With the 2011 ICC World Cup in full swing, we searched through our collection to see if we could find any objects or photos that related to one of the biggest events in cricket. Here’s what we found.

Who Will Rule The World – Collector Card

Collection Details:
BM 1996.640.78. Collector Card, 1993/94 Premier Editions – No.62 Who Will Rule The World’, cardboard, made by Futera, 1994.

Australian Team at the inaugural World Cup

Did you know that the first One Day Cricket World Cup was actually called The Prudential Cup? Held in the UK in June 1975, and competed for by eight teams, the final was won by the West Indies who beat Australia by 17 runs. Australia managed to get five run outs in their chase for 291.

Above is a photo taken of the first Australian team to participate in a World Cup for One Day cricket. The Australian team was: Back Row: G. Gilmour, A. Mallet, D. Lillee, J. Thomson, A. Hurst, M. Walker, R. McCosker, A. Turner. Front Row: R. Edwards, D. Walters, I. Chappell, F. Bennett (Mgr), G. Chappell, R. Marsh, B. Laird.

Collection Details:
BM 1996.436. Photograph, ”Australian Team at the inaugural World Cup”, photographic paper, 1975.

Pakistan – World Cup Champions in 1992

Pakistan captain and great of the game, Imran Khan, celebrates with the rest of the team as they claim the 1992 World Cup, defeating England by 22 runs.

The 1992 World Cup final was history in the making for the captain and country. Known as ‘The Lion of Pakistan’, Imran Kahn took the final wicket of Richard Illingworth to give Pakistan its first ever World Cup title. All this, in his final One Day International. Not a bad way to bow out!

Did you know over 30% of Imran’s Test wickets were against batsmen with a batting average of 40 or more. He took Sunil Gavaskar’s wicket 11 times.

Collection Details:
BM 2009.133. Photograph, ‘Pakistan – World Cup Champions in 1992’, photographic paper, Photographer: Unknown for John Fairfax Publications Pty Ltd., March 1992, Melbourne, Australia.

All 1992 World Cup Teams on Australian Frigate

With the 1992 World Cup featuring coloured player clothing, white cricket balls and black sight-screens for the first time in its history, they decided, what better way to show off these colourful teams than to take a group photo on a boat. Set in Sydney Harbour, teams were grouped together and also featured South Africa for the first time since the apartheid.

Collection Details:
BM 2010.250. Slide, ‘All 1992 World Cup Teams on Australian Frigate’, plastic and film.

Sachin Tendulkar

The little maestro, Sachin Tendulkar, batting against South Africa. The match was won by South Africa by 6 wickets, in a game that was reduced to 30 overs due to rain.

Collection Details:
BM 2010.979. Slide, ‘Sachin Tendulkar batting 1992 World Cup in Australia’, plastic and film, 1992.