GMHBA Stadium to host ICC T20 World Cup games
Kardinia Park won’t be hosting Australia at the T20 World Cup but an ex-Highton cricketer could have a whole city behind him when the nation he leads lands on our shores.
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Former Highton import Scott Edwards will make his return to Geelong as a captain of the Netherlands World Cup squad after his team secured its place in the tournament.
The Dutch side has been confirmed as the final team in the ICC T20 Cricket World Cup after a 37-run defeat to Zimbabwe in a qualifying final.
The Netherlands will join Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates and Namibia in group A, with the four countries to play their pool games in Geelong during the tournament.
Zimbabwe, who scored 132 runs in the final qualifier, will be in Group B and play the West Indies, Scotland and Ireland in Hobart.
Edwards said it was disappointing to lose to Zimbabwe, but qualifying for the World Cup was the ultimate goal.
“Both teams came out here to win and they were too good for us,” Edwards said.
“We got what we came here for in qualifying for the World Cup, it’s just a little bit disappointing that we couldn’t perform in the final.
“Each group (at the World Cup) has got its challenges so we’ll prepare for Australia and the teams we are playing against and see how we go.”
Edwards last played for Highton in the 2020-21 season, where he made 195 runs at an average of 39 in five games, including a season-high of 121 against North Geelong.
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup local organising committee chief executive Michelle Enright said it was exciting to have all 16 teams confirmed ahead of the tournament.
“It’s super exciting to be where we are at, the last piece of the jigsaw puzzle has fallen into place and we’re less than 90 days away now,” she said.
“All the planning is going well, the tickets are selling well and we’re expecting big crowds to watch the world’s best cricketers on the world’s biggest stage.”
The tournament was initially set to be held in October 2020 before international borders were shut and Covid plunged the world into lockdown.
But almost exactly two years on, the competition is set to draw thousands of international fans into the country to support their stars.
Enright said Geelong would be a fantastic location for international travellers to visit during the action.
“We’ve had good feedback about the ticket sales with international fans, there are a lot of people that will combine the travel with a chance to see family and friends, a holiday or a business trip,” she said.
“The borders are open and there’s no restrictions on travel for overseas fans, and we’ll work with restrictions that are in place for each state and stadium for crowd restrictions.”
T20 World Cup millions set for Geelong economy
Millions are expected to be injected into Geelong’s economy when the T20 World Cup comes to the region later this year.
Geelong will host matches in October, including clashes between Sri Lanka, Namibia, United Arab Emirates and Q3.
The region will also host the Sri Lanka, Netherlands, UAE and Namibia teams during the competition, with one tourism boss predicting a lot of buzz to be created as a result.
Tourism Greater Geelong and the Bellarine executive director Brett Ince said there was no financial modelling to predict how much money would be put into the economy because an event like T20 had not been hosted in Geelong before.
However, he said the “significant” event would provide an economic boost to the region.
“We’ll certainly see millions injected,” Ince said.
“Particularly because there are five matches spread across five days.
“It’s also the fact that we’re hosting four teams as well … and spectators will be drawn in because of that, but will also have the chance to explore the region in between matches.”
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup local organising committee chief executive Michelle Enright said Geelong would be transformed into “a melting pot of different cultures and experiences”.
“We’re seeing really strong support from overseas fans who want to travel to Australia to support their teams,” she said.
“There’s going to be a wide variety of cultures mixing together and enjoying the competition with the best cricketers the world can offer.
“It’s super exciting to be able to transform GMHBA Stadium into a melting pot of different cultures and experiences.”
Ince said he expected Kardinia Park and central Geelong to be “activated” for the competition.
He said there would also be a chance to put the wider region on show as well.
“We’ll be encouraging spectators to move around the region,” Ince said.
“They should see all we have on offer – wineries, breweries, all those great tourist destinations.”
Ince said international broadcasting of the event would also showcase Geelong to a global audience and could bolster economic recovery following the coronavirus pandemic.
“This being an international event, it provides an opportunity to advertise and broadcast the region,” he said.
“It’s (also) a significant opportunity for Geelong and surrounds to continue to recover from the past few years.
“We’re looking forward to hosting this event and all it will bring.”
Kardinia Park is expected to be used as a central hub for fan activity, with merchandise tents, food trucks and different experiences that both local and international fans can enjoy.
Originally published as GMHBA Stadium to host ICC T20 World Cup games
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