ICC Cricket World Cup 2019: This Protean Worthy every penny!

ICC Cricket World Cup 2019: This Protean Worthy every penny!

Birmingham: South Africa have had a miserable World Cup outing but one South African, who can hold his head high is Steve Elworthy, the International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket World Cup tournament director.

Twenty years ago Elworthy was part of a talented South African cricket team that crashed out of a World Cup semi-final in the most dramatic fashion possible, here at Edgbaston.

Two decades on, the 54-year-old Elworthy is now the person in charge of staging cricket’s biggest tournament in England and Wales.

New role as ECB Director
In 2013 he took on a new role as the ECB’s director of global events, before being promoted to managing director of the 2019 World Cup in July 2016.

“Since I retired from professional cricket in 2003, I have been given some fantastic opportunities in cricket administration and managing the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 is the biggest and the best yet,” Elworthy said.

He heads up a team of 100 people, based at Lord’s Cricket Ground, working to deliver the ICC’s global event on behalf of the hosts, the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Experienced campaigner
In the past decade, Elworthy has helmed a succession of International Cricket Council (ICC) events: the ICC Champions Trophy, the secondary men’s One-Day International (ODI) competition, in 2013 and 2017, and the Women’s Cricket World Cup in 2017. Each has been a commercial and popular success. None of them, however, quite matches up to what comes next.

“This is my sixth ICC tournament,” says Elworthy, managing director of the 2019 World Cup. “They have tended to be short-sharp tournaments with not a lot of legacy, which is something we want to address this year.”

And while this year’s event may not make money, Elworthy, says that - given the publicity that will come from wide-ranging global TV deals and over-subscribed ticket sales - making a profit is not the over-riding objective.

Rather it is about ensuring cricket remains on the 21st Century sporting and leisure map, at a time when football dominates the back pages, and the power of digital communications means there are competing attractions for people’s free time.

Wonderful format
There has been much debate around the tournament format, which instead of a number of groups, features one large group, with each of the 10 teams playing each other once, before two semi-finals and a final.

“The 1992 World Cup, where there was a round-robin format, was heralded as one of the better ones,” says Elworthy.

“I think all-playing-all is the best format. Every supporter knows where their team is going to play and when.

 “If you have different pools you have uncertainty and fans buying tickets ‘on spec’ for future games they might not qualify for. The round-robin format has been terrific for us in terms of ticket sales.

World Cup controversies
Commentator and former legendary player Michael Holding had blasted the umpires for their ‘atrocious’ decisions as Australia beat the West Indies at Trent Bridge two weeks ago.

 The trend has since continued, and crossed on that-Elworthy refused to speak on the matter, saying it is inappropriate for him to speak on the matter when the tournament is still on.

The former fast bowler has faced ire on many other issues, but he has remained defiant. 

After all, the South African is hell-bent on eradicating the ghosts of the year 1999 World Cup here in England.

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