It was first held in 1975 in England, with eight teams participating (the six test nations at the time, Australia, England, West Indies, Pakistan, India, and New Zealand, as well as Sri Lanka and a composite team from East Africa).
Since 1987, the hosting of the World Cup been shared by the major cricket playing regions of the world: the Indian subcontinent, western Europe, Australasia and Africa. The tournaments have focused on the local superpowers, though matches are held in all regional cricketing nations.
In 2007, the championship will be held in the remaining notable cricketing region: the West Indies.
The World Cup is held in high esteem amongst fans, players, and administrators, unlike some of the myriad one-day tournaments held around the world each year. It has been the scene of some of the major developments in the way one-day cricket is played.
The nations that play in the World Cup are: