ICC World Cup trophy launched into space ahead of tour

KARACHI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) Men's Cricket World Cup Trophy Tour 2023 was launched into space about 120,000 feet above the earth ahead of the event in India. 

The more than two-month-long tour will provide a chance for fans to interact with the trophy before lands at Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad, the ICC reported. 

The trophy, which has been launched on a stratospheric scale, was attached to a balloon to take it to the edge of the Earth's atmosphere. Beautiful shots of the trophy were captured from 4k cameras.

The 2023 tour — starting on June 27 — is the biggest one so far as it would provide fans from various countries and cities around the world a chance to interact with it.

The trophy will travel to 18 countries around the world, including Pakistan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Malaysia, the USA, Nigeria, Uganda, France, Italy, and the host country India.

Geoff Allardice, who is the ICC chief executive, said on the launch: "The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Trophy Tour is an important milestone in the countdown to what will be the biggest ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup ever. This Tour will see the iconic silverware meet heads of states, launch community initiatives and support cricket development programmes in addition to visiting some of the most iconic landmarks around the globe.

“Cricket has more than a billion fans and we want to give as many people as possible the opportunity to get up close to this famous trophy that has been held aloft by some of the greatest legends of our sport.”

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Jay Shah added, "Cricket unites India like no other sport and excitement is building across the country as we prepare to host the 10 best teams in the world over six weeks of heart-stopping cricket.

“As we countdown to the World Cup, the Trophy Tour is a fantastic chance for fans to be part of the event wherever they are. The Tour will travel extensively across India and seek to inspire communities to share the excitement of cricket’s greatest spectacle while providing an opportunity to showcase iconic venues, cities and landmarks throughout the country.”

The tour will begin on June 27 in India and will return to the host nation on September 4 after travelling around the globe.

Full schedule of the Trophy Tour:

27 June – 14 July: India

15 – 16 July: New Zealand

17 – 18 July: Australia

19 – 21 July: Papua New Guinea

22 – 24 July: India

25 – 27 July: USA

28 – 30 July: West Indies

31 July – 4 August: Pakistan

5 – 6 August: Sri Lanka

7 – 9 August: Bangladesh

10 – 11 August: Kuwait

12 – 13 August: Bahrain

14 – 15 August: India

16 – 18 August: Italy

19 – 20 August: France

21 – 24 August: England

25 – 26 August: Malaysia

27 – 28 August: Uganda

29 – 30 August: Nigeria

31 August – 3 September: South Africa

From 4 September: India