New Zealand to host every side in ICC Cricket World Cup 2015

30 July 2013

New Zealand to host every side in ICC Cricket World Cup 2015

The local organising committee of ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, which will be jointly hosted by New Zealand and Australia from 14 February to 29 March, has today announced its 14 host cities and a 49 match schedule that will see every team play matches in New Zealand. The announcements were made at simultaneous launch events held in Wellington and Melbourne, and attended by the respective Prime Ministers of the two host nations.

Christchurch is scheduled to host the opening match of the tournament featuring New Zealand against Sri Lanka, while there will be a quarter-final at Wellington Regional Stadium and a semi-final at Auckland’s Eden Park. The final will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, as it was when the two countries last co-hosted the tournament in 1992.

Commenting at the launch event in Wellington today, Therese Walsh, Head of New Zealand for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 local organising committee, said: "This is a once in a generation opportunity to see the best players and best teams going head to head in our backyard, and we have worked hard to make the tournament as accessible as possible by spreading the games across the two host countries.”

“The result is a great one for New Zealand cricket and fans all around the country. We have every team playing here, equal numbers of host cities and pool games, and what are sure to be fiercely contested quarter-final and semi-final. This will be a summer that inspires young cricketers and provides lasting memories for Kiwi fans and families.”

Each of the tournament’s 14 host cities will host three pool games. The seven host cities in New Zealand are Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Napier, Nelson and Wellington. The Australia host cities are Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.

The two pools for the initial stage of the tournament, based on the Reliance ICC ODI rankings as on 31 December 2012, are:

· Pool A: England, Australia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, New Zealand, Qualifier 2 and Qualifier 3.

· Pool B: South Africa, India, Pakistan, West Indies, Zimbabwe, Ireland (Qualifier 1) and Qualifier 4.

Therese Walsh said: “Having all of these teams play across our seven host cities puts the magic of the ICC Cricket World Cup within the reach of most New Zealanders. You can expect more of the same when we announce ticketing details later this year.”

Fans can register for the latest information at www.cricketworldcup.com

ICC President Alan Isaac, who attended the event launch in Wellington, said: “I’m delighted to be part of this historic occasion as today we officially start the countdown to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, an event that, over the past 40 years, has become a truly global event.

“ICC events have established a unique place in cricket calendar, and, as we’ve seen at our most recent events in Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom, players, sponsors, media, fans and supporters from all around the world want to be part of the spectacle.

“Sport is synonymous with life in Australia and New Zealand, and both countries boast some of the best facilities in the world. With the World Cup returning to these shores for the first time since 1992, I am sure it will be an event to remember.”

The ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 is contested by the 10 Full Members of the International Cricket Council (ICC), together with four Associate and Affiliate Members that qualify through the ICC Cricket World Cup qualifying programme.

The results of the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Championship 2011-2013 will produce the first two qualifying teams, with Ireland already progressing to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 earlier this year and one other qualifier to be known by October. The final two spots will be determined through the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier to be hosted in New Zealand during January and February 2014.

Full details of on the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and qualification format are available at www.cricketworldcup.com , where fans can also register for ticketing news and other tournament updates.

ENDS

© Scoop Media