ICC President says country’s passion will shine through
PCB Chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf believes new format will produce great contests
ICC President Ray Mali today hailed Pakistan as “a great host to a great tournament” as he began the countdown to this year’s ICC Champions Trophy.
“Pakistan has the venues, of course, but more importantly, it also has the passion to do real justice to what we at the ICC believe will be a superb event,” he said at the tournament’s launch in Lahore on Wednesday.
“We all know just how important the game of cricket is to countless numbers of people in this country – and come September the whole world will get the chance to see Pakistan’s love of and hunger for the game first hand.
“Pakistan is going to be a great host to a great tournament,” he added.
September’s event is a face-off between the top eight sides in world cricket, staged in three venues – Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi. The short, sharp event, with 15 matches in just 18 days, will also play a key role in the further development of the game worldwide.
This year’s tournament will generate US$10million for ICC Members below the top tier, taking to US$75million the amount raised by this tournament for development since it began in 1998.
Dr Nasim Ashraf, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), was equally enthusiastic at the prospect of hosting the tournament, the first time Pakistan has staged an ICC event since 1996 when it acted as joint hosts of the ICC Cricket World Cup alongside India and Sri Lanka.
“We are absolutely thrilled and delighted at hosting the ICC Champions Trophy which is the second most important tournament after the ICC Cricket World Cup,” he said
“And with this being the first ICC event to be held in Pakistan for 12 years, we are excited and committed to making it the best-ever for the participating teams as well as for all the spectators who will be travelling to Pakistan in September.
“This prestigious tournament will provide an excellent opportunity to Pakistan to show its passion for cricket and will also give an opportunity to show our traditional hospitality.
“This tournament will also play a vital role in contributing to Pakistan’s development programme which is already finding its feet. With the tournament to be played under a new and exciting format, I have no doubt that this event will go down in history as one of the most keenly and fiercely contested events.”
The teams for this year’s tournament have been divided into two groups. Group A includes defending champion Australia, India, Pakistan and the West Indies while South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and England are in Group B.
Each side plays all other sides in its group and the top two teams from each group progress to the semi-finals with the top side from Group A playing the second-placed side from Group B and the second-placed side from Group A playing the top side from Group B
That final will be staged at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, which also hosted the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup in 1996.
The other venues are Karachi and Rawalpindi, which will each host a semi-final.
Mr Mali said that besides being a short and sharp tournament, the tournament had plenty of exciting features that made it one of the most eagerly awaited and keenly contested tournaments.
“I believe Pakistan’s love of the game will help to make this the best-ever ICC Champions Trophy – but there are other reasons for me believing that, when we will look back on September’s action, we will do so with real joy.
“The eight teams taking part are from five different continents, a great illustration of the game’s diversity. At a time when there are so many negatives in the world, cricket really is a lesson in how people can come together.”
Mr Mali also paid tribute to ICC’s commercial partners at the ICC Champions Trophy launch.
“The support of our commercial partners Global Partners LG Electronics, Reliance Communications and Pepsico, as well as our Official Partners Reebok, Emirates and Yahoo and our broadcast partners ESPN STAR Sports is invaluable,” said Mr Mali.
“Their support allows cricket to make the massive investments necessary to build the legacy that will sustain the sport for future generations and we are once again indebted to them.”
PCB Chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf believes new format will produce great contests
ICC President Ray Mali today hailed Pakistan as “a great host to a great tournament” as he began the countdown to this year’s ICC Champions Trophy.
“Pakistan has the venues, of course, but more importantly, it also has the passion to do real justice to what we at the ICC believe will be a superb event,” he said at the tournament’s launch in Lahore on Wednesday.
“We all know just how important the game of cricket is to countless numbers of people in this country – and come September the whole world will get the chance to see Pakistan’s love of and hunger for the game first hand.
“Pakistan is going to be a great host to a great tournament,” he added.
September’s event is a face-off between the top eight sides in world cricket, staged in three venues – Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi. The short, sharp event, with 15 matches in just 18 days, will also play a key role in the further development of the game worldwide.
This year’s tournament will generate US$10million for ICC Members below the top tier, taking to US$75million the amount raised by this tournament for development since it began in 1998.
Dr Nasim Ashraf, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), was equally enthusiastic at the prospect of hosting the tournament, the first time Pakistan has staged an ICC event since 1996 when it acted as joint hosts of the ICC Cricket World Cup alongside India and Sri Lanka.
“We are absolutely thrilled and delighted at hosting the ICC Champions Trophy which is the second most important tournament after the ICC Cricket World Cup,” he said
“And with this being the first ICC event to be held in Pakistan for 12 years, we are excited and committed to making it the best-ever for the participating teams as well as for all the spectators who will be travelling to Pakistan in September.
“This prestigious tournament will provide an excellent opportunity to Pakistan to show its passion for cricket and will also give an opportunity to show our traditional hospitality.
“This tournament will also play a vital role in contributing to Pakistan’s development programme which is already finding its feet. With the tournament to be played under a new and exciting format, I have no doubt that this event will go down in history as one of the most keenly and fiercely contested events.”
The teams for this year’s tournament have been divided into two groups. Group A includes defending champion Australia, India, Pakistan and the West Indies while South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and England are in Group B.
Each side plays all other sides in its group and the top two teams from each group progress to the semi-finals with the top side from Group A playing the second-placed side from Group B and the second-placed side from Group A playing the top side from Group B
That final will be staged at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, which also hosted the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup in 1996.
The other venues are Karachi and Rawalpindi, which will each host a semi-final.
Mr Mali said that besides being a short and sharp tournament, the tournament had plenty of exciting features that made it one of the most eagerly awaited and keenly contested tournaments.
“I believe Pakistan’s love of the game will help to make this the best-ever ICC Champions Trophy – but there are other reasons for me believing that, when we will look back on September’s action, we will do so with real joy.
“The eight teams taking part are from five different continents, a great illustration of the game’s diversity. At a time when there are so many negatives in the world, cricket really is a lesson in how people can come together.”
Mr Mali also paid tribute to ICC’s commercial partners at the ICC Champions Trophy launch.
“The support of our commercial partners Global Partners LG Electronics, Reliance Communications and Pepsico, as well as our Official Partners Reebok, Emirates and Yahoo and our broadcast partners ESPN STAR Sports is invaluable,” said Mr Mali.
“Their support allows cricket to make the massive investments necessary to build the legacy that will sustain the sport for future generations and we are once again indebted to them.”