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2005 ICC trophy to be held in Ireland
London, Apr 30: The eighth International Cricket Council (ICC) trophy for the year 2005 will be held in Belfast and Dublin, Ireland in July next year.
London, Apr 30: The eighth International Cricket Council (ICC) trophy for the year 2005 will be held in Belfast and Dublin, Ireland in July next year.
ICC president Ehsan Mani and ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed have signed the host agreement for the ICC trophy after visiting both the cities to receive a briefing on the preparations for the 12-team event.
Mani said that he was pleased that the Irish Cricket Union (ICU) was planning to host matches in both the centres.
''I am delighted that matches will be staged in both the north and south of Ireland,'' said Mani adding that the tournament would leave a positive legacy for cricket in Ireland as it would raise the profile of the game and assist in the development of better facilities for practicing, playing and watching the sport.
The ICC trophy in 2005 would have more at stake for the 12 participating nations than ever before. There would be five places at the next ICC Cricket World Cup in the West Indies available to the competing teams.
''This is two more than in 2003 and a clear reflection of both the ICC's commitment to spreading the game and the improved performances of the developing nations at the last ICC Cricket World Cup.''
The ICU has received significant support from the clubs, provincial unions and government both north and south of the border in its preparations. Mani and Speed met with the minister for arts, sports and tourism, John O Donoghue, in Dublin and the permanent secretary for the department of culture arts and leisure, Aideen Mcginley, in Belfast.
The ICC trophy is part of an international tournament structure that provides a pathway to the elite level of competition for almost all of the ICC's 89 member countries. This begins with regional tournaments taking place throughout 2004 and will climax with the ICC Cricket World Cup in the West Indies in 2007.
The last ICC trophy was held in Canada in 2001 with Holland emerging victorious in a tense final against Namibia.
Former winners of the ICC trophy include Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.
Bureau Report
Mani said that he was pleased that the Irish Cricket Union (ICU) was planning to host matches in both the centres.
''I am delighted that matches will be staged in both the north and south of Ireland,'' said Mani adding that the tournament would leave a positive legacy for cricket in Ireland as it would raise the profile of the game and assist in the development of better facilities for practicing, playing and watching the sport.
The ICC trophy in 2005 would have more at stake for the 12 participating nations than ever before. There would be five places at the next ICC Cricket World Cup in the West Indies available to the competing teams.
''This is two more than in 2003 and a clear reflection of both the ICC's commitment to spreading the game and the improved performances of the developing nations at the last ICC Cricket World Cup.''
The ICU has received significant support from the clubs, provincial unions and government both north and south of the border in its preparations. Mani and Speed met with the minister for arts, sports and tourism, John O Donoghue, in Dublin and the permanent secretary for the department of culture arts and leisure, Aideen Mcginley, in Belfast.
The ICC trophy is part of an international tournament structure that provides a pathway to the elite level of competition for almost all of the ICC's 89 member countries. This begins with regional tournaments taking place throughout 2004 and will climax with the ICC Cricket World Cup in the West Indies in 2007.
The last ICC trophy was held in Canada in 2001 with Holland emerging victorious in a tense final against Namibia.
Former winners of the ICC trophy include Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.
Bureau Report