| Administrator(s) | International Cricket Council |
|---|---|
| Cricket format | Limited overs cricket |
| Tournament format(s) | Round-robin and Knockout |
| Host(s) |  England |
| Champions |  Sri Lanka (1st title) |
| Runners-up |  Canada |
| Participants | 15 |
| Most runs | Duleep Mendis (221) |
| Most wickets | John Vaughan (14) |
The 1979 ICC Trophy was a limited overs cricket tournament held in England between 22 May and 21 June 1979. It was the inaugural ICC Trophy tournament to be staged, with matches between the 15 participating teams played over 60 overs a side and with white clothing and red balls. All matches were played in the Midlands.
The tournament served as the Cricket World Cup qualification process – the two finalists, Sri Lanka and Canada, qualified to take part in the 1979 World Cup. The World Cup began on 9 June, just three days after Sri Lanka and Canada qualified for it by winning their ICC Trophy semi-finals. The ICC Trophy final was held on 21 June at Worcestershire's ground at New Road, two days before the World Cup final. Sri Lanka won the first ICC Trophy defeating Canada by 60 runs in the final.
East Africa who played in the first World Cup did not qualify this time, which meant there would be no nation from the African region participating in the 1979 World Cup.