100-day countdown to World T20 begins

Pallekele: The 100-day countdown to the ICC World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka began on Sunday with more than 350 school children from Kandy district forming a giant '100' at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.

At a special event held to commemorate the day, the International Cricket Council (ICC), together with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), donated 100 cricket bats amongst the girls and boys who participated in competitive cricket in Kandy district.

The event will be staged from September 18 to October 7 in Colombo, Hambantota and Pallekele, with the women's group stages in Galle. The ICC also announced the launch of more tickets for all matches of the tournament from June 12 onwards.

At a special event held to commemorate the day, the ICC, together with SLC, donated 100 cricket bats to school children.

ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said, "We are now 100 days away from the first ICC World Twenty20 tournament in Asia. This year's event promises to be even more explosive as player skills in the T20 format have expanded and cricket fans from around the world are dashing to be in Sri Lanka," he said in an ICC release.

"The second phase of the ticket sales will be another opportunity for fans that missed out on booking their tickets earlier this year to secure their stadium seat and experience excitement of every ball being hit at the event," Lorgat added.

Upali Dharmadasa, the SLC President, said, "The ICC World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka is a sporting spectacle not to be missed by any fan. Sri Lanka is ready and excited to host this global event and I sincerely encourage all cricket fans to purchase the remaining tickets early to avoid last-minute disappointment."

The ticket prices will start from USD 0.25 for the single group games and the final will be priced between USD 2.50 and USD 45. The women's World Twenty20 will be free of charge for spectators in the group stages, which will be played in Galle.

The semi-finals and final will be played on the same day on the same ground as the men's semi-finals and final and will be covered by the same ticket.

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