Leadup
All major Test-playing nations had schedules allowing them to play a large number of One Day International against other major ODI teams just prior to the World Cup. Australia, New Zealand and England took part in the Commonwealth Bank Series where England defeated Australia in the finals. Australia then went to New Zealand for the Chappell–Hadlee Trophy, losing 3–0. South Africa played five ODIs against India (South Africa won 4–0) and five against Pakistan (South Africa won 3–1) while India also played four ODIs against the West Indies (India won 3–1) and four ODIs against Sri Lanka (India won 2–1). Bangladesh played four ODIs against Zimbabwe (Bangladesh won 3–1) and won a tri-series against Canada and Bermuda. The associate ODI teams took part in the World Cricket League, which Kenya won, and were also involved in other series prior to the World Cup.
The rankings of the teams at the beginning of the Cricket World Cup were:
| Ranking | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Africa | 128 |
| 2 | Australia | 125 |
| 3 | New Zealand | 113 |
| 4 | Pakistan | 111 |
| 5 | India | 109 |
| 6 | Sri Lanka | 108 |
| 7 | England | 106 |
| 8 | West Indies | 101 |
| 9 | Bangladesh | 42 |
| 10 | Zimbabwe | 22 |
| 11 | Kenya | 0 |
| 12 | Scotland | 0% / 69% |
| 13 | Netherlands | 0% / 50% |
| 14 | Ireland | 0% / 44% |
| 15 | Canada | 0% / 33% |
| 16 | Bermuda | 0% / 28% |
Note:Teams 12–16 did not have official ODI rankings leading up to the World Cup; they are ranked based on their win percentage against full members and then wins against associate members prior to the tournament.
Read more about this topic: 2007 Cricket World Cup