ICC WORLD CUP 2015
Tigers drawn with co-hosts
Bangladesh were placed in pool A alongside co-hosts Australia and New Zealand, as the official fixture list of the ICC World Cup 2015 was formally announced in Melbourne on Tuesday.
The Tigers, who were denied a second-round berth in the last edition of the competition on home soil by virtue of their run-rate, will also tackle former champions Sri Lanka, Test cricket powerhouse England and two yet-to-be-decided qualifiers.
In order to secure a second-round place a team must likely win four matches, meaning the Tigers have to catch at least two big fishes along with the two qualifiers to progress further in the competition.
They can also advance with three wins provided they maintain a decent run-rate, unlike the previous edition when Bangladesh beat Ireland, England and Netherlands but were still eliminated from the group stages after being shot out for 58 and 78 runs against West Indies and South Africa respectively.
Bangladesh will open their campaign against an undecided qualifier on February 18 at the Manuka Oval in Canberra before facing hosts Australia in Brisbane on International Mother Language Day on February 21.
The Tigers will then take on their Asian neighbor Sri Lanka at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on February 26 before a substantial break, with their next match against another unconfirmed qualifier on March 5 at the Saxton Oval, Nelson in New Zealand.
They will clash with England on March 9 at the Adelaide Oval before completing their group phase against co-hosts New Zealand at Seddon Park, Hamilton on March 13.
The 14-team World Cup has been divided into two groups comprising of seven countries each.
Each country will play six pool matches, with the top four teams from each group going through to the quarter-finals.
Pool B contains South Africa, India, Pakistan, West Indies, Zimbabwe, Ireland and a qualifier in the world’s biggest cricket extravaganza since its inception in 1975.
The curtains of the tournament will be raised at Christchurch with the opening match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka on February 14.
Former legendary Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee, compatriots Ian Chappell, Adam Gilchrist
and Michael Hussey, India’s Kapil Dev and Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya were present at the launching event.
ICC chief executive David Richardson, who kept wickets for South Africa in the 1992 edition, said during his speech that he expected a hard-fought contest in the forthcoming edition of the World Cup, which will also mark its 40th year.
‘The ICC Cricket World Cup is the flagship tournament of the 50-over game. The 2015 tournament will mark 40 years since the first World Cup in 1975 and that history of great contests and heroes helps make the tournament what it is – the most sought-after prize in our increasingly global game,’ Richardson said.
‘The ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 will be returning to Australia and New Zealand after 23 years and will be staged at the back of two outstanding 50-over ICC events – the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 and ICC Champions Trophy 2013,’ he said.
‘I’m absolutely confident that the success of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 will further strengthen the status of 50-over cricket as a successful and viable format alongside Tests and Twenty20 Internationals,’ he added.
The cities that will host the tournament matches are – Adelaide, Auckland, Brisbane, Canberra, Christchurch, Dunedin, Napier, Nelson, Hamilton, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and Well-ington.
-With New Age input
