England awarded 2019 World Cup

England have been awarded the rights to host the 2019 World Cup as well as the 2009 Twenty20 World Championships. The announcement was made after the ICC board meeting in Dubai this weekend.

"The ECB should be very pleased with the outcome of these negotiations," said Ehsan Mani, the ICC president. "It produced an excellent submission to host both the World Cup and the Twenty20 World Championship and have earned the right to host both events.

"A lot of credit must go to David Morgan for the astute manner in which he handled some very complex discussions. England will be a fitting venue for the Twenty20 World Championships at the climax of our centenary year in 2009."

Morgan, the ECB chairman, was clearly delighted: "We entered into this process with the goal of being awarded a Twenty20 event and a World Cup," he said. "It's great news for cricket in England and Wales that these two major events have been secured and we have a wonderful opportunity to build our international calendar around these showpiece occasions.

"The full support of the ICC board for the staging of these two important events in England is a clear indication of the prominent role that the ECB continues to hold in international cricket."

England hosted the first three World Cups in 1975, 1979 and 1983 (when Wales also hosted games) as well as the 1999 tournament when matches were also played in Wales, Scotland and Ireland.