Champions set to cash in

Colombo's Premadasa Stadium: Venue for the final

By Thrasy Petropoulos BBC Sport Online

A cricket historian could become confused when chronicling the Champions Trophy.

Originally intended as a tournament geared towards raising money for cricket's developing nations, it is now being seen as an alternative to the World Cup, with prize money to match.

After tournaments in Bangladesh - before they had been granted Test status - and Kenya, the International Cricket Council opted this time to stage the event in Sri Lanka, a full member nation.

In its third incarnation, it is also has its third name - the Wills International Cup was followed by the ICC Knockout and now, perhaps finally, it became known as the ICC Champions Trophy.

The wishes of the Bangladesh fans were granted

The development of the game at large is still the thrust behind the event, with the net profits being allocated to associate and affiliate members.

But the financial inducement for competing nations is now so great that no country can realistically turn its back on a possible prize money of $525,000 for winning the tournament.

And then there is the proximity of the World Cup and the opportunity to test players and strategies in a pressurised environment.

In 1998, the choice of Dhaka as a venue was designed primarily to hasten Bangladesh's acceptance as the tenth Test-playing nation.

But they also raked in a healthy profit - seven crore, fifty-three lakh, fifty-nine thousand three hundred and eighty taka, to be precise.

Athough Kenya were never expected to follow suit in status terms, they benefitted from $4 million to develop their infrastructure.

Huge increase

By opting for Sri Lanka - India, the original choice, was deemed politically unsafe - the ICC have, however, upped the financial stakes.

Television revenue and sponsorship have taken the prize fund to $1.15 million.

Merely for turning up, competing nations are guaranteed $165,000. Each pool game won will then bring in $50,000, and a semi-final birth is worth $125,000.

New Zealand came out on top in Nairobi

Critics will no doubt point out that countries who fail to make it past the group stage will have travelled halfway around the world for two matches - a marginal improvement on Nairobi and Dhaka, where some teams played only once.

And prize money is all well and good, but can you, for instance, name the winner of the 1998 Knockout Cup?

The answer is South Africa - and much good it did them when they met Australia in the semi-final of the World Cup proper the following year.

Global expansion

Similarly, Chris Cairns' match-winning century for New Zealand two years later was celebrated - and promptly forgotten almost as quickly.

But the true value of the Champions Cup will be seen at a local level.

Nepal are among the countries to benefit

The tournament in Kenya brought in almost $13 million for developing nations - half of which went to the Asian Cricket Council - and similar profits are expected this time.

Sri Lanka, with their uncertain economy and flagging tourism, are be anticipating the tournament like no other staged in the country.

For them, the 1996 World Cup across Asia was spoilt by the decision of Australia and the West Indies to boycott matches in the country on security grounds.

And the ICC have priced tickets modestly to generate healthy crowds - from 500 Sri Lankan rupees ($5) for the group stage to 2,000 rupees for the final, and standing admission available from 20 rupees.

The stakes will, no doubt, rise again in 2006 time when the Champions Trophy comes to England - the next phase of a tournament that is changing by the year.