Melbourne’s MCG is to host next year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia as organisers revealed the host cities just days after the 2022 hosts won this year’s tournament in Dubai.
Seven cities will stage 45 matches between October 16 and November 13 as Australia hosts the event for the first time.
Adelaide, Brisbane, Geelong, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney will host matches during the first round and Super 12 stages. The semi-finals will be held at the 48,000-capacity Sydney Cricket Ground and 53,000-capacity Adelaide Oval on November 9 and 10 respectively.
The final will then be held under the floodlights at the 100,000-capacity MCG, which has hosted the finals of both 50-over World Cups previously staged in Australia in 1992 and 2015.
“We are looking forward to seeing the return of ICC events to Australia and are delighted to announce the seven host cities for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022,” said Chris Tetley, the ICC’s head of events.
“Following the success of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2020 and a two-year postponement, our sights are now firmly set on planning for the 2022 event in collaboration with the Local Organising Committee.”
Full fixtures for the event will be released in January and fans who register for the official presale will be able to purchase tickets before they go on sale to the public on January 31, 2022.
The Adelaide Oval will host a semi-final at a global event for the first time. The SCG has hosted semi-finals for the 1992 and 2015 men’s 50-over World Cups and both semi-finals for the 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup.
T20 World Cup 2021 champions Australia and runner-up New Zealand, plus Afghanistan, Bangladesh, England, India, Pakistan and South Africa as the next highest ranked teams, gain direct entry into the Super 12 stage of the 2022 event.
Namibia, Scotland, Sri Lanka and the West Indies join the tournament through the First Round phase, with the final four spots for the tournament filled via two qualifying tournaments: one in Oman in February, and one in Zimbabwe in June and July.
“With the unprecedented disruptions over the past two years, bringing the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup to Australia for the first time offers a perfect opportunity for fans across the whole country to experience the joy of a live global sporting event again,” said Michelle Enright, chief executive of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Local Organising Committee.
“World Cups unite people with the common thread of a love for cricket. We can’t wait to welcome fans of all ages and backgrounds to the world class venues across the seven Australian host cities to support their teams.”
Image: Rodger Wang on Unsplash
Share this