Teams for Champions Trophy to assemble in Delhi on Oct 8

Mumbai, Sep 29 (UNI) The six teams, who have qualified for the Champions Trophy tournament, would arrive in Delhi on October eight for a briefing with the technical committee, Tournament Director Prof Ratnakar Shetty informed here today.

Briefing reporters on the Champions Trophy, Prof Shetty said the four teams would be arriving in Delhi by October two as the qualifiers would start on October seven, while the main tournament will start on October 15. Two of the four teams playing the qualifiers, would join the six teams in the main tournament.

The six teams, after assembling in Delhi on October eight, would disperse to different centres where they would be playing practice matches on October 10. ''Practice matches would be allowed to be played only before their respective first Cup match and not after that,'' Shetty added.

India, Pakistan and England would proceed to Jaipur while Australia, New Zealand and South Africa would come to Mumbai.

India would be playing only one practice match at Jaipur before their opening fixture (v England at Jaipur on Oct 15) as the time ''was too short,'' Shetty said.

Australia, New Zealand and South Africa would play two practice ties each in Mumbai - one each against Mumbai and one each against Baroda, Saurashtra and Maharashtra respectively. The matches are scheduled at the Wankhede Stadium and MIG ground in suburban Bandra.

''All the matches would be played as per the ICC Rules and Regulations,'' he said.

Meanwhile, Shetty also informed that the world body has also introduced an insurance scheme for all the teams by which each player is insured to the tune of USD 300,000, he said. The premium would be paid by the ICC, he added.

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