Pakistan to open Twenty20 Cup defence against Bangladesh
CHENNAI (Reuters) - Pakistan will begin their Twenty20 World Cup title defence against Bangladesh in St Lucia on May 1 next year, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said in a statement on Sunday.
Hosts West Indies will kickstart the event against one of two qualifiers in Guyana on April 30, part of a double-header that will also feature this year's losing finalists Sri Lanka and New Zealand.
Barbados was named as the third competition venue with the island's Kensington Oval also set to stage the final on May 16.
Australia are in the same preliminary pool as Pakistan, who won the tournament's second edition in London last month, while England are grouped with the hosts.
India, champions in 2007, will start their campaign against the other qualifier on May 1.
The ICC decided to stage Twenty20 World Cups in successive years to avoid having two major events in 2011, when the one-day World Cup is scheduled to be played in South Asia.
(To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved
REUTERS WEEKEND
UK joins G20 push for world levy on banks
Britain threw its weight behind proposals to impose a global levy on banks to fund future bailouts and called on the G20 to work toward a $100 billion deal to meet the cost of climate change. Full Article | Full Coverage
