SA to host ICC Champions Trophy
Brad Morgan
2 April 2009
Cricket South Africa has accepted an invitation from the International Cricket Council to host the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy from 24 September to 5 October.
After the Sri Lankan cricket team was attacked by terrorists in Pakistan at the beginning of March, the ICC decided move the event from Pakistan to Sri Lanka. Later, they decided to move it again, because of concerns about the weather in the island nation at that time of the year.
Cricket South Africa (CSA) was invited to host the Champions Trophy on 16 March and said it would look into the financial implications before making a decision.
On Wednesday, CSA announced that it will host the event, which pits the world's top 12 teams against one another in 50-overs-a-side competition. It is, in essence, a mini-World Cup.
'Another jewel in its crown'
CSA Chief Executive Officer Gerald Majola said: "The CSA Board's decision to accept the financial model from the ICC to host the ICC Champions Trophy means that South Africa has yet another jewel in its crown of hosting a major international sports event.
He also spoke about the venues chosen for the tournament. "The confirmation of Supersport Park and Liberty Life Wanderers as the two venues of this tournament is just reward for the outstanding cricket events that they have hosted over the past decade," he said.
"This tournament means that South Africans will continue their extraordinary bumper festival of international cricket at home, starting from the Castle Test Series, Standard Bank International Pro20 Series, the MTN ODI Series (all against Australia), the DLF Indian Premier League next month, the ICC Champions Trophy in October to be followed by the tour by England," added Majola.
'The Proteas are playing their best ever cricket'
"This is ample proof that South Africa has become a major centre for world cricket which is particularly good at a time when the Proteas are playing their best ever cricket.
"CSA would like to thank the public for their massive support for South African cricket and we look forward to continuing this trend into the new season."
Six warm-up matches will be played before the event, with Willowmoore Park in Benoni and Senwes Park in Potchefstroom playing host to them.
South Africa won the very first Champions Trophy, known at that time as the Wills International Cup, in Bangladesh in 1998.
The Proteas beat England by six wickets, with 20 balls to spare in their first match. They followed that up with a 92-run thrashing of Sri Lanka on the Duckworth/Lewis Method.
Jacques Kallis
In the final, South Africa beat the West Indies by four wickets, with three overs in hand. The man of the match in the final is still a part of the South African cricket team today: Jacques Kallis. He won the award for capturing 5 for 30 and scoring 37 in the win over the West Indies.
He also made an unbeaten 113 against Sri Lanka and picked up 3 for 48 against England, which earned him the man of the series award too.
Australia are the defending champions. They won the tournament the last time it was held in India in 2006, easily beating the West Indies by eight wickets with 41 balls in hand on the Duckworth/Lewis Method, after dismissing the islanders for only 138.
For some of the Australians, the Champions Trophy will be their third event in South Africa in 2009. They have been touring the country since the middle of February. Their tour finishes on 17 April, but the very next day the Indian Premier League starts and runs until 24 May. Exactly four months later, the Champions Trophy begins.
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