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The International Cricket Council World Cup Trophy is expected in Zimbabwe this morning and will be received by national team players and administrators in Victoria Falls.The trophy has been in South Africa, where it arrived last Thursday, and was paraded in Cape Town on Saturday.

“It will arrive in Victoria Falls on Tuesday afternoon from Johannesburg, South Africa, as part of the trophy’s tour to all the countries that will compete in the next ICC Cricket World Cup, which will be in Australia and New Zealand from the 14th of February to the 15th of March next year,” Zimbabwe Cricket said in a statement.

“In the absence of One-Day International captain Elton Chigumbura, who is in India playing for Caribbean Premier League champions Barbados Tridents in the 2014 Oppo Champions League Twenty20 tournament, Test captain Brendan Taylor, former captain Prosper Utseya and senior player Hamilton Masakadza will receive the trophy in Victoria Falls together with ZC chairman Wilson Manase and the resort mayor Sifiso Mpofu.

“The trophy will then be taken to the Falls where the three players will be photographed holding one icon with another in the background. The ICC will distribute this photograph worldwide.

“The trophy will come to Harare at the end of the day on Tuesday.  It will be taken around the Central Business District at 9am on Wednesday and then be put on display at the home of Zimbabwe cricket, Harare Sports Club, from 10 o’clock until 4pm that day.”
Zimbabwe is the 12th stopover for the trophy since its journey began on the July 3.

It has so far been to Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, England, Wales, Scotland, Papua New Guinea, Ireland and Afghanistan, Pakistan and now South Africa.

“We have organised for the trophy to come through Victoria Falls so that we can help market the holiday resort and do our bit for the fiscus by helping to generate tourism receipts,” said Zimbabwe Cricket managing director Wilfred Mukondiwa.

After Zimbabwe, the trophy will go to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) then Jamaica and Barbados in the West Indies. After four months round the world, the trophy will arrive in Melbourne, Australia, on November 6, — 100 days before the beginning of the global cricket showpiece.

Zimbabwe is in Pool B of the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup with India, Ireland, Pakistan, South Africa, UAE and the West Indies. Their first game is against South Africa at Seddon Park in Hamilton, New Zealand on February 15.

The trophy is made from silver and gilt, and features a golden globe held up by three silver  columns.

The columns, shaped as stumps and bails, represent the three elements of the game of cricket: batting, bowling and fielding, while the globe represents a cricket ball.

The trophy stands 60 centimetres high and weighs approximately 11 kilogrammes. The names of the previous winners are engraved on the base of the trophy, with space for a total of 20 inscriptions. — Sports Reporter/Zimbabwe Cricket.