Packer was keen to exploit what he saw as strong interest in ODI cricket, and staged long tri-series amongst teams from Australia, West Indies, and The Rest of the World in the 1977–78 and 1978–79 seasons.

When the World Series Cricket schism ended in 1979–80, the tri-series format was retained.

The basic format has been unchanged throughout the tri-series' history, but specific details have varied: Over its duration, the series has taken on several mostly commercial names: After the 2007–08 season, the tri-series format was abandoned as a regular fixture.

West Indies, who featured in the series frequently during the 1980s, was the next most successful team, winning six tournaments.

Other international teams to win the tri-series were England (twice), India, Pakistan and South Africa (once each).