Leicester part of Trophy Tour

With 100 days to go before the first ball is bowled in the eighth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy, the dates have been announced for when the trophies for the two events will take to the streets of Leicester. 

Sponsored by Nissan, the Trophy Tour will see both the ICC Champions Trophy and ICC Women’s World Cup spend 31 days travelling around the seven cities. They will start in Taunton on Tuesday 2 May and finish at The Oval on Thursday 2 June for England v Bangladesh. 

The two trophies will be in Leicester from May 21-24 and will visit schools, clubs, venues and landmarks in what promises to be the start of an exciting summer of cricket. Full details of all the activities will be announced in the coming months.  

The full dates and cities are as follows:

- Taunton – 2 and 3 May
- Bristol – 4 to 6 and 11 May
- Cardiff – 7 to 10 May 
- Birmingham – 13 to 17 May 
- Derby – 17 to 20 May
- Leicester – 21 to 24 May
- London – 27 May to 1 June

ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said: “The Trophy Tour is the start of what will be a fantastic summer of cricket in the UK with two major back-to-back events - the ICC Champions Trophy followed by the ICC Women’s World Cup.

“Our thanks to Nissan for bringing us this Trophy Tour, providing the fans from the competing nations with a special experience in the build up to the events. We are confident that the two tournaments will be as competitive and thrilling as preceding editions, bringing together some of the finest 50-over cricketers from around the world”. 

Leicestershire CCC Chief Executive Wasim Khan MBE said: “It is fantastic that the people of Leicester will get to see the two major trophies as they make their way across the country. We are excited to be a part of the Trophy Tour as well as hosting a prestigious global event.”

Today also saw the launch of ICC Champions Trophy 2017 Nissan Trophy Tour in the backyard of the International Cricket Council headquarters at the ICC Academy. It will see the ICC Champions Trophy visit 19 cities across all eight competing nations, allowing fans to get a close-up view of the prestigious silverware.

The journey of the two trophies will be documented on ICC’s various social media platforms and fans across the world can track the movements of them via the Nissan Trophy Tour dedicated section on the ICC website (www.icc-cricket.com/champions-trophy), which will host an interactive map of the Trophy Tour’s schedule of activities along with a gallery of imagery captured during each of the stops.

The trophy’s journey will start on Thursday, 2 March, when it will depart for India, and after travelling through Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, it will arrive in the United Kingdom on 2 May where the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 will be staged from 1-18 June.

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi attended the launch ceremony, and said: “The ICC Champions Trophy is an event which gives me and millions of Pakistan cricket supporters mixed feelings. It is the only ICC major tournament Pakistan has never won, but at the same time it is the only ICC event in which Pakistan has beaten India. That said, I am sure things will soon change as nothing is permanent in life and sport.

“The ICC Champions Trophy is a tough and challenging tournament for the players, but immensely entertaining for the fans. In the two-week window, each side plays almost every third day, against a new opponent and in fresh conditions. As such, there is no time to relax or reflect on past glory or failure. In quest for the title, you simply have to be sharp and on the ball every single day. 

“The tournament in June will be no different and will probably be one of the most open events in recent times. It will not be prudent to predict a winner, as, at least, five of the eight sides, I think, have an outstanding chance to lift the trophy on 18 June.

“Like most of the champions of our sport, I too have always enjoyed playing cricket in the United Kingdom, not only because of its rich cricket heritage and history as well as its cultural diversity, but also because it boasts excellent playing facilities which is complimented by some very passionate and knowledgeable cricket fans.

“I want to thank the ICC and all its sponsors for their support of cricket. By taking the trophy on a global tour, they’re enabling fans to connect with the event regardless of where they live and hopefully build a new generation of cricket fans.”

Nissan Global Head of Marketing and Brand Strategy Roel de Vries added: “We partnered with the ICC to bring cricket fans closer to the excitement of the game. We want the Nissan Trophy Tour to build excitement and anticipation on the journey towards the ICC Champions Trophy tournament in the UK in June."