The International Cricket Council (ICC) Chief Executives’ Committee (CEC) met via teleconference on Wednesday to consider if weather conditions in Sri Lanka in September/October could permit a successful staging of the ICC Champions Trophy.
The purpose of the meeting was to formulate a recommendation to the ICC Board, which will make a final decision on the matter during a teleconference on Monday 16 March.
During the meeting, Sri Lanka Cricket said it could not guarantee there would be no rain in Colombo during the dates set aside for the tournament, 24 September to 5 October 2009.
On that basis, and with the need to minimise risk and create certainty around the event, the meeting agreed to recommend that Cricket South Africa be sought as the alternative host, subject to agreement over financial arrangements.
ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said: “The CEC agreed the need to do everything possible to ensure this year’s ICC Champions Trophy is a successful event.
“On that basis it was felt that it would be too great a risk to stage the tournament in Colombo at a time of year when there was a distinct possibility of rain.
“This was especially relevant given the length of this year’s ICC Champions Trophy has been reduced to 12 days, part of our desire to make it a short, sharp event, as on that basis there would be no room for reserve days.
“South Africa was a successful and excellent host of the ICC World Twenty20 at much the same time of year two years ago and the weather pattern in the area around Johannesburg in September and October is stable and ideal for cricket.
“The meeting therefore agreed it would be prudent to look to hold the tournament in South Africa, subject to agreement over financial arrangements.
“We are extremely grateful for Sri Lanka Cricket’s willingness to step aside in this matter and for Cricket South Africa’s willingness to be considered as the host for the event.”
The teleconference also agreed to recommend to the ICC Board that the dates for next year’s ICC World Twenty20 in the West Indies would be between 30 April and 16 May.
The tournament will take place in St Lucia, Guyana, Barbados and St Kitts with the latter island staging matches in the women’s tournament that will take place at the same time.
The purpose of the meeting was to formulate a recommendation to the ICC Board, which will make a final decision on the matter during a teleconference on Monday 16 March.
During the meeting, Sri Lanka Cricket said it could not guarantee there would be no rain in Colombo during the dates set aside for the tournament, 24 September to 5 October 2009.
On that basis, and with the need to minimise risk and create certainty around the event, the meeting agreed to recommend that Cricket South Africa be sought as the alternative host, subject to agreement over financial arrangements.
ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said: “The CEC agreed the need to do everything possible to ensure this year’s ICC Champions Trophy is a successful event.
“On that basis it was felt that it would be too great a risk to stage the tournament in Colombo at a time of year when there was a distinct possibility of rain.
“This was especially relevant given the length of this year’s ICC Champions Trophy has been reduced to 12 days, part of our desire to make it a short, sharp event, as on that basis there would be no room for reserve days.
“South Africa was a successful and excellent host of the ICC World Twenty20 at much the same time of year two years ago and the weather pattern in the area around Johannesburg in September and October is stable and ideal for cricket.
“The meeting therefore agreed it would be prudent to look to hold the tournament in South Africa, subject to agreement over financial arrangements.
“We are extremely grateful for Sri Lanka Cricket’s willingness to step aside in this matter and for Cricket South Africa’s willingness to be considered as the host for the event.”
The teleconference also agreed to recommend to the ICC Board that the dates for next year’s ICC World Twenty20 in the West Indies would be between 30 April and 16 May.
The tournament will take place in St Lucia, Guyana, Barbados and St Kitts with the latter island staging matches in the women’s tournament that will take place at the same time.
ICC Media Release
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 6:25:50 PM
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