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 Introduction

The Cricket World Cup is the finest event in cricket, gathering nations from all over the world together to fight for the esteemed title of world champions. The competition has increased in importance and popularity since its start in 1975, capturing the attention of millions of cricket fans worldwide. As the Cricket World Cup 2023 approaches, it’s a good opportunity to look back at its history, trace its progress, and examine the rules that will oversee this much-anticipated competition.

Sir Pelham Warner, a former British cricketer and an administrator, proposed the concept of a Cricket World Cup in the very beginning of the 1900s. However, it took years for this concept to become a reality. The first Cricket World Cup was held in 1975, with England hosting the event. This was a watershed moment in cricket history since it established a new format of the sport that would forever alter the dynamics of evolving international cricket.

The Cricket World Cup has undergone multiple alterations and evolved in a variety of ways over the years:

Team Expansion: Initially, the event comprised only eight teams. However, as cricket became more popular around the world, more teams were added. By 1992, the competition had grown to nine teams, and by 1996, it had grown to twelve. The 2019 edition had a record-breaking ten teams, and the 2023 edition is scheduled to have the same number.

Changes to the Tournament Format: The tournament format has developed dramatically. The World Cup went from 60-over contests to 50-over matches in 1987, which is still the format used today. The round-robin system, in which each team plays every other team once, was established in 1992. Because of its equitable nature and excitement, this format has been kept in successive iterations.

Asian Teams’ Dominance: The growth of Asian cricketing titans, particularly India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, has been witnessed during the Cricket World Cup. The Indian victory in 1983 was an iconic moment in Asian cricket, ushering in a new era. These Asian teams have routinely outperformed and won World Cups.

Examination of laws for the 2023 Edition

The International Cricket Council (ICC) governs cricket internationally. LBW, stumps, and bat width are a few of the regulations and rules of cricket that were created and eventually modified in 1774[1]. And as time goes on, things start to change and develop, and new laws are added. After the umpires were introduced, these rules and laws could be seen on the cricket pitch. Furthermore, it now serves as an outlet for people’s emotions rather than just being a game. As a result, a match’s outcome has an effect beyond just two nations. However, there are times when umpires commit errors that spark intense debate. And making the decision to label a ball as a no ball is crucial.[2]

In a recent order by Delhi High court, it was found that Rogue websites that have engaged in intellectual content piracy in the past are quite likely to keep disseminating stolen works to the public during the World Cup 2023. The high court stated that it is necessary to prevent any shady websites from informing the public about any aspect of the cricket match occurrences without the plaintiffs’ consent or permission. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) are the organisations that conduct international cricket matches, and Star India Private Limited, the official media rights owner for such events, filed a copyright complaint against them. Its subsidiary Novi Digital Entertainment Pvt Ltd, which runs Disney+Hotstar, where the matches would be webcast, joined Star as well. After the matches begin, several websites may engage in the unapproved broadcasting of the matches, according to Star India. Additionally, it stated that rogue websites can continue their unlawful broadcast even after being prohibited or taken down by creating “mirror websites”. Therefore, it aimed to restrict these websites in real-time.

For the 2023 World Cup, the following are a few small exceptions to the rules of cricket:

• If a game is tied after regulation duration, the winner will be decided by playing a Super Over. Each team gets one over in the Super Over, and the team with the most runs scored wins the game
• .If a game is postponed because of bad weather or other circumstances, a reserve day will be scheduled. If possible, the match will be completed on the reserve day. The game will be ruled a tie if the reserve day is likewise canceled.
• A player who is hurt or ill can be replaced by the other side at any point in the game. A club is only permitted to replace one player per inning, though.

With a few minor variations, the rules of cricket for the 2023 World Cup are the same as those for One-Day Internationals (ODIs). The key distinction is that all teams play one another just once because the World Cup is played in a round-robin style. The top four groups’ teams then move on to the semifinals. The following is a list of some of the most important cricket rules for the 2023 World Cup: The pitch is required to be rectangular in design, measuring 22 yards (20 metres) long by 10 yards (9.1 metres) wide. It is required to space the wickets 22 yards apart.[3]

In conclusion, The 2023 edition promises to continue this legacy, with teams from around the world vying for the coveted title. It is important to note that Strict COVID-19 guidelines will  be implemented for the 2023 World Cup to guarantee the security of players, representatives, and audiences. Biosecure bubbles, routine testing, and capped attendance at events are a few examples of these practices.The ICC has  been aggressively promoting cricket’s adherence to environmental sustainability. There will be initiatives taken to lessen the tournament’s carbon footprint, including as employing renewable energy sources and utilizing less single-use plastic.

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Written by: Shivanshi Singh 

[1] “History of cricket-ICC,” 2022

[2] Das, S., Mahmud, T., Islam, D., Begum, M., Barua, A., Tarek Aziz, M., … & Chakma, E. (2023). Deep Transfer Learning-Based Foot No-Ball Detection in Live Cricket Match. Computational Intelligence and Neuroscience, 2023. 

[3]Rules for world cup 2023,Official ICC website.