India, Bangladesh to kick off 2011 World Cup

By Rahul Bajaj
for Cricketain.com

Published: November 10, 2009

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Mumbai: India will open the 2011 World Cup against co-hosts Bangladesh in Dhaka on February 19 while the country will host its first match one day later in Chennai when Kenya take on New Zealand, the ICC announced on Monday.

The first game in Sri Lanka will feature the hosts taking on Canada in Hambantota, a new venue, on February 20. Pakistan, who lost their share of World Cup matches due to the security situation in the country, are playing all six of their group matches in Sri Lanka, which is hosting a total of 12 games. The Lankans are in Group A, which also has defending champions Australia, Zimbabwe and Kenya.

India, who have been placed in Group B alongside South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland and Netherlands, will be hosting a total of 29 matches, including a semi-final and the final of the biggest cricketing event. Bangladesh, who will host two quarter-finals, will be hosting a total of eight games.

Mumbai will host the final of the quadrennial event. Mohali will host one of the semi-finals along with two other matches, while Ahmedabad will host a quarter-final and two other games. Kolkata and Delhi will host one match featuring India and three other matches each.

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

“The announcement of the match schedule for the ICC World Cup 2011 is an exciting development as not only does it allow all our stakeholders to start planning their tours but it will also remind everyone that we are getting closer to the staging of the biggest event in world cricket, where the leading cricketers from all over the globe will battle it out for the top prize in the game,” 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 that the host countries will showcase our great sport with its great spirit in the best possible light,” he said.

“The ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 will be ICC’s next 50-over tournament after the highly successful ICC Champions Trophy 2009 in South Africa,” Lorgat added.

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