The countdown
is on ahead of cricket’s ICC T20 Men’s World Cup, with only one year left until some of the sport’s biggest stars take
to Kardinia Park for the first of Geelong’s six host matches.
Geelong will host the opening game of the tournament on Sunday 18 October 2020,
with 2014 champions Sri Lanka taking on a qualifier in the afternoon. That
match will be followed by a night contest between two other yet-to-be
determined qualifiers on the same day.
Geelong’s six
matches will be played across three separate double-header matchdays with a
single ticket gaining entry for both matches of a double-header. Sri Lanka will
play all three of its first round matches at Kardinia Park, with thousands of
fans from the island nation and Australia’s Sri Lankan community expected to
descend on the city.
This will create an opportunity for Geelong to transform for a huge week of
celebration, embracing multicultural dance, food and entertainment. Sri Lanka
will be joined in Group A by three qualifying teams, with the remaining
matchdays to take place on Tuesday 20 October and Thursday 22 October.
Tickets for the tournament are now on sale. All tickets are just $5 for children and $20 for adults.
Geelong-based fans will join more than one million spectators expected to
attend the tournament nationally, as Australia hosts the global showpiece event
for the very first time.
The three qualifying teams set to join Sri Lanka in Geelong will be determined
at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier event, being hosted in the UAE until 3 November.
Mayor Stephanie Asher:
Geelong is excited to be one of just eight Host Cities nationally for the first
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup ever to be held in Australia.The city will come to life with colour and fun throughout the tournament as the
Sri Lankan team and its fans make Geelong their home away from home. We’re sure
our local community will embrace the event and join in the celebrations.
Councillor Ron Nelson, Chair, Tourism and Events portfolio:
Geelong’s selection as
a Host City for this tournament further stamps us as a destination for major
sporting events, and recognises Kardinia Park’s status as Australia’s best
regional stadium.Our local economy will receive a huge boost as thousands of spectators arrive
for the week of matches. Hotels, restaurants, cafes, retail and our many
attractions will all be in high demand.With exactly a year to go, we’re counting down until the first ball is bowled.
Councillor Peter Murrihy, Chair, Geelong Major Events Committee:
The Geelong
Major Events Committee is proud to be supporting our city’s involvement in this
global tournament.The eyes of the cricket world will be on Kardinia Park and Geelong during the
six matches played here, giving us an opportunity to showcase our region to
thousands of visitors and millions watching on TV.It looms as an exciting event and we’re looking forward to being part of it.
Nick Hockley, CEO, ICC T20 World Cup:
Australia has never hosted a T20 World Cup
before, so we’re very excited that Geelong will host the very first game
featuring the 2014 champions and two-time finalists Sri Lanka.The
event has a truly national footprint to ensure as many people as possible can
be part of it, and we encourage the greater Geelong community to come along and
experience the World Cup festival atmosphere at Kardinia Park.T20
cricket is the global growth vehicle for the sport and there’s a number of
exciting emerging teams participating in qualifying event in the UAE. For the
teams that make it through to Australia 2020 it will be a huge opportunity for
them to play on the world stage.
