South Asian Business news and information

Tomorrow is the opening ceremony of World Cup Cricket. The actual competition will start from 13 March. The final match will take place on 28 March. So, for one and a half month, we will be engrossed with World Cup Cricket. I know that the teams are not playing for money in this tournament but the good thing is that there is some money for the winners.

Jamaica Gleaner reported:

The total prize money for the 2007 ICC CWC World Cup is US$5 million (approx. Ja$338.6m).

The winners of the 16-team tournament, which runs from March 11 to April 28, will pocket US$2,240,000 (JA$151,692,800) while the beaten finalists are set to collect US$1m (Ja$67.72m).

In 2003 the total prize money was the same, but for this year's tournament the percentage to the top two teams has been increased. At the 2003 Cricket World Cup in South Africa the champions (Australia) collected US$2m (Ja$135.44m), while the runners-up (India) picked up US$800,000 (Ja$54,176,000).

Semi-final losers are also in for an increase as they will get US$450,000 (Ja$30,474,000), up from US$400,000 (Ja$27,088,000) in 2003.

Unlike last time where the fifth and sixth-placed teams received US$150,000 (Ja$10.15m) and US$80,000 (Ja$5.41m) respectively, this time around fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth-placed teams will collect US$200,000 (Ja$13.54m), US$150,000 (Ja$10.15m), US$100,000 (Ja$6.77m) and US$50,000 (Ja$3.4m) respectively.

Well, the money is not bad but I really wish that ICC allocates more money for the tournament. ICC is now getting richer. If the players get more money then they will surely try to make the matches more competitive. I would also love to see that ICC takes special initiative to players who suffer injury in Cricket. Often players of smaller countries get injured and they suffer financial problems. ICC should come forward in this regard.