Standard Bank named as local sponsor for ICC Champions Trophy
The International Cricket Council has announced Standard Bank as a local sponsor for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2009, which takes place in South Africa from 22 September to 5 October.
The agreement, which is for the 2009 event, underlines Standard Bank's commitment to supporting cricket in South Africa. It is one of four local sponsors specifically for this event in addition to the ICC's other commercial partners.
The agreement also follows on from Standard Bank's association with the ICC World Twenty20 in England in June.
"This is great news for the event," said ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat.
"Being South African I know Standard Bank has a long tradition of supporting cricket in this country and its contribution to the game over many years has been fantastic. I am delighted that support is continuing for the ICC Champions Trophy 2009.
"The fact that the event can continue to attract high-quality sponsors such as Standard Bank is evidence that the 50-over game has attraction and a place in international cricket
"The ICC Champions Trophy promises to be another memorable chapter in the recent history of our great sport and the support of Standard Bank and our other commercial partners is a vital element of making it successful."
Commenting on the new agreement, Clement Motale, Director of Sponsorships for Standard Bank, said: "The decision to be involved once again with an international cricket event in South Africa was driven by our desire to connect with local cricket fans through the shared passion of the game.
"As the long-term sponsor of the Standard Bank ODI team, we also recognise the stature of the ICC Champions Trophy as the premier international 50-over contest, outside of the ICC Cricket World Cup. And with Proteas currently ranked as the best ODI team in the world, this event is sure to deliver a feast of cricket to South African fans," Mr Motale added.
For the first time the ICC CT will feature only the top eight-ranked sides in the world in the only global multi-team 50-over-a-side tournament between the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean and the next edition of that event, in the Asian sub-continent in two years' time.
Those teams - host South Africa, Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the West Indies - have been divided into two pools of four, with the top two from each pool progressing to the semi-finals stage.
The action begins on Tuesday 22 September with the Proteas in action against Sri Lanka in a day-night encounter at Centurion (the location for the women's world cup final of 2005) and it will end with a day-night final at the same venue on Monday 5 October.
Tickets for the ICC Champions Trophy 2009 are now on sale and can be purchased primarily through the event website at iccevents.yahoo.com.
Fans can also book tickets through Computicket by telephone on +2783 915 8000 or by dropping in to any one of Computicket's offices at hundreds of locations around South Africa.
Tickets, including those for the grass banks, can also be purchased directly from the two stadiums at The Wanderers (Tel: +2711 340 1509) and Centurion (Tel: +2712 663 1005 extn 7).
For more information go to www.icc-cricket.com or http://www.icc-cricket.com/events_and_awards/champions_trophy/index.php