ICC announces WC 2011 warm-up schedule
Friday, August 20, 2010
With just six months to go before the start of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, the ICC has announced the schedule of warm-up matches for the flagship event which will be staged in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
The warm-up fixtures will be played across the three host countries with Bangalore, Chennai, Chittagong, Colombo, Dhaka, Nagpur and Pallekele as venues.
Each of the 14 competing sides will play two warm-up matches with four-time and reigning world champion Australia taking on India and South Africa on 13 and 15 February in Bengaluru. Sri Lanka, one of the co-hosts, will go head to head with the Netherlands and the West Indies on 12 and 16 February in Pallekele and Colombo respectively. The 1992 world champion Pakistan meets Bangladesh and England in Dhaka on 15 and 18 February.
India's second match, after the one against Australia, will be against New Zealand in Chennai on 16 February.
The ICC president Sharad Pawar was confident that the 2011 edition of the tournament will be more successful than its nine predecessors. "Today means that the start of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 is exactly six months away. Let there be no doubt whatsoever that the ICC, along with the three co-hosts, will ensure that the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 is the best of all the World Cups staged so far," Pawar said.
Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal can't wait for 19 February when his side will take on 1983 world champion India in the tournament opener.
"This will be my second ICC Cricket World Cup but definitely the one I am longing for. In front of our own fans, families and friends we have the opportunity to make the country proud and deep inside every Bangladesh cricketer has a burning desire to excel," said the left-handed batsman.
Sri Lanka's legendary off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, who is available for the World Cup despite retiring from Tests, rated Sri Lanka's 1996 World Cup triumph on par with his 800-wicket feat in Test cricket. "Obviously winning the tournament in the Indian subcontinent in 1996 is something I rate as highly as my 800 Test wickets and reaching the final in the West Indies three years ago was also by no means a small achievement.
"I'm hoping victory in next year's World Cup will not only strengthen our future as a cricketing nation but will also help us produce more world-class cricketers who will go on to entertain the world with their flare, talent, charisma and prowess," Muralitharan said.
The following is the schedule of warm-up matches:
February 12:
West Indies vs Kenya at Colombo
Sri Lanka vs Netherlands at Pallekele
Zimbabwe vs South Africa at Chennai
Bangladesh vs Canada at Chittagong
February 13:
India vs Australia at Bangalore
February 15:
Ireland vs Zimbabwe at Nagpur
Kenya vs Netherlands at Pallekele
Australia vs South Africa at Bangalore
Bangladesh vs Pakistan at Dhaka
February 16:
Sri Lanka vs West Indies at Colombo
England vs Canada at Dhaka
India vs New Zealand at Chennai
February 18:
England vs Pakistan at Dhaka
Labels: ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, Schedule, Warm-up schedule
posted @ 11:23 AM,
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