England's staging of the 2019 Cricket World Cup has been rubber-stamped, the International Cricket Council confirmed today.
It was originally announced in 2006 that England would stage what will be the 12th edition of cricket's leading one-day international tournament.
But at a meeting in Dubai yesterday, the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) signed the host agreement to stage the 2019 World Cup.
The tournament will be held throughout June 2019 and be played at 10 venues.
ECB chief executive David Collier said after the signing in Dubai, where the ICC is based: "The signing of this agreement now enables ECB to enter into staging agreements with venues who wish to stage matches in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.
"The ECB is honoured to have been selected to stage one of the largest and most important global sports events which will be a wonderful boost to sport and cricket in particular throughout England and Wales."
ICC chief executive David Richardson, a former South Africa wicket-keeper, said: "The ICC Cricket World Cup attracts a broadcast audience in excess of 1.5 billion people and is one of the premier events in world cricket.
"We look forward to working with the ECB to deliver an outstanding tournament."
The 2019 World Cup is scheduled to involve 10 teams and will be the first World Cup played in Britain since 1999, with the UK having staged the first three editions in 1975, 1979 and 1983.
England have never won the World Cup despite appearing in three finals.
Next month's Champions Trophy tournament, a 'mini' World Cup for international cricket's top eight teams in 50-overs per side cricket will take place in England and Wales.
It will start with a match between South Africa and India in Cardiff on June 6 and end with a final at Birmingham's Edgbaston ground in central England, on June 23.
