The 2015 edition of the cricket World Cup will be held in Australia and New Zealand.
A total of 14 nations will participate in the tournament after it had earlier been deemed that only 10 sides will feature in the World Cup in 2015.
Australia and New Zealand were favourites to win the chance to host the 2011 World Cup but when it came down to vote, the Asian bloc of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh won the rights by a 7-4 margin. Australia/New Zealand were then allocated the rights to have the 2015 World Cup played there.
This will be the second time that the cricket World Cup will be played in Australia/New Zealand after they had earlier hosted the 1992 World Cup.
India, winners of the 2011 edition of the World Cup will go into the tournament as one of the favourites, along with the hosts and four-time winner Australia. South Africa, who have never won a World Cup before, will look to shrug off their choking misfortunes and clinch their first title as well.
The ten Test-playing nations, Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, South Africa, England and West Indies will get a direct entry into the competition. There will be a fight for the remaining four spots through two qualifying tournaments.
Eight qualifier teams will participate in 2011-13 ICC Intercontinental Cup in a round-robin tournament, of which the top two teams will go through to the World Cup. The remaining six sides will join four other teams from the lower divisions to make up a 10-team qualifier in 2013, of which two more teams will make it to the World Cup 2015.
