ICC and SLC seek to clarify media reports concerning the Opening Ceremony for ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup

The ICC, in conjunction with Sri Lanka Cricket, would like to clarify some issues concerning the opening ceremony for the ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup that have been raised in the media in recent days.

Reports have suggested that the media was barred from attending or covering the event. This is neither strictly accurate nor fair comment.

The format of the ceremony was a seated dinner function, so it was thought sensible to invite members of the press to attend as guests. Given that it was a seated function, it was felt space for 50 members of the press would suffice. That number was discussed and agreed in discussions between the ICC and SLC.

Those print media invited to attend as dinner guests were free to report on the function as they saw fit.

Photographers and camera crews were asked not to attend the function but this was for purely logistical reasons. Constraints of the venue - a marquee - meant it was not practical to have journalists moving among the tables, potentially disrupting the Event while trying to do their jobs.

As such, an alternative means of supplying coverage of the event to the media was sought and that was outlined in a media release, issued by the ICC on February 3, via email to all media accredited for the tournament that had supplying their email addresses.

That release explained the situation as follows:

This method of distributing photographic coverage replicated both the Host Agreement Signing Ceremony for the Event and the Official Launch of the Event late last year and was agreed in discussions between the ICC and SLC.

Despite this release, no media outlets responded to the offer for photographic coverage.

In terms of television coverage, the ICC's position is dictated by its agreement with its commercial partner, Global Cricket Corporation (GCC), under which the ICC U/19 CWC falls.

GCC holds the rights to the tournament and the Opening Ceremony is a key element of those rights. They on-sell rights to broadcasters but it should be pointed out no requests to cover the whole of the ceremony from any rights-holding broadcasters were received.

Rupavahini, one of GCC's rights-holders, alerted ICC regarding their intention to attend on the day before the ceremony, their status as rights-holders was respected and they were allowed to do so. The ICC also arranged for the presence of a camera to cover the occasion itself at its cost, so that there could be some coverage for posterity.

As was the case with the issue of photographic coverage, the venue did not lend itself to the presence of several camera crews moving around to cover the Event and even the official one provided a distraction, perched as it was behind ICC Chief Executive Officer Malcolm Speed and obscuring the view of those guests behind him.

In addition to the issue of broadcast rights, it would simply have been impractical to allow any more crews into the venue and for that reason ICC media manager Brian Murgatroyd, when contacted on Saturday, directed interested parties to Rupavahini to obtain footage.

It is ICC's fervent desire that the Tournament receives maximum coverage of a positive type that helps the Event, ICC and Sri Lanka Cricket to be perceived in the best light possible.

The ICC, through its media manager Brian Murgatroyd will be more than happy to discuss arrangements for the next function planned - the tournament's closing dinner at the Galadari Hotel on February 18 - with any interested media to avoid a repetition of what took place on Saturday. Brian's number is at the foot of this release.

Brian Murgatroyd
ICC Media Manager (in Sri Lanka for the tournament)
Tel: +94 77 97 120 10 (Sri Lanka mobile)
Dubai mobile: +971 50 640 2534
Email: brian.murgatroyd@icc-cricket.com