The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the ICC Cricket World Cup Trophy Tour to mark the celebrations ahead of the 12thedition of the cricket’s most coveted spectacle. ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 is slated to be held from May 30 to July 14 in England and Wales.
The #CWCTrophyTour, driven by Nissan, has embarked on a long journey from the International Cricket Council headquarters in Dubaion Monday (today) August 27. The trophy to be presented to the next world champions at Lord’s Cricket Ground on 14 July, 2019, will travel across five continents, 21 countries and over 60 cities.
From the United Arab Emirates, the Trophy will travel to Oman, the USA, the West Indies, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, India, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Kenya, Rwanda, Nigeria, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany before arriving in England and Wales on 19 February, 2019 for a 100-day domestic tour of the ICC World Cup 2019 host nation.
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The trophy will reach India on November 30 and stay until December 4 in Mumbai. The Indian leg has been touted by ICC as the “most connected Trophy Tour ever”. From Mumbai the artefact will then move to other Indian metropolitan cities – Bangalore ( Dec 5-11), Kolkata (Dec 12-16), and then reach the capital city of Delhi (Dec 17-24). Trophy will return to Mumbai, from where it will move to Australia with its first pitstop in Sydney.
During the nine-month journey, the Trophy Tour will not only cover the countries taking part in the tournament, but for the first time ever will go beyond traditional cricket heartlands and connect with fans in a further 11 countries where cricket is growing including Nepal, USA and Germany, ICC has stated in its official release.
ICC has also said that the trophy will visit iconic and unusual locations, communities, schools, universities and even people’s homes in a bid to connect people globally in what will be the most unique, and accessible Trophy Tour to date.
Fans will be able to take part in a virtual reality cricket zone, have their photo taken with the trophy and feel what it is like to be at the Cricket World Cup, with a unique in-stadia experience, as well as a range of other exciting activities across the Tour.
Die-hard cricket fans will also be able to connect with its journey on the Trophy Tour section of the ICC website, which includes an interactive map outlining the itinerary with information about each stop. They will also be able to see behind the scenes content and for the first time will be able to follow the journey in real time as it makes its way around the world.
ICC Chief Executive, David Richardson said, “The Trophy Tour is a unique opportunity for fans around the world to be part of the ICC Cricket World Cup and by going to more countries and more cities than ever before we’re giving people more opportunities to be part of this fantastic sporting event.
“Cricket has more than a billion fans and taking the trophy to new markets is a wonderful chance to raise the profile of the game and engage both new and existing fans as they get the rare opportunity to get up close to the trophy.
“Our thanks go to Nissan for partnering with us on this ambitious journey that will build excitement around the world as we head towards the Cricket World Cup in England and Wales next summer.”
ICC Cricket World Cup Tournament Director, Steve Elworthy said, “This is a huge moment in time as we countdown to the ICC Cricket World Cup getting underway next summer. The Trophy Tour is a fantastic chance for fans around the world to be part of the event wherever they are.
“For the first six months of the Tour we’ll be bringing the greatest celebration of cricket, the Cricket World Cup, to both existing and emerging cricket countries giving more fans than ever before that unique opportunity to get close to the trophy. Then from February, we’ll embark on a 100 day tour of the UK ahead of one of the world’s biggest sporting events getting under way on home soil in May.”
Global Head of Marketing and Brand Strategy at Nissan, Roel De Vries said, “Just as Nissan’s vehicles provide an exhilarating driving experience to everyone, the ICC Cricket World Cup brings the thrill of world class cricket to fans around the world. So Nissan driving this Trophy Tour is a natural fit. It is a great opportunity to show even more people the joy and driving pleasure that our vehicles offer.”
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