LONDON: The International Cricket Council (ICC) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will be working alongside the Commonwealth Secretariat and the nations they represent, ahead of next year’s Men’s Cricket World Cup in the country.
A joint event was hosted Tuesday evening to celebrate the tournament and the vital role cricket has played in uniting communities across the globe.
High Commissioners from across the Commonwealth, as well as senior figures from within the UK government, cricket and the sports industry, were welcomed to the event at the historic Marlborough House, which featured a number of Cricket World Cup artefacts, supplied by the Marylebone Cricket Club.
Cricket has long been a core part of the Commonwealth and the values of the sport are strongly aligned with those of the Commonwealth and its members. Nine of the ten teams competing at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 are part of the Commonwealth of Nations and the tournament presents a perfect opportunity to engage the whole of the Commonwealth, highlighting the diversity on show at the World Cup and promoting the value of sport for development across its many members.
A panel of former international cricketers – including Devon Malcolm, Ajmal Shahzad and ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 MD Steve Elworthy – shared their experiences in the game and the value of the Commonwealth to the sport.
ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 MD Steve Elworthy said: “It is an honour to work alongside the Commonwealth Secretariat ahead of what is a huge year for both the sport and the participating nations.
“The history of cricket within the Commonwealth is very rich, exemplified by the fact nine of our competing nations are part of the Commonwealth of Nations.
“The event provides a great opportunity for all members of the Commonwealth Secretariat to be part of the World Cup and show how their communities can be part of cricket in the future.”
Commonwealth secretary-general Patricia Scotland noted: “This collaboration will utilise our Commonwealth convening power – which is truly remarkable – to champion and promote cricket-based initiatives being delivered by a diverse range of organisations, using the sport as a tool for development and peace building.”
ECB senior non-executive director Lord Kamlesh Patel said: “The Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 will be a once in a generation celebration of the very best things about our game.
“Hosting a global competition gives us a fantastic opportunity to grow the game by inspiring more children to play and more fans to watch our great sport. We look forward to working with the Commonwealth Secretariat to do just that.”
