The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced that a total of $1
million dollars is to be given away as prize money in the forthcoming ICC
Knock-Out Tournament in Nairobi, Kenya (3 October - 15 October 2000). Prize
money for the winning team exceeds that given in any other previous cricket
competition in history.
A basic $20,000 will be guaranteed to each team taking part in the
competition, with prize money rising dramatically with each win gained.
Winners of the qualifying rounds will each receive $30,000 while a further
$40,000 will be claimed by teams winning the quarter-finals. Semi-final
winners will receive another $50,000 and the winners of the final receive a
final $250,000 bonus. It means that the eventual champions will receive a
total of $340,000 in prize money, or $370,000 if they played in a qualifying
match.
"These are substantial financial awards for the teams and we believe it will
result in exciting and competitive cricket. In the final, the difference
between winning and losing is $110,000, so there is much to play for,"
commented ICC Chief Executive, David Richards.
Prize money has more than doubled since the 1998 ICC Knock-Out Trophy in
Bangladesh, when prize money totaled $400,000 and the winner received a
maximum of $140,000. For the 1999 World Cup in England, total prize money
was also £1 million, of which eventual champions Australia received
$318,000.
The West Indies received £4,000 ($5,760) from winning the first World Cup in
1975, with runners-up Australia taking home £2,000 ($2,880). Losing
semi-finalists, England and New Zealand, received £1,000 (£1,440) each.
The event
The 2000 ICC Knock-Out Trophy represents the first event since the signing
of an agreement with World Sports Group, worth $550m, to televise and market
the ICC Knock-Out Trophy, ICC World Cup, Under 19 World Cup and ICC Trophy
Tournament from 2000 - 2007. The schedule of games is as follows:
Match code Date Match
Q1 Tuesday 3 October India v Kenya
Q2 Wednesday 4 October Sri Lanka v West Indies
Q3 Thursday 5 October England v Bangladesh
Friday 6 October Rest day / Official function
QF1 Saturday 7 October Australia v Winners Q1
QF2 Sunday 8 October Pakistan v Winners Q2
QF3 Monday 9 October New Zealand v Zimbabwe
QF4 Tuesday 10 October South Africa v Winners Q3
SF1 Wednesday 11 October Winners QF2 v Winners QF3
Thursday 12 October RESERVE DAY
SF2 Friday 13 October Winners QF1 v Winners QF4
Saturday 14 October RESERVE DAY
F Sunday 15 October Winners SF1 v Winners SF2
Monday 16 October RESERVE DAY
Umpires for the 10-match event are: Steve Bucknor (West Indies), Darrell
Hair (Australia), Dave Orchard (South Africa), David Shepherd (England), S
Venkataraghavan (India) and Peter Willey (England). Match Referees are:
Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka), Raman Subba Row (England), and Cammie Smith
(West Indies).
For further information, please contact Campbell Jamieson, ICC Event Manager
on +44 20 7266 1818