Bangla test awaits India

Cricket: 2011 World Cup draw: Co-hosts to kick off tournament in Dhaka on February 19

Placed in Group B, alongside South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland and the Netherlands, India will host 29 matches of the quadrennial tournament, including a semifinal and the final.

The first match on Indian soil will see New Zealand and Kenya locking horns in Chennai on February 20.

Denied hosting rights owing to security concerns, Pakistan will play all their Group A matches in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka, set to host the second biggest chunk of 12 matches, will kick off the Lankan leg on February 20 against Canada.

The Lankans are in Group A, which also has defending champions Australia, Zimbabwe and Kenya.

Bangladesh, which will host two quarterfinals, will play host to just eight matches.
Mumbai will host the final of the event on April 2, with the semifinals scheduled for Colombo on March 29 and Mohali on March 30.

The 2011 event will be a week shorter than the 2007 edition, which was held in West Indies.


ICC vice-president and chairman of the Central Organising Committee, Sharad Pawar, said, “The sub-continent offers some great facilities for the cricketers, spectators, sponsors and media, and with some brand new stadia to be built and others to be upgraded, the match schedule will allow the venues to focus on the task at hand to plan and implement their preparations,” he added.

ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said advance scheduling would allow the hosts to plan their preparations well.

“The match schedule will allow the teams, commercial partners, spectators and media to commence with planning their tours.

“Preparation of venues and safety and security planning continues and I am confident the host countries will showcase our great sport with its great spirit in the best possible light,” he said.

“With plenty of high-quality matches played since the Champions Trophy last month, I’m convinced the 2011 World Cup will further cement the status of ODIs and once again illustrate one of cricket’s greatest strengths,” he added.

Tournament director Ratnakar Shetty promised a memorable World Cup. “The sub-continent has hosted high-quality events in the past, including two World Cups in 1987 and 1996, and we are committed to stage another world-class event in 2011, one which will be memorable and enjoyable for all,” he said.


Feb 19: India vs Bangladesh (Dhaka). Feb 20: New Zealand vs Kenya (Chennai); Sri Lanka vs Canada (Hambantota); Feb 21: Australia vs Zimbabwe (Ahmedabad); Feb 22: England vs Netherlands (Nagpur); Feb 23: Pakistan vs Kenya (Hambantota); Feb 24: South Africa vs West Indies (New Delhi); Feb 25: Australia vs New Zealand (Nagpur), Bangladesh vs Ireland (Dhaka); Feb 26: Sri Lanka vs Pakistan (Colombo); Feb 27: India vs England (Kolkata); Feb 28: West Indies vs Netherlands (New Delhi), Zimbabwe vs Canada (Nagpur); Mar 1: Sri Lanka vs Kenya (Colombo); Mar 2: England vs Ireland (Bangalore); Mar 3: South Africa vs Netherlands (Mohali), Pakistan vs Canada (Colombo); Mar 4: New Zealand vs Zimbabwe (Ahmedabad), Bangladesh vs West Indies (Dhaka); Mar 5: Sri Lanka vs Australia (Colombo); Mar 6: India vs Ireland (Bangalore), England vs South Africa (Chennai); Mar 7: Kenya vs Canada (New Delhi); Mar 8: Pakistan vs New Zealand (Pallekele); Mar 9: India vs Netherlands (New Delhi); Mar 10: Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe (Pallekele); Mar 11: West Indies vs Ireland (Mohali), Bangladesh vs England (Chittagong); Mar 12: India vs South Africa (Nagpur); Mar 13: New Zealand vs Canada (Mumbai), Australia vs Kenya (Bangalore); Mar 14: Pakistan vs Zimbabwe (Pallekele), Bangladesh vs Netherlands (Chittagong); Mar 15: South Africa vs Ireland (Kolkata); Mar 16: Australia vs Canada (Bangalore); Mar 17: England vs West Indies (Chennai); Mar 18: Sri Lanka vs New Zealand (Mumbai), Ireland vs Netherlands (Kolkata); Mar 19:  Australia vs Pakistan (Colombo), Bangladesh vs South Africa (Dhaka); Mar 20: Zimbabwe vs Kenya (Kolkata), India vs West Indies (Chennai).
Mar 23: First quarterfinal (Dhaka). Mar 24: Second quarterfinal (Colombo). Mar 25: Third quarterfinal (Dhaka). Mar 26: Fourth quarterfinal (Ahmedabad).
Mar 29: First semifinal (Colombo). Mar 30: Second semifinal (Mohali).
Apr 2: Final (Mumbai).