Spurred by the success of the rebel tournament, it brought regular limited-overs cricket, coloured clothing and floodlights to official cricket for the first time.

As Australia take on West Indies and Pakistan this year, BBC Sport looks back on some of the most memorable moments from the last 26 years.

Australia captain Greg Chappell entered the halls of infamy in 1981, and forced a change in the rules, by ordering his brother Trevor to bowl the last ball of the match underarm.

Trevor Chappell bowled the underarm ball

With the best-of-five series tied 1-1, New Zealand needed six off the last ball to tie with number 10 batsman Brian McKechnie new to the crease.

Chappell's decision did not go down well, with Australia wicket-keeper Rod Marsh shaking his head in disbelief and McKechnie throwing down his bat in disgust after defending the delivery.

There were boos for Chappell in Sydney two days later as Australia wrapped up the series, even though the Aussie skipper hit 87, and was named player of the finals.

With West Indies speedster Joel Garner bowling, Australia needed 11 off the final over in 1984 to equal the three-match series at 1-1.

West Indies thought they had won the title with a tie

Incredibly, tailenders Rodney Hogg, Carl Rackemann and Geoff Lawson combined for 10 but Rackemann was run out attempting to steal a last-ball bye to the wicket-keeper.

West Indies celebrated, believing the first ever one-day international tie was enough to clinch the series, and it took the offer of extra money to ensure a third game.

But Garner was not to be denied a second time, taking 5-31 to ensure a six-wicket win.

Botham starred against England's arch-rivals

The Australian summer of 1986/87 not only marked the last time England won the Ashes Test series but also the only time England won the one-day tournament.

Pinch-hitter Ian Botham smashed 71 from 52 balls in the first final, to take England past a target of 172 with eight overs to spare.

And a deciding match was not required after Beefy claimed the wickets of Alan Border, Geoff Marsh and Greg Ritchie in an eight-run victory in Sydney.

Such was Australian dominance in 1995 that the second-best team in the tournament was Aussie too!

Taylor led Australia to victory over Australia A

The Australia A team offered a glimpse of the furture with Damien Martyn as captain and Michael Bevan, Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting in the line-up.

Having eliminated Mike Atherton's England in the final group match, they almost sprung an upset in the first match of the finals series.

Chasing 213, the senior side needed three to win in the final over and one off the final ball. Ian Healy hit four.

But a finals series that left home fans unsure who to shout for was tied up in the second match, Steve Waugh' unbeaten 56 leading Australia to a six-wicket win with an over to spare.

Australia's divine right to reach the finals series was challenged for just the second time in 2002, and there were massive repercussions.

Waugh lost his job after Australia missed the finals

Not since the first tournament in 1979 had the hosts failed to progress from the group stage, and captain Steve Waugh paid with his job.

New Zealand and South Africa manipulated a controversial rule governing bonus points to deny Australia a finals spot.

And while the debate raged on whether Australia, who had beaten South Africa in three of four group matches, had been unfairly knocked out, Shaun Pollocks' side won a low-key finals series 2-0.

Makhaya Ntini's 5-31 ensured an eight-wicket win to begin proceedings and Allan Donald and Jacques Kallis took three wickets each for a rain-hit victory in Sydney.

England's most exciting one-day match against Australia came six weeks later during the 2003 World Cup, but the adrenalin was also pumping in the second VB Series final.

An adrenalin-fuelled Lee took three late wickets

Beaten by the hosts in every single group game, and crushed by 10 wickets in the opening finals match, England finally put up a fight, chasing 230 for victory.

Michael Vaughan and Alec Stewart hit 60 each, in heat touching 42.4C, to leave England needing 14 off the last three overs, but then they imploded spectacularly.

At express pace, Brett Lee bowled Andrew Flintoff and had Ian Blackwell caught at slip in the space of four balls.

England were still six short at the start of the final over but got no closer as Lee skittled Andrew Caddick's middle stump and wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist ran out Jimmy Anderson.

"I loved it," said Lee. "You couldn't get the smile off my face."