The Hindu : Namibia to host ICC Challenge Trophy

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 29, 2002

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Namibia to host ICC Challenge Trophy

London March 28. The four Associate Members of the International Cricket Council and second-string teams from Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka will get a chance to warm-up for the World Cup next year when they take part in the inaugural ICC six-nation Challenge Trophy at Windhoek (Namibia) from April 7 to 14, 2002.

The tournament, featuring Associates Kenya, Canada, Namibia and The Netherlands, along with `A' teams from Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, has been scheduled to provide intensive build-up prior to the World Cup, ICC said in a press release here.

The teams will play each other in a round-robin format with the top two teams reaching the final.

``The Challenge gives the qualifiers for next year's World Cup an unprecedented opportunity to prepare for the biggest event of their careers,'' ICC President Malcolm Gray was quoted as saying in the release.

``Each of the players will gain invaluable experience of the playing conditions and competition rules in an intense week of matchplay and coaching,'' Gray said.

The teams will also be introduced to specialist coaches from a number of different disciplines during the tournament. A team of coaches has already been recruited, including former England international Dermot Reeve, sports psychologist Clinton Gahweiler, eye specialist Sheryl Calder and Woolmer himself.

The initiative is a central part of ICC's $ one million High Performance Programme which aims to bridge the gap between the full Test playing nations and qualifying Associates, it said.

ICC's 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 have exactly the same match conditions. We have also been strict in terms of administrative requirements so that nothing next year comes as a surprise.''

Recently-appointed ICC Match Referee Wasim Raja will be the tournament referee while the nominated umpires from the participating nations will be joined by ICC umpire Rudy Koertzen.

The schedule: Round 1: April 7: Canada v Holland; Sri Lanka `A' v Namibia; Zimbabwe `A' v Kenya; Round 2: April 8: Canada v Kenya; Holland v Sri Lanka `A'; Namibia v Zimbabwe `A'; Round 3: April 10: Zimbabwe `A' v Sri Lanka `A'; Canada v Namibia; Holland v Kenya; Round 4: April 11: Canada v Zimbabwe `A'; Holland v Namibia; Kenya v Sri Lanka `A'; Round 5: April 13: Canada v Sri Lanka `A'; Namibia v Kenya; Holland v Zimbabwe `A'; Final: April 14. — PTI