India take on Pakistan in group tie
HOLDERS WINDIES POOLED WITH ENGLAND, AUSTRALIA, PROTEAS
Group 2 will comprise former champions India and Pakistan, New Zealand, Afghanistan and the other two qualifiers.
Abattle of the arch rivals, India and Pakistan, in the group stages of T20 World Cup in the UAE looks a certainty as they have been clubbed together in the same group as the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the groupings for the marquee event yesterday.
The groups, selected on the basis of team rankings as of March 20, 2021, have defending champions the West Indies pooled along with former champions England, Australia and South Africa in Group 1 of the Super 12s with two qualifiers from Round 1 joining them. The Round 1 of the tournament, which will determine the four qualifiers for tournament proper, will be held at Oman Cricket Academy Ground in Muscat.
Group 2 will comprise former champions India and Pakistan, New Zealand, Afghanistan and the other two qualifiers from Round 1 — which ensures at least one India-Pakistan match — a regular feature in all the major ICC tournaments in the recent past including the 2019 ICC World Cup in England.
Qualifying in Muscat
The qualifying tournament, which will get underway in Muscat from Oct. 17, will also witness some quality competition. Eight teams in the fray there include automatic qualifiers Sri Lanka, the 2014 World T20 champions, and Bangladesh along with the remaining six who booked their spot through the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier 2019. Ireland, Netherlands and Namibia join Sri Lanka in Group A whilst Oman, PNG and Scotland will face Bangladesh in Group B.
A high-powered delegation of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the official hosts of the tournament, along with the top brass of ICC, were on a visit to Muscat yesterday — the scenic neighbouring country of the UAE — for a firsthand recce of the facilities.
Sourav Ganguly, former Indian skipper and BCCI president, said in a statement: “It is good to get Oman in the frame of world cricket with the hosting of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. It will help a lot of young players take an interest in the game. We know it will be a world class event in this part of the world.”
Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary, said: “With the announcement of groupienngs, our countdown for the ICC T20 World Cup kickstarts. There is nothing that separates the two groups as both are packed with sides that are highly competitive in the shortest format of the game.”