Sport | Cricket
Pakistan have task cut out at next T20 World Cup
Will have to tide over Australia's challenge in group stage at next year's event in West Indies
- By K. R. Nayar, senior Reporter
- Published: 22:54 July 5, 2009
Dubai: Pakistan, the Twenty20 world champions, will have to face the challenge from Australia and Bangladesh to defend their title in the next edition of the ICC World Twenty20 to be held in the West Indies next year.
Pakistan are in Group A and will take on Bangladesh in their opening match in St Lucia on May 1, 2010 and then go on to meet Australia the next day to book a berth in the next stage of competition.
Sri Lanka, who lost to Pakistan in 2009 Twenty World Cup final at Lord's, will have to overcome a challenge from New Zealand and Zimbabwe.
India, the champions of the first edition of the Twenty20 World Cup in 2007, will have to ward off only South Africa and a qualifier to advance to the next stage. They will begin their campaign to regain the crown, playing against a qualifier at St Lucia on May 1.
The tournament will be staged at four venues - Barbados, Guyana, St Kitts and St Lucia - and the final will be played at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on May 16.
Though Twenty20 is held only every two years, the ICC decided to stage the next edition next year itself as ICC Cricket World Cup (the 50-over version) is scheduled for 2011.
Haroon Lorgat, the ICC Chief Executive, announcing the next edition of T20 World Cup, said: "We have enjoyed two hugely successful events in this form of the game, first in 2007 in South Africa and last month in England, and I am certain next year's action in the Caribbean will maintain, if not surpass, the successes of those previous global Twenty20 tournaments."
Hosts West Indies will begin the campaign on the opening day in Guyana on April 30 against one of the two qualifiers for the tournament. West Indies are in the same group with England. The tournament will feature 27 matches with the semifinals being played on May 13 and 14.
Organisers are making sure that the prices of tickets are kept low to ensure full houses at all venues. In Guyana Under-16s can enter free for all matches and in St Lucia all first round matches will be free for them. The highest-priced ticket for all men's first round and Super Eights matches is just US $15 and it will be free entry for all women's group matches.
England's women, who beat New Zealand to lift the Women's World Twenty20 title, will have to meet Australia in St Kitts May 5, the first day of matches in the women's tournament. The top ticket price for final is only US $40.
The ICC announced that ticket sales will commence from November 2009 and will be available through websites and call centres.
"One measure of success will be to fill the venues and to try to achieve this we have worked hard with the West Indies Cricket Board to ensure the ticket prices are extremely competitive," revealed Lorgat.
"We want to ensure spectators are able to enjoy the tournament and we will do everything to ensure the event is in keeping with the relaxed atmosphere in which people watch cricket in the Caribbean," he added.
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