The Australian Tri-series used to be a routine fixture of the cricket calendar during the early days of One Day International Cricket. The competition saw two visiting teams to Australia who would face each other in a three-day series or a triseries.
In 1979, West Indies and England toured Australia. This was the first ever triseries and the Windies were crowned the inaugural champions. The tournament was held annually till the 2007-08 season. After 2008, the triseries has been held only twice.
The most common format that was followed in the triseries included the three teams face each other in at least a triple round-robin format in the league stage. The top two teams would then play a final which would be a best of three match series.
Out of the 31 seasons held, the Aussies won the triseries on 20 occasions. West Indies are the next best side with six titles to their name. England have won the triseries twice, whereas India, Pakistan, and South Africa have won once each.
Dean Jones has been the highest run-scorer in a record four triseries. Among the bowlers, Glenn McGrath has been the leading wicket-taker on a record four instances. The triseries came to a halt after the 2015 World Cup. The stringent cricket calendar that now finds difficulty in adjusting One Day Internationals in a T20 dominated season makes it a struggle for triseries to stage a comeback.
As of March 2024, Australia has expressed its desire to bring back the Australian tri-series by hosting India and Pakistan. However, an official word has not been out as of November 2024.
