South Africa may replace Sri Lanka for Champions Trophy
CRICKET: NEW DELHI, March 14, 2009: South Africa may replace Sri
Lanka as the venue of the Champions Trophy one-day tournament later this
year, the International Cricket Council said on Wednesday.
A teleconference between members of the ICC’s chief executives’
committee, comprising representatives of the 10 Test nations, concluded
that South Africa would provide better weather conditions than Sri Lanka
in September-October.
A final decision on the twice-postponed tournament, the second
biggest after the World Cup, will be taken by the ICC’s Executive Board
in Dubai on Monday.
The committee recommended the tournament be switched to South Africa
because “it was felt that it would be too great a risk to stage the
tournament in Colombo at a time of year when there was a distinct
possibility of rain,” ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said in a
statement.
“This was especially relevant given the length of this year’s
Champions Trophy has been reduced to 12 days, part of our desire to make
it a short, sharp event, as on that basis there would be no room for
reserve days.
“South Africa was a successful and excellent host of the ICC World
Twenty20 at much the same time of year two years ago and the weather
pattern in the area around Johannesburg in September and October is
stable and ideal for cricket.
“The meeting therefore agreed it would be prudent to look to hold the
tournament in South Africa, subject to agreement over financial
arrangements.”
The eight-nation tournament was originally scheduled to be held in
Pakistan last year, but was put off by a year and then taken away from
the strife-torn South Asian nation due to security concerns.
The teleconference came just over a week after a deadly attack on the
Sri Lanka team in the Pakistani city of Lahore that killed eight people
and injured seven Sri Lanka players and their assistant coach.
Sri Lanka, the original reserve venue, was also thrown in doubt due
to the seasonal wet weather in the months of September and October when
the tournament is due to be held.
The previous Champions Trophy was held in India in 2006 and won by
Australia.
AFP
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