The much-awaited draws for the T20 World Cup were announced on Friday by International Cricket Council (ICC), hosted by the BCCI in Oman and the United Arab Emirates between October 17-November 14.
Arch-rivals India and Pakistan have found a place in group two of the Super 12s, alongside New Zealand and Afghanistan. Both the teams will lock horns in a group match of the upcoming T20 World Cup 2021. Two qualifiers from Round 1 would join them.
Defending champions West Indies are a part of group one with former champions England, Australia, South Africa.
Eight teams will contest the first round including automatic qualifiers Sri Lanka and Bangladesh 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.
The T20 World Cup will take place after a gap of five years.
BCCI president Sourav Ganguly welcomed the move to play matches in Oman. “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,” he said.
BCCI secretary Jay Shah was also present there and said, “With the announcement of groupings, 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. Having said that, the exciting T20 format is known for its surprises, and we must be prepared for the same. I am sure we will witness some exciting and nail-biting games”
