ICC thanks BCCI for hosting biggest tourney ever

The Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 has made history by being the most attended International Cricket Council (ICC) event ever. As per the global governing body of the game, over 1,250,307 fans passed through the turnstiles to witness the biggest Cricket World Cup, culminating in Australia winning a remarkable sixth title to deny host India a fairy tale ending.

As may be recalled Newsband had reported that the spectator figures had already surpassed the one million mark with the momentum with six World Cup games remaining, including the two knock-out semi-finals ties and the grand final that culminated in front of a packed crowd at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

The 13th edition of the 50 over event which was held over six weeks (5th October to 19th November, 2023) across ten cities Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Dharamsala, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Pune, including the warm-up venues of Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram, promised to place fans at the centre of the action. The event recorded the biggest attendance for a Men’s Cricket World Cup opening match when England faced New Zealand in a repeat of the 2019 final, followed by the most attended India against Pakistan fixture in ICC World Cup history when fans flocked through the turnstiles on 14 October.

The figure of over 1.25 million fans is a new benchmark in the history of cricket, surpassing the attendance figures of any other ICC event. The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2015, held in Australia and New Zealand, witnessed 1,016,420 spectators, while the 2019 edition in England and Wales saw 752,000 fans come through the turnstiles.

The marquee global World Cup held that was hosted by India has eclipsed these figures as well as breaking multiple broadcast and digital viewership records, proving the global reach and ever-growing popularity of the sport.

Chris Tetley, ICC Head of Events said, "The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 has been a great success, showcasing the best aspects of the game and capturing the hearts of hundreds of millions of fans across the world. The staggering attendance demonstrates the enduring appeal of cricket and the excitement the ODI format continues to offer. It has been an event that has not only entertained but also united cricket fans globally in a celebration of the sport”.

With the next edition of the 50-over tournament to be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia in October-November 2027 in addition to the T20 World Cup again being co-hosted by West Indies and the USA, that will feature a record 20 teams, he further added “ICC events play an important part in growing our game and inspiring the next generation of fans and players around the world. We would like to thank all the fans who contributed to making the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 such a resounding success, and look forward to sharing more thrilling experiences for everyone in future ICC events.”

ICC thanks BCCI for hosting biggest Cricket World Cup ever

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has thanked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the successful hosting of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, spread over six weeks, featuring a 10 teams including two qualifiers, defending champions England, Australia the most successful team in the history of the tournament and host India who had won it twice earlier.

Australia beat India by six wickets, after bundling out the host for an under-par score of 240 in the final ball of the innings  (for the first time in the tourney). Wicketkeeper batter KL Rahul (66) top scored, while tournament's highest scorer Virat Kohli (54) and skipper Rohit Sharma (47) played crucial knocks.  Left arm pacer Mitchell Starc (3/55) was the pick of the bowlers for Australia, while skipper Pat Cummins (2/34) and Josh Hazlewood (2/60) took crucial wickets at regular intervals. Spinners Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell took a wicket too.  In response the five times former champions were reduced to 47/3, before match winning ton by opener Travis Head (137 off 120 balls, with 15 fours and four sixes) and unbeaten fifty by Marnus Labuschagne (58) in their record 192 runs unbeaten partnership for the fourth wicket,  extended India’s decade long drought of a ICC event title

The 2023 edition showcased the very best of cricket in one day, combining the unique Indian passion for cricket with the national pride of all competing nations creating an unrivalled global sporting occasion which captured the imagination of fans from across the world.  Not only was it one of the most attended ICC events ever but also witnessed multiple records being broken across broadcast and digital medium.

ICC Chair Greg Barclay post the final said, “We are delighted with the success of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, which has been the biggest Cricket World Cup ever. I’d like to thank the Board of Control for Cricket in India for delivering a World Cup that was a true celebration of the best all-round cricket experience that brought fans closer to the action than ever before. Thank you must also go to the Match Officials and to the ICC staff for delivering a world class global cricket event”.

He further thanked all the ten participating teams for making it such a wonderful World Cup and to India and Australia for such a compelling final to conclude the event. Congratulations to Australia for winning a remarkable sixth ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.”