2011 ICC Cricket World cup - Schedule and fixtures

The final fixtures of ICC Cricket World cup 2011 has been announced with India taking Bangladesh in the opening match. India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will be the hosts with Mumbai hosting the final of the World cup. It seems ICC took lessons from 2007 world cup and has divided the teams in two groups so that big teams qualify.


Group Division:

Group A:	Group B
Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Canada, Kenya.	India, South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland, Netherlands.

Match no.		Date	Teams	Venue
1		19 Feb	India vs Bangladesh	Dhaka
2		20 Feb	New Zealand vs Kenya	Chennai
3		20 Feb	Sri Lanka vs Canada	Hambantota
4		21 Feb	Australia vs Zimbabwe	Ahmedabad
5		22 Feb	England vs Netherlands	Nagpur
6		23 Feb	Pakistan vs Kenya	Hambantota
7		24 Feb	South Africa vs West Indies	New Delhi
8		25 Feb	Australia vs New Zealand	Nagpur
9		25 Feb	Bangladesh vs Ireland	Dhaka
10		26 Feb	Sri Lanka vs Pakistan	Colombo
11		27 Feb	India vs England	Kolkata
12		28 Feb	West Indies vs Netherlands	New Delhi
13		28 Feb	Zimbabwe vs Canada	Nagpur
14		1 Mar	Sri Lanka vs Kenya	Colombo
15		2 Mar	England vs Ireland	Bangalore
16		3 Mar	South Africa vs Netherlands	Mohali
17		3 Mar	Pakistan vs Canada	Colombo
18		4 Mar	New Zealand vs Zimbabwe	Ahmedabad
19		4 Mar	Bangladesh vs West Indies	Dhaka
20		5 Mar	Sri Lanka vs Australia	Colombo
21		6 Mar	India vs Ireland	Bangalore
22		6 Mar	England vs South Africa	Chennai
23		7 Mar	Kenya vs Canada	New Delhi
24		8 Mar	Pakistan vs New Zealand	Pallekelle
25		9 Mar	India vs Netherlands	New Delhi
26		10 Mar	Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe	Pallekelle
27		11 Mar	West Indies vs Ireland	Mohali
28		11 Mar	Bangladesh vs England	Chittagong
29		12 Mar	India vs South Africa	Nagpur
30		13 Mar	New Zealand vs Canada	Mumbai
31		13 Mar	Australia vs Kenya	Bangalore
32		14 Mar	Pakistan vs Zimbabwe	Pallekelle
33		14 Mar	Bangladesh vs Netherlands	Chittagong
34		15 Mar	South Africa vs Ireland	Kolkata
35		16 Mar	Australia vs Canada	Bangalore
36		17 Mar	England vs West Indies	Chennai
37		18 Mar	Sri Lanka vs New Zealand	Mumbai
38		18 Mar	Ireland vs Netherlands	Kolkata
39		19 Mar	Australia vs Pakistan	Colombo
40		19 Mar	Bangladesh vs South Africa	Dhaka
41		20 Mar	Zimbabwe vs Kenya	Kolkata
42		20 Mar	India vs West Indies	Chennai
43		23 Mar	First Quarterfinal	Dhaka
44		24 Mar	Second Quarterfinal	Colombo
45		25 Mar	Third Quarterfinal	Dhaka
46		26 Mar	Fourth Quarterfinal	Ahmedabad
47		29 Mar	First Semifinal	Colombo
48		30 Mar	Second Semifinal	Mohali
49		02 Apr	FINAL	Mumbai

READ MORE » 2011 ICC Cricket World cup - Schedule and fixtures

ICC Cricket World Cup, 2010/11

World Cup 2011 director Ratnakar Shetty poses with India and Sri Lanka players during the launch of the tournament mascot 'Stumpy'

Tournament director Ratnakar Shetty flanked by senior India and Sri Lanka cricketers at the launch of the 2011 World Cup mascot 'Stumpy'

Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn at the bottom of a eleven-feet deep aquarium with the World Cup

Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn pose with the World Cup underwater

Azhar Ali, Wahab Riaz and Misbah-ul-Haq pose with the World Cup

World Cup heroes Kapil Dev, Viv Richards, Imran Khan and Arjuna Ranatunga pose with the 2011 trophy

READ MORE » ICC Cricket World Cup, 2010/11

Pallekele readies itself for the big day

Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, one of Sri Lanka's three venues being developed for next year's World Cup, is the ground organisers are most confident about, in terms of how the pitch will behave and completing the construction sufficiently in time. "We have no fears," Suraj Dandeniya, director of the World Cup secretariat, said, "because we are playing matches, we are playing South Africa, New Zealand, all those matches, so it is 100% sure that the pitch is complete."

Getting to the stadium involves a lovely half-hour drive from the city of Kandy. You get to take in the two-century old man-made Kandy Lake, which is the centerpiece of the city, before moving along to some twisty Hill Country streets. Next up on the ride is the bridge across the majestic Mahaweli river, the largest in the country, followed by a canopied stretch past the Sri Lankan International Buddhist Academy before turning into the plush-looking Kandy Industrial Park a few kilometers ahead where the ground is located.

There's still no sign of the stadium, and after a short walk up a dusty path (the security guard assures you the ground is at the end of it), the first thing you notice is the cling-clang of construction work before seeing metal scaffolding, the barebones of a three-storey structure and plenty of men in hard hats. Get closer to the construction, and there's a massive arc of mud to the left, suitable perhaps for a dirt-bike race. This place is going to host World Cup matches, you wonder.

READ MORE » Pallekele readies itself for the big day

Hussey focused on main events

Six months ago Michael Hussey highlighted three events in his diary that he was desperate to play in. He has ticked off the World Twenty20, which Australia lost in the final to England, and is in the process of readjusting for the Ashes in November and next year's World Cup.

After Hussey's list was made a Test series against India was added to the schedule, increasing the workload and meaning players appearing in all the game's forms will be attempting to peak over an eight-month period. Hussey is part of all three units but some of his team-mates rate his fitness so highly they think he could play on for years.

An India tour before an Ashes campaign isn't ideal due to the contrasting conditions, but Hussey has found some common themes between the contests. "As batsmen we'll be tested against spin - and Harbhajan Singh," he said. "It's good preparation for facing Graeme Swann. Also, the Indians use reverse-swing very well, that's something England are really trying to perfect. In that sort of respect it will be excellent preparation."

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ICC to inspect pitches for World Cup

The ICC's pitch consultant, Andy Atkinson, will be visiting India in early September to inspect six out of the eight venues in the country for the 2011 World Cup. Among the six is the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi, the host for the controversial India-Sri Lanka ODI in December 2009 which was abandoned due to an unfit pitch.

"Atkinson is on a week-long visit in the first week of September to inspect six out of eight World Cup match hosting centres in India," Ratnakar Shetty, the BCCI's chief administrative officer, said.

Mohali and Nagpur are the venues Atkinston will not be visiting. "He would be visiting the other six centres (Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai and Ahmedabad). Anyway barring Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, the other centres are to host international matches against Australia and New Zealand and we would know their preparedness," Shetty said. "Mumbai, Kolkata and Delhi would host some first-class games before the World Cup."

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Canada to tour India for World Cup preparations

Canada will begin their World Cup preparations in earnest by sending a squad of players to the World Cricket Academy in India as part of a tour that includes games against teams from Delhi, Raipur, Nagpur and Mumbai.

Two of Canada's matches will be played in World Cup venues, the Jamtha International Stadium in Nagpur and the historic Bombay Gymkhana ground, while eight games will be against strong Indian domestic opposition.

The majority of the squad who played the ODIs against Ireland earlier this year will tour but John Davison (work) and Geoff Barnett (work) will join for the final fixtures while Henry Osinde (school) will join midway through. Rizwan Cheema, Khuram Chohan and Hamza Tariq are having to remain in Toronto until their visas are granted. Umar Bhatti is the only one unable to attend due to an injury to his lower leg.

The trip gives Canada a chance to train in the diverse conditions they will confront at the World Cup in February next year, hosted jointly by India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Ingleton Liburd, Canada's head of cricket, thinks the experience will be vital for the tournament.

"Our commitment is to ensure that the team has every available resource is put into supporting our team ahead of the World Cup," he said.

Cricket Canada's President, Ranjit Saini, was understandably excited to have secured the tour and was grateful for the assistance of the BCCI in making it possible. "BCCI and its member associations have been generous and kind in giving access to good venues and arranging quality teams to play against in an exceptionally busy domestic season," he said. "The spirit of cooperation and the willingness to help has been exceptional."

Tour schedule:

15-Nov-2010 Canada XI vs. DDCA u22 (Delhi)
17-Nov-2010 Canada XI vs. DDCA XI (Delhi)
21-Nov-2010 Canada XI vs. Chattisgarh Cricket Association XI (Raipur)
23-Nov-2010 Canada XI vs. Chattisgarh Cricket Association XI (Raipur)
25-Nov-2010 Canada XI vs. Chattisgarh Cricket Association XI (Raipur)
28-Nov-2010 Canada XI vs. Vidarbha u22 (Nagpur)
29-Nov-2010 Canada XI vs. Vidarbha XI (Nagpur)
01-Dec-2010 Canada XI vs. D Y Patil Sports Academy (Mumbai)
02-Dec-2010 Canada XI vs. Air India XI (Mumbai)
03-Dec-2010 Canada XI vs. Bombay Gymkhana (Mumbai)

READ MORE » Canada to tour India for World Cup preparations

Rankin on course for World Cup

Boyd Rankin, the Ireland fast bowler, is confident he is on track to take his place at the World Cup as he recovers from a stress fracture of his foot.

Rankin missed Ireland's recent trip to India, but is aiming to resume bowling in early December and work his way back to top gear early in the New Year. He is key to Ireland's hopes of making an impact at the 2011 World Cup to match their exploits in the Caribbean where they reached the Super Eight stage with victory over Pakistan and later beat Bangladesh.

"I started running in the last couple of days and should be bowling again next week when I go to Loughborough and it will be two weeks there, a week at Warwickshire and another week at Loughborough before Christmas to make sure I am as best prepared as I can be," Rankin told the Belfast Telegraph. "But this time we are taking it more slowly to make sure there are no more problems."

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India need a settled side to win World Cup - Kapil

Kapil Dev has said MS Dhoni's team has the ability to win the World Cup in 2011 but will have to ensure that it finds a settled combination and keep its bowlers free of injuries. In an exclusive interview with ESPNcricinfo, Kapil, who was captain when India won the World Cup in 1983, said too many changes taking place before the World Cup could harm the team's thinking.

"They have maturity, ruthlessness, they have talent and ability," he said of the team, but added, "too many injuries are taking place." Their key focus, he said, should be on improving fielding and running between wickets.

One reason for the bowlers' frequent injuries was, he felt, that their training was not suited for their skill. Kapil said he spent time through his 15-year career working on his legs. "The gym is good enough for batsmen and other kinds of bowlers. But for the fast bowler, someone who has to bowl day in and day out , around 10 to 20 overs, you need strong legs.

READ MORE » India need a settled side to win World Cup - Kapil

UDRS can be used in bilateral ODI series - ICC

The ICC has extended the use of the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) to bilateral one-day internationals to help teams get used to the technology ahead of the 2011 World Cup in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The system has been used in Tests since 2008, and the board has already approved its use in the World Cup, along with Hot Spot, the imaging technology, which will used for the semi-finals and finals.

However, the use of UDRS in the World Cup does not mean it will continue following the event. The ICC cricket committee will evaluate its long-term use only after the World Cup. While several international teams and captains have called for the UDRS to be implemented uniformly, and come out in strong support of the system, India have not warmed to it. India have played a series in which the UDRS was used only once - in Sri Lanka in 2008 and struggled with their referrals on that tour.

Since then the UDRS has been used in Australia, South Africa, England, New Zealand and West Indies and has found favour with several captains and players. The Indians and the BCCI, however, are firmly opposed to the system, even though the ICC have approved its use in principle during the 2011 World Cup.

Officials of the Indian cricket board agreed to take a closer look at the UDRS system and how it worked, and are scheduled to watch the system in action at some point during the ongoing Ashes series. ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat announced in October that he "had agreed with Cricket Australia to attend the Ashes matches ... with representatives of the BCCI, to understand the successful application of the technology and its contribution to correct umpiring decisions."

READ MORE » UDRS can be used in bilateral ODI series - ICC

Hosts to play World Cup knockouts at home

The three teams jointly hosting the 2011 World Cup - Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh - will get to play their knockout matches, should they make it that far, at home venues irrespective of where they finish in their group. However, if two of the host nations draw each other in the knockout stages, the team placed higher in the pre-tournament seeding - frozen about a year ago - will get preference.

If, for example, India make it to the quarters, they will play their match in Ahmedabad (one of the four venues) even if they draw Sri Lanka because India were better placed better when the teams were seeded. With the final scheduled in India, it ensures they will play at home in whatever knockout matches they qualify for.

Sri Lanka will play India away, but Bangladesh and other teams at home. Bangladesh will play away if they are to draw any other host nation in the quarter-finals, but will get a home game if they are playing any other team.

These rules imply that the match schedule for the knockout stages will not be known until the fate of the three host teams becomes clear. An ICC source said that the knockout schedule, as it is planned, has the potential to affect the tournament's logistics and other organisational aspects. "The knockout stages can't be sorted out until the last group game, which is India versus West Indies in Chennai on March 20. Everything will be clear only after that," the source said.

Two of the four quarter-finals are scheduled to be played in Mirpur, and one each in Ahmedabad and Colombo. If all three hosts make it to the quarters, and don't draw each other, the scheduling will be simple: India's match in Ahmedabad, Sri Lanka's in Colombo, Bangladesh's in Mirpur, and the fourth quarter in Mirpur as well.

READ MORE » Hosts to play World Cup knockouts at home

Afridi plays down World Cup hopes

Shahid Afridi, Pakistan's ODI captain, has said Pakistan does not have high expectations for the World Cup since their preparations have been hampered by the spot-fixing allegations against a number of their players.

"I am not 100 % satisfied with the team's preparations for the World Cup," Afridi told AFP. "We've had problems on every tour, and although there aren't high expectations [of winning the World Cup], as captain I'm positive and will keep on motivating the team."

His comments came one day after manager Intikhab Alam said Pakistan was capable of winning the World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka from February 19 to April 2, 2011.

The trio of Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif have been suspended by the ICC over charges of spot-fixing that arose on Pakistan's tour of England in August. On their subsequent tour of the United Arab Emirates to play South Africa, Pakistan seemed to have regained some form levelling the ODI series 2-2. But on the eve of the deciding game, wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider fled to England, due to alleged threats to his life from bookmakers, and has since retired from international cricket. Pakistan ended up losing the game.

For Pakistan's upcoming tour of New Zealand, wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal and Shoaib Malik have been left out of the Twenty20 and Test series after the PCB did not clear them, and Afridi said he did not know why they were not included.

READ MORE » Afridi plays down World Cup hopes