New Zealand to host ICC Under 19 Cricket World Cup in January 2002

New Zealand Cricket has accepted an invitation from the International Cricket Council (ICC) to host the ICC Under 19 Cricket World Cup 2002 in January.

A Host Agreement was signed by new Chief Executive Martin Snedden during a recent trip to London.

Sixteen teams will contest the World Cup, with the final three sides decided in qualifying tournaments over the next month. Already the following teams have qualified in order of seeding:

India
Sri Lanka
Pakistan
Australia
England
West Indies
New Zealand
South Africa
Bangladesh
Zimbabwe
Kenya
Namibia
Scotland

Americas Qualifier
Asia Qualifier TBC
East Asia/Pacific Qualifier TBC

The last Under 19 World Cup in January 2000 was won by India who defeated the host nation Sri Lanka by six wickets in the final. The New Zealand side progressed from pool play to the Super League but failed to make the semi-finals.

New Zealand were beaten finalists in the previous 1998 World Cup in South Africa, losing to England by seven wickets.

World Cup Tournament Director, Tim Murdoch, said planning was well advanced for the event which would bring around 300 players and officials, as well as hundreds of spectators and media representatives to New Zealand.

The Under 19 World Cup is a one-day cricket tournament. The ICC Playing Conditions for One-Day Internationals will apply.

The Opening Ceremony will be held at the Christchurch Convention Centre on Monday January 14.

Each team will then play two warm-up games against teams in other pools before the ICC Under 19 Cricket World Cup competition starts with the opening match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka on Saturday 19 January at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln.

The sixteen competing teams will be split into four pools, seeded according to placings at the last World Cup. Each team then plays the other three teams in the pool.

The top two teams from each pool move forward into the Super League. The Super League is contested by two pools of four teams each. At the end of Super League play the top two teams in each pool go through to the Finals series.

The bottom two teams from pool play move into the Plate Championship. The two Plate pools then play to determine the top two teams in each pool. These four teams go through to the Plate Finals series.

The minimum number of games a team will play is six.

To win the World Cup final a team will play eight matches.

World Cup pool matches will be played in Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin.

Plate Championship pool play will be played in Auckland.

Super League pool play and the Finals series for both the World Cup and the Plate Championship will be played in Christchurch.

In Auckland most games will be played at Colin Maiden Park, although Melville Park, Eden Park Outer Oval and North Harbour Stadium will also be used.

In Christchurch most matches will be played at the three grounds at Lincoln University - the Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln Green and Lincoln No. 3. Some pool matches will also be played at Hagley Oval.

In Dunedin all matches will be played at Carisbrook.

The Semi-finals and Finals series for both the Plate and the World Cup will be played at Lincoln.

The detailed draw will be released at a later date however the following Pool Groupings are confirmed:

The outstanding qualifying tournaments are scheduled as follows:

Americas Qualifier - 13-17 August
East Asia/Pacific Qualifier - 19-25 August
Asia Qualifier - 8-13 October

Jan 2000 in Sri Lanka - India defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets
Jan 1998 in South Africa - England defeated New Zealand by seven wickets