The 12th edition of the Indoor Cricket World Cup (ICWC), which kicked off on Friday (26) at the Austasia Sports Complex and at the newly-built U-Pro Arena in Thalawathugoda, was described as a “long time between drinks” by World Indoor Cricket Federation (WICF) President Tony Watkins.
Addressing a pre-tournament media briefing at Cinnamon Grand in Colombo last week, the head of the sport’s global governing body noted that they had selected Sri Lanka to host the latest edition for the first time since 2004.
He stated that such a decision had been taken in order to further popularise the sport in the Indian subcontinent and to provide an opportunity for Sri Lankan spectators to “embrace the game wholeheartedly”.
Watkins added that if indoor cricket was to take root in countries such as Sri Lanka, sponsors should seriously consider investing in the sport.
He noted that it was with that in mind that the Australia-based world body had handed the hosting rights of the latest edition to the island nation.
The first-round matches of the ICWC commenced yesterday (27) with the semifinals being fixed for Friday (3 October) and the grand finale to take place 24 hours later.
According to officials from the WICF, the closing ceremony and awards are due to take place at the Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo on Saturday (4 October) from 7 p.m. onwards.
The ICWC is set to be held until Saturday at the two aforementioned venues, with the coveted event expected to attract 1,000 players, officials, and supporters from across the world, alongside significant international media coverage.
The event is being held under the categories of Men’s Open, Women’s Open, Under 22 Boys, and Under 22 Girls.
A total of 31 teams from nine nations are vying for the prestigious World Cup during this year’s edition, with Australia fielding four, England four, India three, New Zealand four, Singapore two, South Africa three, the UAE four, the US one, and Sri Lanka six (with the hosts having a development team for both Under 22 Boys and Men’s Open).
Ceylon Indoor Cricket Association (CICA) Head of Operations Hiran de Mel said that the Indoor Cricket World Cup 2025 would not just be a sporting spectacle but also a major sports tourism opportunity for the host nation.
De Mel further urged the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to throw in their lot with the CICA to boost the profile of indoor cricket in this country. He added that the ongoing event had been officially endorsed by the Tourism Ministry, reflecting the country’s enhanced stature in the global sports tourism arena.
According to him, Sri Lanka had actively promoted international indoor cricket during the recent past via events such as the England-Asia Cup and the Masters World Series, held at the upgraded U-Pro and Austasia venues.
The first-ever Indoor Cricket World Cup was played in 1995 in Birmingham, England, with Australia cementing their position as a superior force in both men’s and women’s divisions ever since.
Australia have won all previous World Cups in both segments, with their Trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand being men’s runners-up on eight occasions, South Africa twice, and Sri Lanka once.
In the meantime, South Africa have been women’s runners-up seven times with New Zealand achieving the position thrice.
(JK)