General Cricket

Cricket originated in England, with the earliest definite reference dating to 1598. It developed in the southeastern counties and became established as a major sport in the 18th century. The first international match was between the USA and Canada in 1844, and England played Australia in the first Test match in 1877.

The ICC (International Cricket Council) is the global governing body for cricket. It organizes major tournaments like the World Cup, sets playing conditions and rules, maintains rankings, and oversees the cricket calendar. ICC has 108 member nations, with 12 having Test status.

Widely regarded greats include: Don Bradman (Australia) - highest Test average of 99.94, Sachin Tendulkar (India) - most international runs and centuries, Viv Richards (West Indies) - dominant era batsman, Brian Lara (West Indies) - highest individual Test score (400*), Virat Kohli (India) - modern era great with most ODI centuries.

Individual: Brian Lara scored 400* (not out) for West Indies vs England in 2004 (Test). In ODIs, Rohit Sharma holds the record with 264 vs Sri Lanka in 2014. Team: England scored 498/4 vs Netherlands in ODI (2022). In T20Is, Nepal scored 314/3 vs Mongolia (2023).