New men’s T20 World Cup groups announced

The groups for the First Round and the Super 12s stage of the Men’s T20 World Cup have been announced by the International Cricket Council today, three months out before the first match on October 17.

Based on team rankings as of March 20 earlier this year, Group A in the First Round will include Sri Lanka, Ireland, the Netherlands and Namibia. Over in Group B, Scotland, Papua New Guinea and Oman will face Full Members Bangladesh.

The top two teams in the First Round groups enter the Super 12s phase.

2021 Men’s T20 World Cup Groups

First Round Group A	First Round Group B
Sri Lanka	Bangladesh
Ireland	Scotland
The Netherlands	Papua New Guinea
Namibia	Oman

Super 12s Group 1	Super 12s Group 2
England	India
Australia	Pakistan
South Africa	New Zealand
West Indies	Afghanistan
Winner First Round Group A	Winner First Round Group B
Runner Up First Round Group B	Runner Up First Round Group A

The announcement was made by the ICC in Muscat, Oman, where part of the First Round will be played, after the shift from India to UAE and the Sultanate. The schedule for the tournament is yet to be determined, and it is therefore unknown at this stage if Oman will play matches at their home Al-Amerat facility.

As Acting Chief Executive of the ICC, Geoff Allardice explained the reasoning behind the late cutoff in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup, and the new group make-up.

“Given the disruption caused by COVID-19, we selected the cutoff date as close as possible to the event to ensure we were able to include the maximum amount of cricket in the rankings which determine the groups. There is no doubt we will witness some highly competitive cricket when the event gets underway in just three months.”

Oman Cricket Chairman Pankaj Khimji described hosting a global event, showcasing the game’s best players, as “a watershed moment.”

“Playing in and hosting the event gives us an opportunity to showcase not just our commitment to growing the game but also showcasing Oman as a welcoming destination to the world!”

BCCI President Sourav Ganguly also acknowledged the significance of Oman hosting a global event.

“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.”

UAE will hold the majority of the tournament, with Shahjah Stadium, the Dubai International Stadium and the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi billed to host matches. Emirates Cricket Board Vice President Khalid Al Zarooni looks forward to fierce competition on home soil.

“Looking at these groups we anticipate a highly competitive, thoroughly enjoyable spectacle of international cricket. This is truly an aspirational tournament and one the wider UAE Cricket team is extremely excited to be involved in.”

In related news, six Associate boards have expressed interest in hosting global events from 2024 to 2031.

Official release from the ICC here.

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