South African cricket today announced a unique home-grown ticketing system that is considered good enough to be used at future international showpieces including the Olympic Games.

The UCB-Didata Ticketing System has been designed specifically for the eighth Cricket World Cup to be staged in South Africa in February-March 2003. The system will, however, be used in future for all international and inter-provincial cricket matches in South Africa and will be "live" in time for the tour early next year by Australia.

For the past year, 19 full-time staff at information technology company Dimension Data (Didata) have been working under project manager Graham Cook on a system master-minded on behalf of the United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCB) by Ian Smith, commercial director of the 2003 Cricket World Cup (2003 CWC).

Ticket packages for 2003 CWC will go on sale to the general public on July 1, 2002, via the Internet, Call Centre and at the 12 World Cup venues in South Africa.

In keeping with current international ticketing practice, tickets will be sold in packages. There will be two basic varieties viz. Stadium Packages for all games at a particular venue, excluding matches hosted by Zimbabwe, and Follow-the-Team Packages for all Pool games involving a particular team.

Dr Ali Bacher, executive director of 2003 CWC, said today: "It is projected that at least 800 000 tickets will be sold for the 54 matches of the tournament. To achieve that objective in accordance with worldwide trends, it has been decided to offer tickets for sale in packages. On the basis that ticket prices will be affordable, I anticipate that the South African public across the broadest spectrum will enthusiastically support the concept and the tournament."

Dr Bacher said the system had been highly commended by Michael Eyers, deputy CEO of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, who said it was far more efficient than that in place for last year's Olympic Games. "Mr Eyers has informed me that what we have is a system that can support the largest and most complex of events - and that includes the Olympic Games."

The ticketing system is a generic one that can be used by all forms of entertainment.

For the first time in South African sport, all tickets will be barcoded. They will be scanned and verified through a sophisticated venue access control system which will also generate a customer database holding valuable information on all ticket purchases.

The system is designed to ensure maximum security and Stadium safety for the paying customer.

The system has already been installed at Supersport Park Centurion, the North West Stadium in Potchefstroom and at Kingsmead in Durban and will go "live" at these venues for all matches from the start of the coming season. By the time of the Australian tour to South Africa in April next year, all of South Africa's World Cup venues will be "live".

How 2003 CWC ticketing process will work:

* Ticket prices will be finalised by the end of December 2001 after proposals have been received from the UCB affiliates hosting World Cup matches and these have been considered by the respective finance committees of 2003 CWC and the International Cricket Council (ICC).

* By mid-January 2002, letters will be sent to (a) SA cricket's current national and provincial sponsors, (b) season ticket holders (c) suite owners, (d) the cricket boards of the 14 participating countries and (e) the official suppliers to the UCB for 2003 CWC in order to establish their requirements for the purchase of tickets for the tournament.

These requests must be submitted by the end of February 2002 after which, by the end of March 2002, the above parties will be notified as to what extent their ticket purchase requirements can be met.

* Season ticket holders for this season (2001/2002) and next (2002/2003) and owners of suites covering the 2003 CWC lease period will all be entitled to purchase seats.

* Packages to the general public will go on sale on July 1, 2002, and these tickets will be available from November 1, 2002, for either collection at the World Cup venues or by door-to-door courier delivery. Purchasers of tickets via the Internet and Call Centre will be given a reference number for collection/delivery purposes.

* Of the packages available to the general public on July 1, 2002, 60% will go on sale at the venues and 20% each via the Internet and Call Centre. This is being done in order to allow as many local supporters as possible to attend World Cup games at their home venues.

* Follow-the-Team packages will only be available for the Pool or first round matches. Followers of teams reaching the Super 6s, Semifinals and Final will be able to purchase a limited number of tickets prior to those matches on a first-come-first-served basis.

* In addition, those supporters who have purchased a Stadium package (where the stadium hosts three or more games) or a Follow-the-Team package will have the opportunity on a first-come-first-served basis to purchase a limited number of tickets - which number has still to be determined - for the four prime games of the tournament viz. the Opening Game, the two Semifinals and the Final.

* In order to accommodate as many spectators as possible at World Cup games, a maximum of five packages per person may be purchased from July 1, 2002.

* The Opening Ceremony in Cape Town on Wednesday, February 5, 2003, will be treated as a separate event and not part of a package.

* On December 1, 2002, individual match tickets will go on sale depending on availability.

* In Zimbabwe, from July 1, 2002, tickets for the games in Zimbabwe will go on sale at their two venues - Harare and Bulawayo.

© 2003 CWC