The ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 is scheduled to begin from May 30 and it will be held at England and Wales. It is the 5th time that Cricket World Cup will be held here. This will be the 12th edition of ICC World Cup tournament which will feature 10 cricketing nation. The first match of World Cup 2019 will be played at the Oval, London between England and South Africa. As we enter into World Cup fever, let us explore a few interesting facts and history about World Cup Trophy. ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 Schedule in PDF: Ticket Prices, Dates, Venue Details & Timetable Available for Download Online.

The Cricket World Cup trophy is a standout piece and it's just not another title. Winning this tournament, makes the country team name be a part of the history of the game. We follow the World Cup tournament, appreciate the team winning it, however, many of us are not aware of efforts taken behind creating the most prestigious trophy in cricket. ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 All Teams Squad: Full Players List of Nations Participating in CWC 19.

Geometry and Dimension of Cricket World Cup Trophy

The ICC Cricket World Cup  Trophy which we see on television is made from silver and gold and features a golden globe held up by three silver columns, which are shaped as stumps and bails. This trophy represents the three fundamental aspects of cricket which are batting, bowling and fielding, while the globe characterises a cricket ball. The current World Cup trophy weighs around 11 kg and stands 60 cm high. The heavy weight of the trophy is due to a strong hardwood base. The name of World Cup tournament winners is engraved on the base of the trophy. ICC Cricket World Cup 2019: Meet Captains of All 10 Participating Teams.

The current dimensioning of Cricket World Cup Trophy originated in the ICC World Cup 1999.  The original World Cup trophy with names of all winners inscribed on it is kept at ICC Headquarter in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Since the creation of a unique permanent trophy by ICC in World Cup 1999, winners are permanently awarded the replica of the original trophy which only differs in the inscription.

ICC has awarded the work of designing World Cup Trophy to Ottewill Silversmiths, a UK based company which was established in 1993 by Steven Ottewill who is the director of this firm. They have also designed trophies for Npower Championship, League One and League Two football trophies. The design manager of World Cup Trophy is Zoe Clarke.

The Making of the ICC Cricket World Cup Trophy

Evolution of Cricket World Cup Trophy

You will be surprised to know that the World Cup trophy was named after the sponsorers before World Cup 1999. The first three editions of World Cup was held in England and Wales which was known as Prudential Cups, as UK-based financial company Prudential plc sponsored the tournament that time. The trophies were identical in all three world cups which was listed by Clive Lloyd of West Indies in 1975, 1979 and in 1983 it was lifted by Kapil Dev of India. The Prudential Cup trophy was re-awarded to the Indian team in 2008, which won it in Cricket World Cup 1983. Prudential plc presented the trophy again to India to mark the silver jubilee celebrations of the famous win.

Prudential Cricket World Cup Trophies (Photo Credits: File Image)

The World Cup tournament in 1987 was held for the first in Indian sub-continent which was sponsored by Reliance and hence it was known as Reliance Cup. Allan Border of Australia lifted the World Cup trophy in 1987.

Reliance World Cup Awarded to Allan Border-led Australia in 1987 WC (Photo Credits: File Image)

In 1992, the World Cup took place in Australia and New Zealand which was known as Benson and Hedges Cup as this company was the sponsorer for the World Cup. This trophy was made out of crystals and remains the only trophy to have no metal at all.

Benson and Hedges Cup Awarded to Imran Khan-led Pakistan in 1992 WC (Photo Credits: File Image)

In 1996 the World Cup again took place in sub-continent which featured 12 teams for the first time and introduced the quarterfinals. This trophy was known as Wills World Cup Trophy which was lifted by Arjuna Ranatunga from Sri Lanka.

Wills World Cup Trophy Lifted by Arjuna Ranatunga in 1996 (Photo Credits: File Image)

Finally, after 24 years, ICC came up with its own World Cup Trophy in 1999. They introduced their unique and permanent trophy in ICC World Cup 1999. The trophy that time was designed by a team of craftsmen from London-based Garrard and Co who completed the job in two months. Since then ICC has named World Cup Trophy by its own name. The ICC World Cup in 1999, 2003 and 2007  was won by the Australian team in a row. India under the captaincy of MS Dhoni won the World Cup for the second time in the year 2011. Australia won the World Cup 2015 under the leadership of Michael Clarke.

ICC Cricket World Cups in 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015 (Photo Credits: Getty Images)

The final of ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 will be played on July 14 at Lord's, London. This year ten teams will face each other in Round Robin format where top 4 will qualify for semi-finals. The ICC World Cup 1992 was also played in the same format which was won by Pakistan under the captaincy of Imran Khan.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 14, 2019 03:07 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).