BASSETERRE, St. Kitts -- THE Federation has been given the nod to stage games in the 2022 International Cricket Council (ICC) Under 19 Cricket World Cup to be staged in the region in January and February.
A statement from Cricket West Indies confirmed that Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago were selected as host countries for the stagging of matches at the premier youth cricket tournament.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) disclosed that the four countries will accommodate 10 venues that will be hosting formal matches and warm up games. The format will see the top two teams from each of the four groups advance to the Super League while the remaining teams feature in the Plate across 23 days of competition.
The 48-match schedule will begin with hosts West Indies taking on Australia, with Sri Lanka facing Scotland in Guyana on January 14. The group stage will take place across Guyana, St Kitts and Nevis and Trinidad and Tobago between January 14 and 22.
Cricket West Indies President Ricky Skerritt said: “CWI is looking forward to hosting this important global U19 cricket event, which is just around the corner, in January. In partnership with host territorial boards, cricket clubs, and Ministries of Sports, we have been hard at work preparing for this event over the past several months. However, amid so many Covid-related challenges, it has not been easy to finalise the venues and to work out all the related logistics.”
ICC Head of Events, Chris Tetley said: “The ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup is such an exciting and special tournament, bringing together the future stars of the game and giving them an unrivalled experience of competing on the global stage…”
“We are delighted that the West Indies will be hosting this event and we wish all the teams the very best in their preparations for the tournament and to Cricket West Indies in organising the event.”
Minister of Sport, Jonel Powell earlier this year confirmed that the Federation was bidding to stage matches during the tournament.
“As we prepare our bid, there are a number of things that are taken into consideration based on the actual bid package, which includes a requisite number of hotel rooms. There is a minimum, which we obviously believe that we would have available,” the minister told SKNVibes Sports back in April.
He acknowledged that the government will bare some of the cost to stage games,
“...at the same time, in order to accommodate that level of match and the number of persons, there will be expenses that the government would have to incur in order to meet the minimum requirements” Powell added.
In the case of the Federation, games will be played at Warner Park only while Conaree and the Sandy Point grounds will be warm up facilities.
The sixteen teams competing will see current holders Bangladesh, England, Canada and the United Arab Emirates form Group A, with debutants Uganda placed in Group B alongside India, South Africa and Ireland. Group C comprises Pakistan, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and Papua New Guinea and Group D sees host West Indies, Australia and Sri Lanka. Scotland complete the tournament line up in Group D after New Zealand withdrew due to the extensive mandatory quarantine restrictions for minors on their return home.
