Australia

Australian cricket is played hard, with an edge that can tip into open hostility. The national side's modern identity was forged in the 1970s and 1980s, when the Chappell brothers, Dennis Lillee and Rodney Marsh treated the crease as contested ground. That aggression, married to a deep well of fast-bowling riches, has made Australia the most successful team in the sport's history. They have won the men's ODI World Cup six times, more than any other nation, and produced generation after generation of champions with unshakeable self-belief.

The roll-call is staggering: Bradman set the standard, then Border, the Waughs, Warne, McGrath and Ponting each defined an era. The dynasty of the late 1990s and 2000s dominated every format, Steve Waugh's unglamorous winning methods giving way to Ricky Ponting's ruthless machine. Modern Australia, with Pat Cummins leading the Test side, added the 2021 T20 World Cup, the 2023 World Test Championship and the 2023 ODI World Cup in quick succession. The Baggy Green remains a national institution, and the Ashes rivalry with England still provokes more raw emotion than any other contest in the game.