ICC World 20/20 starts April 30 in Guyana

Jul 06, 2009 Sports

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Windies play opening match of double-header at Providence

The Guyana National Stadium at Providence is set to make its debut as an International venue for Day/Night cricket matches on April 30, when the West Indies play the first game of a double-header to start the 2010 ICC World 20/20 tournament in the West Indies.

While the Providence Stadium, which hosted Super-Eight matches in the 2007 World Cup, was the venue to three Day/Night matches in last year’s Regional One-Day competition, the 10

th Test venue in the Region, built for the last World Cup, has never hosted an International match under lights.

Guyana, on the South American mainland, will also host the Opening Ceremony of next year’s World 20/20 tournament before the on-field action commences with West Indies coming up against one of the two ICC Associate teams, which will qualify for the competition from the 2010 ICC 20/20 Qualifiers, scheduled for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in October.

Sri Lanka and New Zealand clash will then make history by being the first International match under lights in Guyana, a country which hosted the first ever limited overs International in the West Indies in 1977 when West Indies played Pakistan at Albion in Berbice.

Defending champions Pakistan will begin their title defence the next day when they play Bangladesh in St Lucia in another double-header, after 2007 champions India face-off with the other ICC associate qualifier at the same venue.

Pakistan, who defeated Sri Lanka by eight wickets in the last final at Lord’s last month, will complete its opening group commitments at the same venue the following day against Australia.

The other matches set for Guyana will see England against the ICC associate qualifier on Saturday May 1 and New Zealand against Zimbabwe on Sunday May 2.Guyana, who host six matches, will have their last two games on Monday May 3 with another double –header, when West Indies face England and Sri Lanka battle Zimbabwe.

If the West Indies reache the Super Eights, they will play in St Lucia and Barbados, giving the hosts the opportunity of playing in all three locations for the men’s tournament.

England, who beat New Zealand to lift the inaugural ICC Women’s World Twenty20 title in England last month, start their push for back-to-back trophies against old rivals Australia in St Kitts on May 5, the first day of matches in the women’s tournament.

And tickets have been priced to ensure the venues are as full as possible for all 42 matches. The outstanding value for money deals include:

• Under-16s will get free entry to all matches in Guyana and all first round matches in St Lucia

• The highest-priced ticket for all men’s first round and Super Eights matches is just US$15

• All women’s group games will be free

• Tickets for either of the two semi-final men’s and women’s double-headers in St Lucia on May 13 and 14 start from just US$10 for adults and US$6 for Under-16s

• The top ticket-price for finals day is only US$40

Tickets are set to go on sale in the CARICOM markets on November 1, 2009, with sales to the rest of the world commencing two weeks later, on November 15. Tickets will be available via website, call centre, outlets and box office with further details to be announced in due course.

Looking ahead to next year’s ICC World Twenty20 2010, West Indies Cricket Board President Dr Julian R Hunte said: “The ICC World

Twenty20 has proven a successful and riveting event and the West Indies Cricket Board is pleased to host the third edition of this tournament next year.

“We look forward to it being even more spectacular than the previous ones and invite you to join us in the Caribbean.”

ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said: “We have enjoyed two hugely successful events in this form of the game, first in 2007 in South Africa and last month in England, and I am certain next year’s action in the Caribbean will maintain, if not surpass, the successes of those previous global Twenty20 tournaments.

“One measure of success will be to fill the venues and to try to achieve this we have worked hard with the West Indies Cricket Board to ensure the ticket prices are extremely competitive.

“We also want to ensure spectators are able to enjoy the tournament and we will do everything we can to ensure the event is in keeping with the relaxed atmosphere in which people watch cricket in the Caribbean.

ICC World Twenty20 Tournament Director Dr Ernest Hilaire said: “We have worked diligently to ensure that the ticket prices for the ICC World Twenty20 2010 are as competitive as possible and I think fans will agree that they are.

“I believe we will meet our primary objective of hosting sold-out matches in a truly Caribbean atmosphere.”

The decision to stage two ICC World Twenty20 events in successive years was taken by the ICC Board in October 2008 to ensure a better mix of tournaments over the coming years.

With the ICC Champions Trophy, postponed from last year and now taking place in September/October 2009, and the ICC Cricket World Cup, another 50-over event, set for 2011, the Board decided it made sense to programme an event of a different format as its major global event in 2010.

This approach also avoids staging the ICC Champions Trophy and the ICC Cricket World Cup close together, as happened in 2002-03 and 2006-07.

 

 

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