Cricket World Cup in London: How the ICC is hoping to create a buzz around the capital this summer
The summer is here, the sun is out and London is ready for the Cricket World Cup.
With two venues and 10 games to look forward to, the capital is at the epicentre of the tournament and will be abuzz with action between Thursday’s opening match involving England and South Africa at The Oval and the final at Lord’s on 14 July.
The hope is that after the city went into full-blown World Cup fever 12 months ago for a football version which wasn’t even held in the country, cricket can dominate this summer’s sporting agenda. It’s not a bad line-up, with the World Cup preceding a historic Ireland Test match at Lord’s and home Ashes series for both England’s men and women.
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Considering there were an unprecedented 3m ticket applications from 148 countries and more than 90 per cent of all World Cup tickets have been sold, it’s certain there are plenty of others who weren’t lucky enough to gain entry to a match.
“Demand is strong across the whole country, but in London it’s extremely strong,” Paul Smith, the World Cup’s director of city and spectator experience, tells City A.M. “We’re talking handfuls of tickets left – and those are the ones we’ve had back from external stakeholders.”
The World Cup trophy has been on a tour of England and Wales (Source: Getty)
That’s why organisers the International Cricket Council (ICC) have gone above and beyond to engage anyone and everyone – and London is their main focus.
Having already staged milestone events at Brick Lane and Trafalgar Square in the countdown to the tournament and sent the trophy around the country on a tour, attention now turns to making sure as many people in the capital know what is happening on their doorstep.
Visitors landing at Heathrow Airport this week will be greeted by reams of advertising, a giant 5m high replica World Cup and an augmented reality cricket experience, while anyone in the vicinity of The Mall on Wednesday will encounter the opening party.
Organisers are hoping vibrant fans, like Afghanistan's, will enhance the tournament (Source: Getty)
As well as campaigns across social media and Transport for London, the giant World Cup will then move to Vauxhall station to coincide with The Oval hosting its five matches inside 16 days at the start of the tournament. The final weekend, from 12 to 14 July, will then see a fanzone erected in Trafalgar Square.
The ICC’s efforts tie into the England and Wales Cricket Board’s club weekend on 7-9 June, when cricket clubs across the country will open their doors for community days and show matches.
Smith worked on 2017’s Champions Trophy and Women’s World Cup and says the lessons learned from those events have been carried into this summer.
“I think the words ‘World Cup’ are magic. It’s easy to understand to a lay person, so you get an instant engagement,” he says. “The beauty of these ICC tournaments and this country is that every participating nation has its own fans in this country. The colours, noise and passion of those fans, that people are going to see all across the host cities, is really going to blow people away.”
India's Bharat Army were in full voice at 2017's Champions Trophy final against Pakistan (Source: Getty)
The ICC has been in touch with supporters groups, like India’s Bharat Army and Pakistan’s Stani Army, to canvas ideas for entertainment and music inside grounds and to provide colour on the walkways from transport links.
“We’ve made a big effort for each match to make sure the music and the entertainment is relevant to who’s participating and the cities we’re in, so we can show off those cultures and countries while showcasing the best of England and Wales,” Smith adds.
“There’s a whole raft of things people can connect to throughout the tournament. It’s about creating that connection and scale for people to embrace the sport.”