Edgbaston chosen to stage international cricket’s showpiece tournament

BIRMINGHAM’S ability to successfully stage major international sporting events has again been recognised at the highest level with Edgbaston Stadium being selected as one of three venues to stage games in next year’s ICC Champions Trophy.
 
The tournament next June is one of the most prestigious in the international one-day cricketing calendar and it is the second time in three years that Edgbaston has been chosen to stage games.

The competition also has the potential to provide a major boost to the city’s economy with the fixtures awarded to Edgbaston being some of the biggest in the whole tournament.

The two biggest rivalries in international cricket – England v Australia and India v Pakistan – will both be staged in Birmingham, although unlike three years ago, the city misses out on the right to stage the final of the event.

The games begin with an Australia v New Zealand clash on June 2 and this is followed two days later with the first of the big fixtures, India v Pakistan. When Edgbaston staged the same game in the 2013 tournament, tickets sold out within two hours of being released and ground authorities are expecting a similar clamour for tickets this time around.

Pakistan return to the ground on June 7 to face South Africa and then on June 10, the game’s oldest rivalry will be resumed when England take to the field against Australia. Last year’s successful Ashes Test saw England applaud the home crowd for their fantastic support and a similar atmosphere is expected for this one-day game.

While missing out on the final, Edgbaston will stage the tournament’s second semi-final on June 15 – which could potentially see England line up against India.

Neil Snowball, chief executive of Warwickshire County Cricket Club, said: “The ICC Champions Trophy brings together the top eight one-day international teams in world cricket and to be awarded the biggest matches in the group stages is a massive coup for Edgbaston and Birmingham.
 
“Edgbaston hosted the same four group games, and the final in 2013, which showcased the stadium’s revamped facilities to the international players, management and coaching teams, media, supporters and stakeholders within the game.
 
“We’re thrilled to play such a leading role in the tournament again and look forward to working with our city stakeholders to provide a very warm welcome to the thousands of visitors to Birmingham next summer.”
 
The tournament takes place over 18-days from June 1-18, with Edgbaston sharing hosting duties with Cardiff and The Oval, the latter having been selected to host the final.

Due to Edgbaston’s unique location at the heart of the country – and being the most northerly venue – Warwickshire is hoping to attract supporters from the North of England and the East Midlands, to say nothing of the international fans who may be flying into Birmingham Airport.

The 2013 tournament is thought to have had a worldwide audience of around 1.2 billion people.
 
Political leaders and inward investment chiefs have also hailed the importance of the tournament to the city.

Cllr John Clancy, leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “Once again Edgbaston is putting Birmingham on the global sporting map and, while guaranteed to excite cricket fans, these matches will also significantly boost our city economy.”
 
Emma Gray, Director of Marketing and Communications at Visit Birmingham, the city’s leisure tourism programme, said: “Birmingham continues to strengthen its reputation as an established, reliable host on the global sporting stage.

“The decision to award Edgbaston Stadium five matches of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy – including the mouth-watering fixtures between England and Australia, plus India and Pakistan – shows how positively the city is regarded by cricket fans and dignitaries.
 
“More than one million international tourists visited Birmingham last year. Sporting events like these are a fantastic way of further raising the city’s profile across the world, particularly to some of our most important visitor markets. This was demonstrated when Birmingham successfully hosted fixtures of the 2013 tournament, delivering an economic impact of £17.7m and reaching half a billion people.”
 
The initial release of tickets for the ICC Champions Trophy will be made through a ballot, which will open on September 1 and close on September 30. All remaining tickets will then go on general sale in October.