Lord's set to host ICC World Cup 2019 final

London, Dec 18: Lord's Cricket Ground in London has been proposed as the venue for the ICC World Cup final when the tournament is staged in England and Wales in 2019 - and will also host the ICC Women's World Cup final in 2017.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will also recommend to ICC that the semi-finals in the 2019 World Cup should be allocated to Old Trafford, Manchester and Warwickshire's home of Edgbaston, with the opening game being staged at The Oval, the cricket board said in a statement.

Lord's staged the first three World Cup finals in 1975, 1979 and 1983. The West Indies won the first two finals - their only World Cup successes - while India recorded the first of their two World Cup triumphs in 1983.

In 1999 Australia won the first of their three consecutive World Cups in the fourth final to be staged at Lord's.

Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman, said: "The ICC Cricket World Cup attracts television audiences which have the potential to outstrip all other major international sporting events. As chairman of the ICC's Financial and Commercial Affairs Committee I know that we are anticipating a global television audience of more than two billion for the final.

"ECB is extremely proud to be staging the tournament which follows the Olympics and the Rugby World Cup in the list of truly global events being held in this country. Multi-cultural Britain ensures that all the teams competing in the ICC Cricket World Cup will have generous support in all the games they play in what promises to be a global celebration of cricket."

ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said: "The ECB has a long-standing reputation for its ability to host world-class events and the ICC is delighted that the ECB is hosting three global events between 2017 and 2019, each at quality venues".

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