Application phase best chance to get ICC CWC 2007 tickets

In just over two weeks, cricket fans worldwide will begin the exciting process of applying for tickets to watch and enjoy next year's ICC Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean.

For three months, starting from May 1 and ending July 31, Phase 1 - Application of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 Public Ticketing programme will be rolled out online and, from May 2, at Ticket Centres in the nine Host Venues.

One of the primary aims of the ICC CWC 2007 Ticketing Unit - in conjunction with the Local Organising Committees (LOCs) - is to make this exercise as smooth and straightforward as possible.

ICC CWC 2007 Commercial Manager Stephen Price assured that "everyone will have a fair chance of applying for and being allocated tickets" and urged fans to ensure they have the best possible chance of attending the sport's most prestigious tournament by participating in the Application phase.

"In Phase 1 - the Application phase - fans have three months in which to apply for tickets. There are prices for every pocket and we anticipate great demand, both within the region and overseas, and it is possible that a very large percentage of the overall ticket pool could be allocated by the end of this, the first of three phases of Public Ticketing," he noted.

Another reason which makes it doubly important for fans to seize advantage of the May-July stage of Public Ticketing is that it will be the only time at which they can apply for `Follow A Path' or `Venue Combination' packages.

"Anyone who does not submit an application for any of the package options during Phase 1 will have missed their chance to do so because we will not be offering these in Phases 2 and 3 of the Public Ticketing programme," explained Price.

Presenting a step-by-step outline of the Application process, the ICC CWC Commercial Manager said that when a fan completes and submits a Ticket Application Form, either online or at a Ticket Centre, payment will be required in full for all tickets being sought. Ticket Centres will accept payment by cash, credit card or debit card while only Visa or MasterCard credit cards can be used for online applications. There can be a maximum of two applications per household.

"After the Application phase closes at the end of July, the Ticket Allocation process will be done in August. If a match is oversubscribed - that is if the demand exceeds the number of tickets available, then all ticket requests for that game will go to a ballot for tickets to be allocated randomly," revealed Price.

"However, if a match is undersubscribed, all applicants requesting tickets for that match will receive tickets. Thereafter, all applicants will be notified of which matches they have or have not been allocated tickets for. By early September, applicants will be fully refunded for any unallocated tickets."

Phase 2 of Public Ticketing will run from September 1, 2006, to November 30, 2006. This stage will be conducted on a "first come, first served" basis, with the remaining tickets again being available via the ICC CWC 2007 website and Ticket Centres.

The third and final phase of Ticketing runs from January 9, 2007, up to the morning of the Final on April 28, 2007 - again on the "first come, first served" principle - with actual seats being sold from the website, Ticket Centres or from Venue Box Offices in the Host Venues.

Prior to this, between December 1, 2006, and January 9, 2007, ticket sales will be closed while seat locations are assigned to all ticket purchasers and tickets are printed and prepared for distribution.