Cardiff Takes Centre Stage for Start of ICC Champions Trophy

The First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones AM, today attended the launch event for International Cricket Council Champions Trophy in Cardiff, at which he confirmed the city will take centre stage for the start of the 2013 tournament.

At the launch the First Minister reiterated the city’s standing as one of the top destinations for hosting world class cricket matches, and also Cardiff’s track record for holding successful global sporting events.

Cardiff will be one of three destinations, along with Edgbaston and the Oval, to host five fixtures during the three-week ICC Champions Trophy England & Wales 2013 tournament, which starts in Cardiff on June 6th and features the world's top-eight one-day teams.

The opening contest in the 50-overs-a-side competition is a heavyweight clash between the current ICC World Cup holders India and South Africa, winners of the inaugural Champions Trophy tournament in 1998. This fixture alone will ensure the eyes of the world are on Cardiff, attracting an anticipated global television audience of 100 million viewers.

As well as opening the tournament, South Africa will complete their group fixtures against West Indies in Cardiff, whilst New Zealand also have two trips to the welsh capital against Sri Lanka and then England on June 16.

The eight teams in the competition are divided into two pools of four. Group A will feature Australia, England, New Zealand and Sri Lanka with India, Pakistan, South Africaand West Indies contesting Group B. The top two teams from each group advance to the semi-finals, hosted at the Oval and Cardiff, with the winners then progressing to the final at Edgbaston on Sunday 23 June.

Fans can register their interest in the tournament now at www.icc-cricket.com (before tickets go on sale), which will speed up the ticket purchasing process on 5 November.

Adult tickets are priced in three categories – Gold, Silver and Family Stand – and prices for the games in Cardiff range from £20 (for a group game in the Family Stand) up to £50 (Gold ticket for the Semi Final).

Tickets for under 16s are priced at £5 for the entire tournament (including the Final), but juniors must attend with an adult. A new pricing structure also sees the introduction of tickets for under 21s, priced from £10 to £25.

The First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones AM, said: “Our reputation for hosting top class cricket goes from strength to strength with this competition. The ICC Champions Trophy Tournament builds on Cardiff’s strong track record as a city that can host truly global sporting events and provides another great platform for raising Wales’ international profile.

"I am pleased to announce that this stadium, which has already hosted an historic and very successful Ashes test and will host another in 2015, will stage the opening game of the ICC event on 6thJune 2013. The matches in Cardiff will guarantee fantastic entertainment for cricket fans and it is wonderful for Wales that the very first fixture is certain to attract one of the biggest ever television audiences for a sporting event in this country.”

Glamorgan President, David Morgan said: “The opportunity to stage prestigious ICC Champions Trophy fixtures in Cardiff is an exciting one. Players, officials and supporters alike are immensely fond of the 50 over one-day international format and this event sees the best of the best in action.

“This is a great time for Welsh sport, and to be able to mark Glamorgan’s 125th anniversary in this way is a real accolade for us and recognition for the successful way international cricket has been staged in Cardiff.

“With two games on weekends and affordable ticket prices, I hope the tournament appeals to cricket supporters across Wales and the west.”

England Captain Alastair Cook (not present at the launch), said: “The ICC Champions Trophy is a very important event for us as a side. We don’t often get the opportunity to

play at home in a world tournament. I think we have only won one ICC tournament and we would love to win another one. We’ve got a really good home record. Clearly conditions suit our style of play so we’ve got an opportunity as a side to do something very special.

Fans can register their interest in tickets and the tournament now at www.icc-cricket.com. Tickets go on sale at 10:30 on Monday 5 November at www.icc-cricket.com and via 0844 249 2013.