PRESS RELEASE

01 May 2013

As Birmingham gears up to host international cricket’s summer showcase, sport lovers in south Birmingham have already got their hands on the glittering trophy.

The city is home to several group matches and the final of the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy at Warwickshire County Cricket Club’s Edgbaston ground in June.

The stadium will be the stage for mouth-watering clashes in the group stages including England v Australia, Pakistan v South Africa, Australia v New Zealand and Pakistan v India.

The trophy arrived in the UK last weekend and one of its first stops was at the Attock Cricket Club ground in Wake Green Road, Moseley, at a community event organised by the club and its sponsor, the Birmingham-based charity Islamic Help.

Youngsters and adults, including local resident and former Pakistan batting legend Mushtaq Mohammad, had the opportunity to be photographed with the trophy which was brought to the ground by Warwickshire’s cricket development officer Darren Franklin and commercial executive Clara Edwards.

In an area dominated by a largely Pakistani population, Franklin, interviewed for Islamic Help’s YouTube channel, predicted boldly that India would win when the two rivals meet at Edgbaston in the sold-out encounter on Saturday June 15.

The session also included coaching for the club’s junior teams and Islamic Help head of fundraising Zaheer Khan said: “Events like these with Warwickshire, Attock and Islamic Help not only raise awareness but show our commitment to getting young people involved in their communities especially through sport.

“Everyone’s delighted that Birmingham and the Edgbaston stadium will be playing such a significant role in the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy and this event shows how that excitement has already filtered through to grass roots level.”

The trophy’s appearance on Tuesday (APRIL 30) was followed by a gathering of local schoolchildren and the ‘Stani Army – Pakistan’s equivalent of England’s Barmy Army – at Edgbaston to publicise the 2013 tournament which will be the last ICC Champions trophy event.