The ICC today confirmed that a new tournament, the ICC Six-Nations Challenge, will take place in Windhoek, Namibia, from 5th to 15th April 2002.
The tournament has been scheduled to provide an intensive build up for
qualifying Associate Member countries Canada, Holland, Kenya and Namibia, prior to participation in the 2003 World Cup.
Commenting on the Six Nations Challenge ICC President Malcolm Gray said:" The Challenge gives the qualifiers for next year's ICC Cricket World Cup an unprecedented opportunity to prepare for the biggest event of their cricket careers. Bob Woolmer's vision for the Challenge as a major development in ICC's High Performance Programme is one that I support wholeheartedly. Each of the players will gain invaluable experience of the playing conditions and competition rules in an intense week of match play and coaching. Next year's Cricket World Cup promises to be the biggest and most exciting to date - the
Six Nations Challenge will ensure that players from ICC's Associate members will make a valuable contribution to its success."
The four Associates will compete in the Challenge along with A -teams
representing Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. Teams will play each other in a "round robin" format, with the top teams facing each other in a final. The full list of competing teams is:
Kenya Namibia
Netherlands Canada
Zimbabwe A Sri Lanka A
ICC High Performance Manager Bob Woolmer said: "The Challenge will give the players an opportunity to prepare as thoroughly as possible for next year's World Cup. They will be playing in coloured clothing, using white balls and playing under exactly the same match conditions. We have also been strict in terms of administrative requirements so that nothing next year comes as a surprise."
ICC Match Referee Wasim Raja, recently appointed to the new ICC Referees Panel, will be the Tournament Referee whilst the nominated umpires from the participating nations will be joined by ICC Elite Umpire Rudy Koertzen.
In addition to giving the players an opportunity to acclimatise to southern African conditions before the "real thing" next year, the Challenge will also allow Woolmer to introduce the teams to specialist coaches from a number of different disciplines.
A team of coaches have been recruited including former England international Dermot Reeve, sports psychologist, Clinton Gahweiler, eye specialist Sheryl Calder and Woolmer himself. The Namibia Sports Science Institute will provide further support throughout the competition.
The initiative is a central part of the ICC's $US1 million High Performance Program which aims to bridge the playing gap between the Full Test playing countries and qualifying Associates.
Media contacts:
© ICC
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Teams
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Australia,
Bangladesh,
England,
India,
New Zealand,
Pakistan,
South Africa,
Sri Lanka,
West Indies,
Zimbabwe.
Canada,
Kenya,
Namibia,
Netherlands.
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Players/Umpires
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Wasim Raja,
Rudi Koertzen,
Bob Woolmer,
Dermot Reeve,
Malcolm Speed.
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Tournaments
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Six Nations Challenge |
