BRIDGETOWN, Feb 1: Ticket sales for this year's cricket World Cup in the Caribbean have surpassed the previous tournament in South Africa, officials said on Wednesday.

“In 2003, South Africa's overall ticketing revenue totalled 81 million rand (US$11.2 million) and we have already achieved double that figure at this point, and Phase 3 is still to come,” said tournament commercial manager Stephen Price of data provided by the International Cricket Council's commercial arm, IDI.

“Ticketing is in very good shape, contrary to widespread speculation.”

Organizers are projecting overall revenue from ticket sales to be US$40 million.

The third round of ticket sales opens in the nine host nations – Barbados, Jamaica, St Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Guyana and Antigua – on Thursday.

The event runs from March 13 to April 28.—AP