The 20/20 World Cricket Classic was officially launched yesterday with organiser Keith Pont promising a thrill-a-minute cricketing extravaganza that Bermudians will not easily forget.

Seven international teams, boasting among their ranks some of the finest cricketers in the sport?s history, will battle it out over five action-packed days at the National Sports Centre this April, where Bermuda?s national team players will also have the opportunity of strutting their stuff.

Close to 100 former Test and One Day International cricketers have been signed up, including Australia?s legendary wicketkeeper Ian Healy and the towering West Indian fast bowler Joel Garner.

The eight competing sides will be Australia, India, South Africa, New Zealand, England, the West Indies, Bermuda and Sri Lanka

The Classic, organised by English charity the Get Fit Foundation, will be the world?s first international 20/20 tournament, a format Pont is convinced will continue to grow in popularity and importance in the coming years.

The former Essex allrounder and now GEFF chief executive was also adamant that the players were not coming to Bermuda simply for a week long jolly, but would be going all out to secure victory.

?Having spoken to some of the players on the phone recently, they have made it clear that they are coming here to win,? he said at the event at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess.

Flying in today for a site visit with be Notts Sport?s Richard Tigwell, whose UK company will be responsible for laying the state-of-the-art synthetic pitch upon which all matches are due to be played and which will remain in Bermuda when the tournament is finished.

Pont also revealed that two new electronic scoreboards would be installed for the Classic, although he could not say whether these too would be left behind.

Eight television companies have been lined up to screen an hour-long highlights package of the event world-wide, produced by the famous UK production company Sunset & Vine.

Alongside the cricket will be a Health Activity Village, run by GEFF director Caroline Knox, which will involve a multitude of fitness related activities in the football stadium next door.

The tournament is from April 23 to the 29 with the Health Village starting the day before.

Tickets went on sale yesterday at www.boxoffice.bm while from March 1 they will also be available from all CellularOne stores.

Yesterday?s media launch also included the unveiling of the inaugural event?s main sponsors, who include the Government, the World Rugby Classic, the Bank of Bermuda Foundation, Gosling?s and Barritt?s and Fairmont Hotels.