Colin Ingram recalled his ‘fond memories’ of playing in the ICC Champions Trophy in Cardiff two years ago and said it was great for the city to welcome back the world’s best cricketers this time next year.
Ingram hit a memorable 73 off 63 balls as South Africa secured a thrilling tie against West Indies in Cardiff in the 2013 Champions Trophy.
The South African big hither said the ‘prestigious’ stadium was a deserved host venue. Three group matches will be held in Cardiff in 2017 – including England’s clash with New Zealand – as well as the first semi-final.
Ingram said: “I’ve got really fond memories of the Champions Trophy, I guess internationally it’s like a mini-World Cup, it shows you as an international side whereabouts you’re at. I thoroughly enjoyed the tournament two years ago, so it’s great for Cardiff to have it back again.
“I remember a pretty cold evening in Cardiff against the West Indies in 2013, where I was fortunate to score a few runs and we (South Africa) went through to the semi-finals.”
Ingram now plies his trade full time in South Wales after being impressed with the stadium. And he was encouraged to see Cardiff hosting international cricket tournaments in the future.
He added: “When I arrived here, at that stage seeing the stadium for the first time, I thought it was a great value to play at and now, sitting in my spot in the changing rooms overlooking the stadium every day is great.
“It’s a great place to play and I think people love visiting Cardiff in general and this prestigious Welsh stadium.”
Fixtures to be played in Cardiff as part of 2017 ICC Champions Trophy:
Tues, 6 June – England v New Zealand
Fri, 9 June – New Zealand v Bangladesh
Mon, 12 June – Sri Lanka v Pakistan
Wed, 14 June – First semi-final (A1 v B2)