Bermuda To Host World Cricket Tournament
Premier of Bermuda, Paula Cox, announced Thursday [July 19] that the ICC have confirmed that Bermuda will be the host country of the Pepsi World Cricket League Division 3 in 2013.
The Premier said: “The Government of Bermuda, alongside the Bermuda Cricket Board, is delighted to announce that the Island has been selected by the International Cricket Council to host the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 3 Tournament.
“The tournament will be played from 28 April to 5 May and is a six team event with the top two sides qualifying for the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2014. The top two from the Qualifier will then join the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 in Australia and New Zealand.
“The Government and the Cricket Board look forward to hosting Oman, Uganda and Italy along with the two qualifying teams from Division 4, to be played in September 2012, to the island to face Bermuda in April.
“I want to take this opportunity to urge everybody in the community and the business world to join the Government of Bermuda in supporting our national team as they try to emulate the extraordinary heights achieved in 2005 when Bermuda became the smallest country to ever qualify for the ICC Cricket World Cup.”
The Pepsi ICC World Cricket League is the qualifying pathway to the ICC Cricket World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2015 and event Bermuda last competed in back in 2007. The top two sides from Division 3 in Bermuda will then go to the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier in early 2014, scheduled to be held in New Zealand.
The ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2014 will feature 10 teams. The top two from Division 3, plus Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong and the bottom six teams from the ICC WCL Championship which is currently being played. The Pepsi ICC WCL Championship is currently headed by Ireland and is scheduled to conclude in Sept/Oct 2013.
Minister of Youth, Families and Sport, Glenn Blakeney said, “In 2011, the Bermuda Cricket Board, supported by the Bermuda Government, submitted a bid to host the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cricket League Division 3 Tournament held in Bermuda.
“As the Minister responsible for Sports, I am very excited and extremely pleased to announce to cricket fans specifically, and to the public generally, that the ICC has now awarded Bermuda the opportunity to host the World Cricket League Division 3 Tournament in Bermuda during April 2013.
“The granting of this global qualifying event to Bermuda is a major achievement for the country, as apportunities to host these significant international competitions are scarce and are agressively pursued by many nations. The last global event held in the Americas Region was as far back as 2009.
“The World Cricket League was developed by the ICC to provide regular one-day international cricket to Associate and Affiliate countries as well as to provide a qualification route into the ICC World Cup Qualifier and from there to the ICC World Cup.
“World Cricket League Division 3 is a 6 nation event, played over one week, and will serve as the final qualifier to the World Cup Qualifier in New Zealand in 2014. At the New Zealand event 2 countries will win the opportunity to compete at the ICC Cricket World Cup in Australia & New Zealand in 2015.
“The hosting of this major international tournament represents an unprecedented opportunity for Bermuda to achieve several important objectives, including the following:
- Get the country solidly behind its National Cricket Team, increase national pride, promote the sport to a wide audience across all ages and provide home team advantage to our team.
- Provide a boost to the hospitality sector at the beginning of the tourist season, since the 6 competing countries typically send an average of 20 players accompanied by at least 20 ICC officials.
- Promote awareness of Bermuda to many potential tourism markets, since the games will be broadcast via live ball-by-ball commentary on Cricinfo and have a global following. In addition, the event will be promoted by the ICC across all 105 member nations.
- A unique opportunity for Bermuda officials, umpires, scorers, and other personnel and training in a world class cricketing event. This will enhance our reputation as a country that is serious about cricket.
“Many will recall that a Cricket Pitch Preparation and Maintenance Seminar was held in Bermuda during April of this year with the full support of the Ministry of Youth, Families and Sports. The Seminar was delivered by Mr. Tony Hemming, the Head Curator of the ICC’s Global Cricket Academy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
“That Seminar, together with the hosting of the World Cricket League Division 3 Tournament next year, will help to improve the quality of cricket going forward, and will support our overall objective to seek One Day International (ODI) status for Bermuda.
“Recently, I participated in the Hiscox 11 & Under Celebrity Cricket Match at the National Sports Centre. Not only did our young all-stars demonstrate how well they played the game, but how well they knew the game. This bodes well for the future of cricket in Bermuda, and I know that these youth will be just as excited about the World Cricket League coming to Bermuda as I am.
“In closing, I wish to congratulate the Bermuda Cricket Board for such a fine achievement. I note thar the ICC Global Manager may visit Bermuda in August to assist with the launch of Bermuda’s hosting of World Cricket League Division 3. I look forward to welcoming ICC and participating Division 3 teams to Bermuda.”
Bernews or someone else, can you please clarify if this is true or not? Only cause I was told by certain gov’t employees that Bermuda is placing a bid to host this tournament, which means we have yet to learn if we are hosting this event.
Also, the RG starts off with this sentence, “Bermuda will launch a bid to qualify for the World Cup for a second time when the country hosts the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division Three Tournament next spring.”
@Average, yes it’s true! It’s the wording in RG that’s a bit off I think. What they meant was – Bermuda will play at home in a bid to reach the World Cup finals!
Thanks Mechanic! See you there!!