WI 'can't wait' for T20 World Cup - Pollard
Published:Tuesday | August 17, 2021 | 5:20 PM
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP):
West Indies T20 captain Kieron Pollard says his team is excited to begin the defence of the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Twenty20 World Cup title in October, after a year-long delay in the tournament.
"We can't wait to get started," he said. "West Indian cricketers have always played an exciting brand of cricket, and I am sure our fans in the Caribbean and all over the world are highly anticipating seeing us in action."
The defending champions, West Indies are in Group One along with Australia, 2010 champions England and South Africa.
The ICC on Tuesday released the full draw for both stages of the October 17-November 14 tournament, which is being played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman after being shifted from India because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
India will play Pakistan in the opening Group Two match, a day after Australia take on South Africa and the West Indies meet England in the first games of the Super 12 stage.
India and Pakistan are joined by New Zealand and Afghanistan in Group Two.
Bangladesh and 2014 T20 World Cup champions Sri Lanka are among eight teams involved in the first stage, which will feature double-headers on six days at venues in Muscat, Oman and Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.
The four leading teams in the first stage will advance to the Super 12 round, joining tournament hosts India and seven other automatic qualifiers. The Super 12 round will run from October 23 to November 8, and the top two teams in each group will advance to the semi-finals to be played in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and in Dubai on November 11.
Dubai will host the final on November 14.
Virat Kohli's India squad will have a packed schedule leading into the tournament. India's Test squad is playing a series in England now and most players will return for the second half of the Indian Premier League, which is set to resume in the UAE next month after being suspended in May as coronavirus cases surged in India.