MUMBAI: The memory of moments at International Cricket Council (ICC) events will be preserved forever with an online footage archive database going live today.
The project, which will be managed by the ICC’s global broadcast partner ESPN Star Sports (ESS), will make it easy for broadcasters, documentary film-makers and journalists to access and license footage from more than 40 years of great multi-team international cricket events.
ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat praised this important step in promoting the wonderful cricketing duels of yesterday and maintaining the legacy of the great sport of cricket. “Ensuring the legacy of the coverage from our events is vitally important to maintaining the status of cricket throughout the world. Through this state-of-the-art online archive, we will maintain and update an archive of all our events."
This archive will include footage from all of the ICC’s televised events, such as the ICC Cricket World Cup, ICC World Twenty20, ICC Champions Trophy, ICC Women’s World Cup, ICC U19 Cricket World Cup and many other events that ICC organises.
The archive will serve as the definitive search engine of all ICC events and gives journalists, documentary and film-makers the opportunity to view and purchase archive material for their projects.
As every event is completed, the ICC archive will automatically update, giving the approved user instant access to some of the defining moments in cricketing history.
ESS MD Manu Sawhney said, “As ICC’s global broadcast and production partner it is our endeavour to ensure that the legacy of this iconic event that extends across many decades is not only preserved well but it is also made available to our partners all across the globe. We are very pleased to create this unique platform that will be of immense value to all stakeholders for various promotional and editorial purposes.”
The online archive will sit in the ESS offices in Singapore, with a back up, mirror library being kept in the ICC headquarters in Dubai.
Fox Sports director, content acquisition and strategy Tony Sinclair said, “I think the ICC Archive provides an excellent service for any user. Browsing is easy and the viewing quality is very good. The Archive content is a wonderful warehouse of outstanding matches that reflect the history and development of the One Day and Twenty20 formats of the game. It is a great initiative from ICC and ESPN Star Sports.”
