FORMAT

Fourteen teams will participate in a total of 54 matches in a tournament that will take 42 days to complete from the Opening Ceremony in Cape Town on Thursday, February 6 to the Final in Johannesburg on Wednesday, March 19.

The opening match will be played in Cape Town on February 7 and will involve the South African team.

The Pool/Group matches will number 42 and will be played over 22 consecutive days. On 20 of those days there will be two matches played per day.

The nine Super Six matches will be played over nine consecutive days i.e. one match per day.

The first semifinal will be played in Port Elizabeth as a day game on Friday, March 14, and the second semifinal will be played in Durban as a day/night game on Saturday, March 15.

All games will be day games, except in Cape Town and Durban where the games will be day/night games.

The scheduling of matches will take into consideration the need to maximise TV audiences. Thus, games involving the Australian and New Zealand teams will be predominantly day games, and games involving the West Indies team will be predominantly day/night games.

In South Africa, there will be 46 matches:

24 matches will be Category A (e.g. Pool matches involving South Africa and Sri Lanka, Super Six games, Semifinals and Final) all of which will be played at the six Test match centres;

18 Pool matches will be Category B (e.g. Australia vs Associated Member, New Zealand vs Kenya) all of which will be at the six non-Test grounds whose average capacity is 10-12,000; and

Four matches will be Category C (e.g. Associated Member vs Associated Member) all of which will be played at the Test match centres. This is intended to give players from the associate member countries the opportunity to play at some of South Africa's famous Test match grounds. In Zimbabwe, there will be 4 Category A matches and 2 Category B matches. In Nairobi, there will be 2 Category B matches should the decision be taken to award World Cup cricket to Kenya.

Based on all ODI results from 21 June 1999 to 17 June 2001, the participating countries would be placed in the following Pools/Groups

GROUP A

Australia

Pakistan

India

West Indies

Zimbabwe

Winner of ICC Trophy (in Toronto)

Runner-up of ICC Trophy

GROUP B

South Africa

Sri Lanka

New Zealand

England

Bangladesh

Kenya

3rd place at ICC Trophy

MATCH SCHEDULE/LOGO/MASCOT/TEAM BASES

At the end of October 2001, the final programme of matches will be announced.

At the end of October 2001, the 2003 Cricket World Cup Logo and Mascot will be unveiled.

Each participating team will spend 7-10 days at one South African town/city preparing for their match programme. An announcement on where each team will be based will be made on August 20, 2001.

GROUNDS

The United Cricket Board of South Africa has allocated R35-million to the affiliates for the upgrading of their grounds for the tournament. The affiliates in turn will contribute an additional R35-million.

There will be a giant TV screen at every venue that hosts World Cup cricket.

The National Anthems of the competing teams will be played before the start of each match.

TICKETING

A unique ticketing system, costing R36-million, is being devised by Dimension Data and the United Cricket Board of South Africa. At every World Cup venue, access at the turnstiles will be controlled. Only bar-coded tickets will allow a spectator access into the ground.

On July 1, 2002, tickets will go on sale via the Internet, Call Centres and at the World Cup grounds.

Ticketing policy will be based on Team Packages and Stadium Packages. Member countries will receive a letter from me on February 1, 2002, requesting them to advise Ian Smith (Commercial Director) by the end of February of how many packages they wish to purchase.

The tournament will be attended by some 750 000 spectators, of which 25 000-50 000 will be from overseas.

SECURITY

The reality is that there has not been a single security problem in South Africa during the past 10 years when South Africa has played international soccer, rugby and cricket matches.

All security will fall under the Security Directorate, which includes high profile security and trade union representatives.

COINS FOR THE TOSS

As South Africa is the biggest gold-producing country in the world, the coins used for the toss will be 1oz pure gold supplied by the Chamber of Mines. There will be a separate coin for each game, 54 in all. Permission has been sought from the South African Government for the face of President Thabo Mbeki to appear on one side of the coin, with the 2003 Cricket World Cup logo, the names of the two competing teams, the date and venue of the match on the other side of the coin.

GENERAL

All teams will be treated the same.

WORLD CUP AMBASSADORS

From abroad, former great cricketers of integrity and credibility will be invited to assist in the promotion of the event.

In South Africa, current and former great sportsmen and women, including disabled sportsmen and women, will be asked to assist.

ORGANISING COMMITTEE

The 2003 CWC Organising Committee has its base at 69 Melville Rd, Hyde Park, Johannesburg. Telephone: +27 11 446-3600. Of the 24 CWC staffers, there will be 6 key personnel viz. Commercial Director, Logistics Director, Marketing Director, PR Manager and two Communications Managers.

OUR MISSION STATEMENT 1. We aim to unite all the peoples of the country behind the event, by following it, supporting it and participating in it.

2. We will use the opportunity to raise the profile of cricket in South Africa and throughout Africa and to develop the sport on the continent like never before.

3. We will make the most of a unique opportunity to make money for South African cricket to ensure the sport's financial viability and security in the future.

4. It is our intention to have the support and involvement of the Government at all levels - local, provincial and national.

5. We aim to give added value to the global sponsors and suppliers and local suppliers and ensure they have a good commercial return on their investment.

6. The management team that organises the competition must reflect the demographics of South Africa.

7. South African companies that are given commercial opportunities through the World Cup must have a satisfactory black empowerment element.

8. All grounds must host an acceptable number of black spectators.

9. We intend to contribute significantly to the lasting enhancement of the image of South Africa abroad as a commercial, sporting and tourism destination.

10. We will fulfil the objectives of the International Cricket Council in awarding the 2003 World Cup to South Africa.

11. The 2003 Cricket World Cup is also about:

1. Developing people

2. Spreading ownership of the World Cup.

3. The transfer of skills.

4. Broadening the cricket market (blacks, youth, women and girls).

5. Facilitating a mentoring process for black South Africans, eg. mentoring black cricket writers.

12. We want all South Africans to be proud of the event.

© UCB