Australia, which defeated 1996 champion Sri Lanka in the final two years ago, will complete its Group A commitments in Colombo when it will take on 1992 winner Pakistan on 19 March.
In the group stage, Australia will also play New Zealand (in Nagpur on 25 February), Sri Lanka (in Colombo on 5 March), Kenya (in Bangalore on 13 March) and Canada (in Bangalore on 16 March).
Co-hosts Bangladesh and 1983 winner India will go head to head in the opening match of ICC’s flagship tournament on 19 February in Dhaka, two days after the same city stages the opening ceremony. Other teams in that group are South Africa, England, the West Indies, Ireland and the Netherlands.
The quarter-finals will be played in Dhaka on 23 and 25 March, in Colombo on 24 March and in Ahmedabad on 26 March while the two semi-finals will be played in Colombo and Mohali on 29 and 30 March. Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium will host the final on 2 April.
After featuring in the opening match in Dhaka, India will play its remaining five group stage matches in front of its crowd when it will take on England in Kolkata on 27 February, Ireland in Bangalore on 6 March, the Netherlands in New Delhi on 9 March, South Africa in Nagpur on 12 March and the West Indies in Chennai on 20 March.
Sri Lanka will launch its campaign against Canada in Hambantota on 20 February and will play three matches in Colombo (against Pakistan, Kenya and Australia), one in Pallekele (against Zimbabwe) before finishing its group commitments in Mumbai against New Zealand on 18 March.
A total of 49 matches will be played in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 with India hosting 29 matches, including the final, a semi-final and a quarter-final, Sri Lanka 12 matches, including a semi-final and a quarter-final, and Bangladesh eight matches, including the opening matches, and two quarter-finals.
During the 43-day event spread over three countries, a total of 13 venues will be used. The 2011 event is a week shorter than the 2007 edition.
Complete Schedule
Groups:
A: Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Canada, Kenya
B: India, South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland, Netherlands
Schedule:
Saturday 19 Feb – Bangladesh v India, Dhaka
Sunday 20 Feb – New Zealand v Kenya, Chennai
Sunday 20 Feb – Sri Lanka v Canada, Hambantota
Monday 21 Feb – Australia v Zimbabwe, Ahmedabad
Tuesday 22 Feb – England v Netherlands, Nagpur
Wednesday 23 Feb – Pakistan v Kenya, Hambantota
Thursday 24 Feb – South Africa v West Indies, New Delhi
Friday 25 Feb – Australia v New Zealand, Nagpur
Friday 25 Feb – Bangladesh v Ireland, Dhaka
Saturday 26 Feb – Sri Lanka v Pakistan, Colombo
Sunday 27 Feb – India v England, Kolkata
Monday 28 Feb – West Indies v Netherlands, New Delhi
Monday 28 Feb – Zimbabwe v Canada, Nagpur
Tuesday 1 Mar – Sri Lanka v Kenya, Colombo
Wednesday 2 Mar – England v Ireland, Bangalore
Thursday 3 Mar – South Africa v Netherlands, Mohali
Thursday 3 Mar – Pakistan v Canada, Colombo
Friday 4 Mar – New Zealand v Zimbabwe, Ahmedabad
Friday 4 Mar – Bangladesh v West Indies, Dhaka
Saturday 5 Mar – Sri Lanka v Australia, Colombo
Sunday 6 Mar – India v Ireland, Bangalore
Sunday 6 Mar – England v South Africa, Chennai
Monday 7 Mar – Kenya v Canada, New Delhi
Tuesday 8 Mar – Pakistan v New Zealand, Pallekele
Wednesday 9 Mar – India v Netherlands, New Delhi
Thursday 10 Mar – Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe, Pallekele
Friday 11 Mar – West Indies v Ireland, Mohali
Friday 11 Mar – Bangladesh v England, Chittagong
Saturday 12 Mar – India v South Africa, Nagpur
Sunday 13 Mar – New Zealand v Canada, Mumbai
Sunday 13 Mar – Australia v Kenya, Bangalore
Monday 14 Mar – Pakistan v Zimbabwe, Pallekele
Monday 14 Mar – Bangladesh v Netherlands, Chittagong
Tuesday 15 Mar – South Africa v Ireland, Kolkata
Wednesday 16 Mar – Australia v Canada, Bangalore
Thursday 17 Mar – England v West Indies, Chennai
Friday 18 Mar – Sri Lanka v New Zealand, Mumbai
Friday 18 Mar – Ireland v Netherlands, Kolkata
Saturday 19 Mar – Australia v Pakistan, Colombo
Saturday 19 Mar – Bangladesh v South Africa, Dhaka
Sunday 20 Mar – Zimbabwe v Kenya, Kolkata
Sunday 20 Mar – India v West Indies, Chennai
Wednesday 23 Mar – First quarter-final, Dhaka
Thursday 24 Mar – Second quarter-final, Colombo
Friday 25 Mar – Third quarter-final, Dhaka
Saturday 26 Mar – Fourth quarter-final, Ahmedabad
Tuesday 29 Mar – First semi-final, Colombo
Wednesday 30 Mar – Second semi-final, Mohali
Saturday 2 April – Final, Mumbai
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