Australia National Cricket Team

The Australian national cricket team is the inheritor of the mantle of dominance borne by the West Indian team during the 1970s and 1980s. While West Indian cricket went into decline, Australian cricket surged ahead of the other test playing nations, and put together a World Cup winning record that is unlikely to be challenged for decades to come.

Captain: Ricky Ponting
Coach: Tim Nielsen
Best Cricket World Cup Performance: winners (1987, 1999, 2003, 2007)

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World Cup - World Cup Winner -
India	10/3	10/3	10/3	10/3	3	7/2	10/3	10/3	10/3	3
England	5	5	5	11/2	5	5	5	5	5	9/2
Australia	9/2	9/2	11/2	5	11/2	9/2	9/2	11/2	5	11/2
South Africa	11/2	11/2	5	5	11/2	11/2	11/2	5	11/2	5
Sri Lanka	5	5	9/2	9/2	9/2	5	5	9/2	5	5
Pakistan	15/2	9	15/2	11	8	8	9	8	9	9
New Zealand	12	18	20	17	16	14	18	18	14	14
West Indies	17	16	16	19	20	16	16	22	16	20
Bangladesh	33	40	33	43	40	50	40	40	50	50
Zimbabwe	175	150	250	259	200	150	150	150	200	300
Ireland	499	500	500	379	500	500	500	500	500	750
Kenya	999	-	-	639	1000	-	-	1000	1000	750
Canada	-	-	-	639	1000	-	-	2000	1000	1000
Netherlands	999	-	-	639	1000	-	-	2000	1000	1000

2011 Cricket World Cup

Australia - Cricket World Cup Australia will be going in search of their fourth consecutive Cricket World Cup title in Asia in 2011. However, this tournament is likely to see the Australians at their weakest in decades, with the team recovering from the retirement of several star players. Whilst Australia can be expected to play with its usual steely determination, the success of its campaign will depend on how Australia’s new generation of players adapt to the slower pitches on the Asian subcontinent.

Cricket World Cup History

Australia reached the final of the inaugural World Cup in 1975. The Australians were no a match for a West Indian side packed with cricketing legends, and went on to lose the match by 17 runs. In the next two tournaments, Australian cricket had entered a fallow period, which resulted in the team exiting both the 1979 and 1983 World Cups in the first round.

The 1987 Cricket World Cup was a different matter altogether, as Australia lost only 1 match en route to the final. In the final the Australians faced their old enemy, England, and succeeded in defeating the English by 7 runs in one of the most memorable finals in Cricket World Cup history.

A disappointing World Cup campaign followed for Australia when they hosted the tournament in 1992, as they exited the tournament in the first round. In 1996 the Cricket World Cup returned to Asia, and the Australians returned to form, reaching their third Cricket World Cup final. Australia played Sri Lanka in the final, and virtually handed the Sri Lankans the title by dropping 5 catches.

This was to be the last occasion to date that the Australians would lose in a Cricket World Cup final. During the next three tournaments the Australians embarked on a record-breaking run, starting with victory at the 1999 Cricket World Cup in England. In 2003 the Australians made it two in a row by winning the Cricket World Cup in South Africa.

The best was yet to come. At the 2007 Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean, the Australian cricket team appeared to be virtually invincible, progressing to the final without losing a single match. Australia played Sri Lanka in the final of the tournament, and achieved their Cricket World Cup hat trick with a 53 run victory.