The 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup was the eighth ICC Cricket World Cup and was played in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya from 9 February to 24 March.

After taking up coaching for Kent County Cricket Club, Wright enjoyed a successful coaching career with India, from 2000 to 2005, during which time the team improved immensely, winning a home test-series 2-1 against Australia ( which included the historic Kolkata test which India won coming back from a follow-on with Indian batsman VVS Laxman making 281 *), drawing a test series against Australia in Australia 1-1 in a four-match test series in 2003-04 ( Steve Waugh's farewell test series ), winning a series against arch-rivals, Pakistan, and reaching the final of the 2003 Cricket World Cup held in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya.

Cricket is the most popular sport and Potchefstroom hosted a match from the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup between Australia and The Netherlands, Australia and Namibia, and also between South Africa and Kenya.

Pakistan started well in the ICC Cricket World Cup, which was held in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, after beating Kenya, Sri Lanka ( one of the tournament favourites ) and narrowly beating Canada.

Most recently he has been playing club cricket in England and in Kenya he plays for Swamibapa Cricket Club in Nairobi.

Tikolo came from a cricketing family with his oldest brother Tom being a former captain of Kenya while his other brother David Tikolo played in the 1996 Cricket World Cup.

His last major tournament, and his last appearance as captain, was the 2009 ICC World Cup Qualifier, where Kenya secured place for the 2011 Cricket World Cup.

Old logo of the Cricket Kenya

Cricket was brought to Kenya by colonial settlers, the British and was first played in Mombasa from where it spread inland.

In early 2006, the Kenya Cricket Association was disbanded and replaced by Cricket Kenya.

Cricket Kenya announced that it would review the World Cup debacle after the tournament was over.

Within months, the East African tournaments were regarded in high esteem and the intensity was up to the brink, as an ESPNCricinfo interview of Cricket Kenya CEO Tom Sears revealed.

Sears said that they were pleased with the group of seven players who committed to Cricket Kenya, while equally disappointed with those who refused contracts.

* 17 February-Kenya's Sports Ministry announces the formation of Cricket Kenya, a new governing body for the sport in the country.

At the end of January, Bermuda travelled to Kenya for the Division One tournament of the ICC World Cricket League.

Asgiriya has also hosted a 1996 Cricket World Cup fixture between Sri Lanka national cricket team and Kenya national cricket team with Sri Lanka making a record 398, the highest score at the time.

* 1996-Hosts a 1996 Cricket World Cup fixture between Sri Lanka national cricket team and Kenya national cricket team with Sri Lanka making a record 398, the highest score at the time.

It came with the prize of a place in the 2007 Cricket World Cup ( and together with it a share of US $ 2. 5 million for future development ) for the five top-ranked teams, and with the prize of official One Day International status from 1 January 2006 ( until the 2009 ICC Trophy ) for the five top-ranked teams along with Kenya, who had already been given official one-day status until the 2009 Trophy.

Having played at the East Melbourne Cricket Ground from 1882 to 1921, and having won four VFA premierships ( 1891 – 1894 ) and four VFL premierships ( 1897, 1901, 1911, ( 1912 ) whilst there, Essendon were looking for a new home, and were offered grounds at the current Royal Melbourne Showgrounds, at Victoria Park, at Arden St, North Melbourne, and the Essendon Cricket Ground.

The Essendon City Council, offered the ( VFL ) team the Essendon Cricket Ground, announcing that it would be prepared to spend over ₤ 12, 000 on improvements, including a new grandstand, scoreboard and re-fencing of the oval.

In the early 1970s, with the rise of interest in sub-compact cars, Chrysler offered the Hillman Avenger in North America as the Plymouth Cricket.

The 1500 cc engine was offered on the Plymouth Cricket, the 1250 being a little underpowered for American tastes.

In 2005, Lloyd offered his patronage to Major League Cricket for their inaugural Interstate Cricket Cup in the United States, to be named the Sir Clive Lloyd Cup.

Bell and Lee Phillip Bell, and sister to Bill Bell, Jr. and Bradley Bell as well as sister-in-law to Maria Arena Bell, Lauralee was offered a bit role as a model, Christine " Cricket " Blair, on her parents ' show The Young and the Restless in 1983 and that followed into a contract role in 1986.

At the start of the 2004 – 05 Australian summer, Bichel was not offered a contract by the Australian Cricket Board, an indication that the Board did not believe he would represent Australia in that season.

After forming a bond with the Nine Network's Kerry Packer during the World Series Cricket days, Greig was offered a " job for life " by Packer as a commentator during Nine's cricket coverage.

The proposed extra match fell through after a pay standoff led behind the scenes by Ian Chappell, later to spearhead the breakaway World Series Cricket ( WSC ), which offered players substantial remuneration.

He was an athlete who rowed and played Cricket for Oxford, where he took a first class degree in Greats and was offered a college fellowship ( teaching position ) which he declined.

In 2000, Nottinghamshire coach Clive Rice, who had seen Pietersen play in 1997 in South Africa at a schools week, heard that Pietersen was playing club cricket for the Cannock Cricket Club and offered him a three-year contract to play for the county.

On 14 April 2008 Rainford-Brent was named as one of eight members of the England Women's team offered a coaching contract in partnership with the Cricket Foundation and the England and Wales Cricket Board.

It offered no-contract unlimited local calling for a fixed monthly price similar to Cricket Communications in Cleveland.

It offered unlimited roaming in Dayton and Toledo for an additional monthly fee by a reciprocal roaming agreement with Cricket Communications signed in December 2004.

Cricket Ireland has offered a record 23 professional contracts to players, in three categories, for 2012, a development Simmons says is vital for their continued improvement.

Hunte was also offered a place with the elite Empire Cricket Club in Division 1 of the Barbados Cricket Association, the home club of his sporting idol Everton Weekes.

In 1991, as apartheid was coming to an end in South Africa, Hunte rang the director of the new United Cricket Board of South Africa, Ali Bacher, and offered to help develop cricket in the black townships and promote reconciliation between the races.

World Series Cricket ( WSC ) divided the Australian team into two camps ; those that had signed lucrative contracts with Kerry Packer's rebel group and those, like Hughes, who had remained with the establishment Australian Cricket Board ( ACB ).

He along with another former Indian Cricket League player Abdul Razzaq were awarded ‘ A ’ category mid-term central contracts by Pakistan Cricket Board after they left Indian Cricket League.

Each team was allowed a limited roster of global players from professional cricket teams outside the U. S. The ICC however ruled that because Pro Cricket was not organised by the USACA, contracted players from ICC Test nations could not be released from their contracts to play in Pro Cricket matches.

By January 2006, 37 Zimbabwean cricketers had failed to receive any offer of renegotiation talks from Zimbabwe Cricket after their contracts with the board had expired.

The following is a list of the 15 players awarded central contracts by the Bangladesh Cricket Board and others who have represented Bangladesh since 1 April.

In May 2009, the Indian Cricket League announced that several players had been released from their contracts, and in June Bond confirmed to New Zealand Cricket that he had severed ties with the unofficial league, effectively making himself available to be selected for the national team.

In September, for the first time Tremlett was awarded one of 13 central contracts with the England and Wales Cricket Board ( ECB ) until September 2012.

Cricket Ireland, which succeeded the Irish Cricket Union as the sport's governing body in the country, introduced contracts for its players in 2009, and as of the 2011 Cricket World Cup 13 players have full-time contracts.

Cricket Ireland awarded 23 contracts to its players in January 2012.