Pakistan, led by Misbah, rose to the top of the Test rankings. For the first time, Pakistan climbed up to the no. 1 position in Test rankings. However, it was only for a short time. Since Misbah-ul Haq’s retirement, Younis Khan and Younis Khan haven’t maintained the same level of form. They won the Champions Trophy the first time they lifted it, beating India, their arch-rivals, a year later. Pakistan was also ranked no. In 2018, Pakistan was ranked as the No. 1 T20I side.
AUSTRALIA
In most eras, the Australian cricket team is perhaps the most successful in international cricket. It is also the oldest Test cricket team, having participated in the first match in 1877. Since 2001, the ICC Test Championship table has been dominated by the Australians. This table was briefly dominated by the South African cricket team in 2003 before Australia regained first place.
Australia has been a dominant force in the ICC World Cup, winning it on numerous occasions. They won their first title in 1987, they became the champions in three consecutive editions – 1999 2003 and 2007. After being undefeated in 34 consecutive World Cup matches, Pakistan won the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup. Australia’s hopes of winning their fourth consecutive title were dashed when India defeated them in the quarterfinals.
ENGLAND
England and Wales Cricket Board has taken over the management of the England cricket team. The Marylebone Cricket Club was responsible for the England Cricket Team’s governance from 1903 to 1996.
Although the English team had a difficult run at the 2015 World Cup, Eoin Morgan’s limited-overs format has helped them transform their approach. They are an attacking, balanced unit with few flaws. They were also the No.1 ODI team in the world. The captaincy of the Test team has been changed by Joe Root, who replaced Alastair Cook. That transformation worked wonders as England adopted the ‘hit-every-ball-of-the-park’ approach. The 2019 ODI World Cup was won by England, a trophy that has been missing since 1975 when the idea was first proposed.
SOUTH AFRICA
Cricket South Africa manages the South African cricket team also known as “The Proteas”. South Africa is an international cricket council member with a test and one-day international status. The British established cricket in South Africa in 1888-1989. South Africa was the third Test country to play a Test match against a touring England team at Port Elizabeth.
They have reached the Cricket World Cup semi-finals three times but failed to advance to the finals. In 1999, Herschelle Gibbs dropped Australian captain Steve Waugh in a round-robin match. They did well in the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup. However, New Zealand defeated them in the quarterfinals. This ended their World Cup campaign.