ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Schedule

The ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 gets underway on February 19 with India and Bangladesh playing in the opening match in Dhaka.

India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are jointly hosting the 10th edition of the tournament, which will see fourteen teams locking horns for the coveted trophy.

They have been divided into two groups. Group A has: Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Canada and Kenya. Group B has: India, South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland and Netherlands.

A total of 49 matches, including the final in Mumbai, will be played from February 19 to April 2. For complete schedule, click here:  Flash Version | HTML Version

Hyundai - Official Car Partner Of World Cup Cricket

Hyundai, well-known for its support of the FIFA' and Football World Cup globally, is now a major backer of cricket.

It will be providing official support at the World Cup starting shortly. Hyundai has just signed a deal with the International Cricket Council (ICC) to become the ICC's first, official car partner. The current agreement runs from now until 2015.

ICC officials and players will use Hyundai cars for official transportation for the duration of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. And Hyundai will be the transportation partner for ICC's other competitions, such as the Champions Trophy and the World Twenty20, among other exclusive rights.

"The ICC Cricket World Cup is one of the world's biggest sporting extravaganzas and New Zealand is always one of the top contenders," commented the Chief Operating Officer of Hyundai New Zealand, Tom Ruddenklau.

"It's fitting that Hyundai, one of the world's fastest-growing major automaker, is involved with this exciting tournament and indeed right across world cricket."

"Here in New Zealand of course Hyundai is a significant backer and supporter of a wide range of sports as well as community organisations, so we are delighted to be there not only cheering on the Black Caps but helping ensure the tournament is a winner."

The 2011 World Cup, a 50-over contest, sees games between 19 February and 2 April in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. There are a total of 49 matches with teams from 14 nations. The World Cup is one of the most-watched events in the world, with more than 700,000 spectators in host countries and 2 billion television viewers in 110 countries. In India, Hyundai will hand over a fleet of vehicles including Hyundai's top-selling i20 model, as well as the Santa Fe SUV, New Zealand's family wagon. Hyundai's cricket involvement forms part of the mega-company's expansion in its global sports marketing activities as it boosts its brand image worldwide.

Hyundai has an 11-year association with FIFA, serving as the official automotive supplier to all FIFA-sanctioned events around the world. Hyundai is currently one of FIFA's top partners and has extended its strategic sponsorship agreement with FIFA to cover the 2022 FIFA World Cup' in Qatar.

Hyundai supports the ICC World Cup and cricket ongoing: Haroon Lorgat (left), CEO of the International Cricket Council (ICC), accepts key from H.W. Park (right), CEO of Hyundai Motor India (HMI)

Hyundai - Official Car Partner Of World Cup Cricket

Hyundai, well-known for its support of the FIFA' and Football World Cup globally, is now a major backer of cricket.

It will be providing official support at the World Cup starting shortly. Hyundai has just signed a deal with the International Cricket Council (ICC) to become the ICC's first, official car partner. The current agreement runs from now until 2015.

ICC officials and players will use Hyundai cars for official transportation for the duration of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. And Hyundai will be the transportation partner for ICC's other competitions, such as the Champions Trophy and the World Twenty20, among other exclusive rights.

"The ICC Cricket World Cup is one of the world's biggest sporting extravaganzas and New Zealand is always one of the top contenders," commented the Chief Operating Officer of Hyundai New Zealand, Tom Ruddenklau.

"It's fitting that Hyundai, one of the world's fastest-growing major automaker, is involved with this exciting tournament and indeed right across world cricket."

"Here in New Zealand of course Hyundai is a significant backer and supporter of a wide range of sports as well as community organisations, so we are delighted to be there not only cheering on the Black Caps but helping ensure the tournament is a winner."

The 2011 World Cup, a 50-over contest, sees games between 19 February and 2 April in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. There are a total of 49 matches with teams from 14 nations. The World Cup is one of the most-watched events in the world, with more than 700,000 spectators in host countries and 2 billion television viewers in 110 countries. In India, Hyundai will hand over a fleet of vehicles including Hyundai's top-selling i20 model, as well as the Santa Fe SUV, New Zealand's family wagon. Hyundai's cricket involvement forms part of the mega-company's expansion in its global sports marketing activities as it boosts its brand image worldwide.

Hyundai has an 11-year association with FIFA, serving as the official automotive supplier to all FIFA-sanctioned events around the world. Hyundai is currently one of FIFA's top partners and has extended its strategic sponsorship agreement with FIFA to cover the 2022 FIFA World Cup' in Qatar.

Hyundai supports the ICC World Cup and cricket ongoing: Haroon Lorgat (left), CEO of the International Cricket Council (ICC), accepts key from H.W. Park (right), CEO of Hyundai Motor India (HMI)

Was World cup 2011 fixtures Fixed?

Director of Cricket World Cup and Indian Cricket Board CAO Ratnakar Shetty admitted that World Cup fixtures have been made to favour India and other top teams to make it to the knock-out stage.Mr Shetty also said that organisers did not want to take a risk with the format unlike 2007 when India and Pakistan made exit in the opening round.He also added , we all know that India is the financial powerhouse of cricket. The exit of India and Pakistan from the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 was a disaster for the tournament.

Shetty also informed that Wankhede Stadium Mumbai will host some local matches in order to test the 22-yard strip. Every alternate day, there are bowlers who bowl at the nets. ICC pitches committee head Andy Atkinson is stationed in Mumbai to oversee the preparation.

About the security arrangement for the tournament, Shetty said, Things have changed in the last two years. The police have a mechanism of continuously monitoring the security issues. The threat perception varies from team to team, and that is an aspect that is being looked into by the central Government.

Team India gets down to business for Cricket World Cup 2011

The whole of India wants it to be Sachin Tendulkar’s World Cup. And why not! As soon as the team bus arrived at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday, one spotted the maestro sitting in the first row. Tendulkar may not be leading the side, but looking at the manner in which he stepped out of the vehicle, one could sense that hunger in him. The World Cup means a lot to him and that was more than evident ahead of the first practice session.
The entire team participated in a football game. Tendulkar left the field a little later, and spent the rest of the day at the NCA gymnasium. Coach Gary Kirsten is keen on getting the players ready for Sunday’s warm-up game against Australia. He chose to engage the boys in some light workout and short stints at the nets.
Kirsten was the busiest man around. The South African was seen throwing balls at Virender Sehwag and then Gautam Gambhir. The last batsman to face Kirsten was YuvrajSingh. The coach also had a word with Yuvi. The others who had a hit were Virat Kohli, Yusuf Pathan and Harbhajan Singh, who, surprisingly, did not bowl on Wednesday. Skipper MS Dhoni also batted for 10 minutes at an extreme corner of the nets.
The bowlers, too, had a light session with Eric Simons keeping a close watch. The bowling coach, who stationed himself behind the stumps, made good use of his baseball glove. Ashish Nehra was seen working very hard. The left-arm pacer was trying to get his run-up and rhythm right.
Meanwhile, Kirsten was quick to point out to National Cricket Academy director Sandeep Patil that the practice pitches had a lot of grass. He then ensured that the grass was shaved off.
One reckons India will try to make full use of the home advtange. After all, the flat tracks will only help out batsmen and spinners. Before he left for the day, Kirsten had a nice look at the bald pitch. It was an indication of what we’d see in the days to come.

ICC cautions cricket fans about email fraud related to World Cup

DURING THE previous International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup tournaments, it was noticed that some unknown companies had sent e-mail to fans indicating that they had won cash awards as part of ICC sweepstakes or other prize competitions, which were nothing but fake. These e- mails most often instructed fans to provide personal details, including bank account information and to wire funds to a third party bank account to facilitate their receipt of the award.

Most of these companies turned out to be fake and their objective only is to dupe the gullible fans of their hard earned money. To ensure that people are not caught in this type of fraud, the ICC has issued notice to all fans across the world that neither does the ICC conduct nor authorise any such sweepstakes or prize promotions nor does it appoint any third parties to do so.

ICC has stated that it never asks anyone to send or confirm personal information via e-mail or to wire funds to a bank account for award eligibility. ICC has asked the readers to note that if they do happen to receive an e-mail from someone proposing to be an agent of ICC or other company that asks for personal information etc., then they should avoid responding to it.

It is most likely a deceitful e-mail and the sole purpose is principally illegal gain. ICC said "All are requested to put all these type of mails in blocked e-mail or spam e-mail list or delete it forever. It is best you immediately notify your local law enforcement agency."

ICC cautions cricket fans about email fraud related to World Cup

DURING THE previous International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup tournaments, it was noticed that some unknown companies had sent e-mail to fans indicating that they had won cash awards as part of ICC sweepstakes or other prize competitions, which were nothing but fake. These e- mails most often instructed fans to provide personal details, including bank account information and to wire funds to a third party bank account to facilitate their receipt of the award.

Most of these companies turned out to be fake and their objective only is to dupe the gullible fans of their hard earned money. To ensure that people are not caught in this type of fraud, the ICC has issued notice to all fans across the world that neither does the ICC conduct nor authorise any such sweepstakes or prize promotions nor does it appoint any third parties to do so.

ICC has stated that it never asks anyone to send or confirm personal information via e-mail or to wire funds to a bank account for award eligibility. ICC has asked the readers to note that if they do happen to receive an e-mail from someone proposing to be an agent of ICC or other company that asks for personal information etc., then they should avoid responding to it.

It is most likely a deceitful e-mail and the sole purpose is principally illegal gain. ICC said "All are requested to put all these type of mails in blocked e-mail or spam e-mail list or delete it forever. It is best you immediately notify your local law enforcement agency."

Pakistan can be uncertain surprise in World Cup

In the 2008 edition of the Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia, there was one Pakistan cricketer who was being talked to by the team coach. He stood there listening attentively to what his senior had to say. A few yards away, a couple of journalists who were on tour covering the World Cup were listening as attentively to a support staff member of Pakistan's squad.

"Aap dekh rahe hain, kitni khamoshi se sun raha hai woh?" (Do you see how quietly he is listening to the coach?) The manager pointed out to journalists " Lekin jaise hi woh wicket par pahunchega, yeh apni marzi se sab kuch karega. (But he will do exactly what he wants once he reaches the wicket.)

The young lad who was being talked about was the talented Umar Akmal. Younger sibling of Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran, Umar is fast gaining a reputation of being one the most explosive batsmen of the modern day, slam-bang kind of a game. At the same time though, he has become infamous for throwing away his wicket when the team requires his presence on the field. But as the member of Pakistan support staff at the Under-19 World Cup rightly pointed out, Umar will do exactly what he feels is right when on the crease. But he is not the only Pakistan cricketer who go by their instincts. Pakistan is a land full of such cricketers.

And that's Pakistan cricket. Unpredictable! miles away from what wise men call rational! even erratic at times. Controversies and cricket in Pakistan are like inseparable sisters. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had not even named a skipper till about Friday afternoon. But there is something about the Shahid Afridi-led Pakistan squad. At no point, the team can be written off. For, they are the eternal comeback boys of World Cricket.

A classic case is the 1992 edition of the World Cup. For a cricket enthusiast and purists alike, this edition of the World Cup will be remembered for the dramatic comeback Pakistan made. This despite the fact that two of their star performers - fast bowler Waqar Younis and opening batsman Saeed Anwar were consumed by injury. But they had an inspirational skipper in Imran Khan. And when Pakistan lost 4 of their first 5 matches and were barely a defeat away from being eliminated in the first round, an inspirational speech by Imran turned it around. The dashing Pathan, legend has it, told his teammates to fight like cornered tigers. It inspired the team to win five successive matches, including, most famously, the semifinal against hosts New Zealand and the final against England.

Pakistan went through some heart-stopping moments in the semis against hosts New Zealand. But an unknown 22-year-old named Inzamam-ul-Haq smashed a 37-ball 60 to help Pakistan win the match and set up a title clash with England. In the years to come, Inzamam went to lead Pakistan to several memorable wins.

That's the beauty of Pakistan cricket. Once a player is inducted into the national squad, he is never awed by the situation, opponent, or even an individual. And just like the 22-year-old Inzamam, there have been many cricketers who have delivered when it mattered.

Abdul Razzaq is one such player. Over a decade after making his international debut, Razzaq may not be spoken in the same breath today as a Kieron Pollard or perhaps a Yusuf Pathan. But this right hander can be equally destructive on his day. He has shown it time and again right from the time he burst onto the international scene in 1999. True, Pakistan have had many heroes. Zaheer Abbas, Majid Khan, Imran Khan, Inzamam, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Saeed Anwar, Saqlain Mushtaq, Mushtaq Ahmed, Shahid Afridi, to name a few, but one thing that tilts the scale in Pakistan's favour decisively is the selection of Afridi as skipper. Afridi, also a pathan like Imran, is an inspirational leader. On his day, he sure is a match-winner. Add to it his ability to back his teammates. Just like Imran could get his boys to deliver at crunch situations and at the highest level, Afridi can extract the same commitment and dedication from his teammates.

All other captains post the 1992 World Cup triumph have failed to command the kind of respect Afridi and Imran have. Wasim Akram may have been a super bowler, but throughout his career, he was embroiled in controversies. Inzamam could win a match on his own, but his mood swings never really allowed his teammates to feel comfortable. Javed Miandad was another batsman who could get his teammates to deliver. But he too was involved in unnecessary petty issues with players and the management. Younis Khan led the team to the World T20 crown from a hopeless situation but soon fell out with the others.

Rameez Raja, Saleem Malik and others who captained the team had some problem or the other. The Pakistan Cricket Board have added to the team's woes in their own way. Imran not only got the team together, he also backed his players if they had issues with the board. Afridi too in his own way has never ceased to express his feelings if he feels the PCB is in the wrong. Obviously, people like Imran and Afridi will be looked up upon by their teammates.

Pakistan's squad sure has the balance, but it will be Afrdi, who has to ensure he brings about the best out of his players. Pakistan sure have the right man on the hot seat.

How Pakistan gained the notorious tag line unpredictable!

1975: Only 18 ODIs were played before this World Cup. The teams were divided into two groups of four teams with each one the group playing the other once. Top from the group qualified for the semis. Pakistan were not one among the four semifinalists.

1979: For the first time Pakistan made it to the semifinal in this edition of the Prudential World Cup. They were pitted against West Indies for a place in the final, but Asif Iqbal's men fell short by 43 runs, chasing a target of 293. In the league stages, Pakistan had defeated the might Australians by 89 runs.

1983: They made it to the semifinals for a second time. But it was deja vu for Pakistan. Led by the powerful Imran Khan, Pakistan went down to Clive Lloyd's West Indies by eight wickets.

1987: Three semifinal appearances in a row. Hopes in Pakistan went soaring. And there could have been celebrations galore back at home had Pakistan not fallen short by 18 runs against Australia at the Gaddafi Stadium.

1992: Skipper Imran Khan had failed to shepherd his team into a World Cup final in back-to-back editions. And four defeats in five games suggested Pakistan would be eliminated in the first round itself. But Imran who had come out of retirement, delivered an inspirational speech. Pakistan won all the remaining matches to be crowned World Champions. Bingo! They were in an elite list now.

1996: They were on a high after their first World Cup triumph. But when pitted in the quarterfinal against India at Bangalore's Chinnaswamy Stadium, Aamir Sohail's men were pushed on the back foot by Bangalore boys Anil Kumble (3-48) and Venkatesh Prasad (3-45). Pakistan eventually fell short by 39 runs.

1999: In the semifinal against New Zealand, opener Saeed Anwar hammered a brilliant 113 to ensure Pakistan canter home with nine wickets to spare. They eventually lost to Australia in the final.

2003: A very bad edition for Pakistan. Elminated in the first round itself.

2007: Just like India, Pakistan also crashed out in the preliminary stages of this edition of the World Cup

World Cup will reverse poor perception of 50-over cricket: ICC

New Delhi, Feb 1 (PTI) ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat believesnext month''s cricket World Cup will dismiss fears of thedemise of the 50-over format of the game and prove that allthree formats can co-exist.

Buzz up!
"I think the talk of poor interest in 50-over cricket isoverstated. I firmly believe that all three forms of the game(Test, ODI and T20I) will co-exist and in fact thrive atinternational level," Lorgat told Espnstar.com.

"I hope that the ICC Cricket World Cup, being the game''sflagship event and cricket''s biggest prize, will add toreversing the poor perception of 50-over cricket as some ofthe recent matches already have.

"To be frank, the talk of a demise of 50-over ODI cricketis way out of whack with what we are experiencing. Players,spectators, TV viewers and administrators still see greatvalue in the ODI and I think we are very fortunate as a sportto have three viable formats that are so popular in their ownways. I can''t think of any other sport that enjoys such anembarrassment of riches in that way," he added.

Lorgat said 2011 will witness the most open andunpredictable ICC Cricket World Cup in history.

"This year''s event promises to be one of the most openand unpredictable in history. It seems to me that the topteams are all playing some wonderful cricket at present andthere is precious little to decide between them," he said.

"The Australians could make history by becoming the firstteam to win four in a row but they will be challenged as theyare not as dominant today as they were four years ago. Theother teams no doubt will sense an opportunity to wrestle ''TheCup that Counts'' from their tight grasp," he added.

The ICC CEO said the governing body doesn''t have plans totinker with the format of the game but it is ready to considerchanges if it is good for cricket.

"There are no plans to dramatically change the format ofthe 50-over game at international level. That said, weencourage our Members to experiment with different formats andinitiatives to see if there are ways it can be enhanced," hesaid.

"The ODI today has a very different look and feel to whatit was 40 years ago when the first match took place in 1971.

We have always embraced change and will continue to do so. Ifit''s good for ODIs we will consider it," he added.

The World Cup, which is being co-hosted by India, SriLanka and Bangladesh, will be starting from February 19 inDhaka.

ICC World Cup 2011 schedule & tickets details: Ready to begin surprises!

One of the major sport extravaganzas, ICC World Cup 2011 is all set to start in less than a month. It starts with the opening match at Bangladesh’s Mirpur on Feb 19. The matches will be held during March and the final will played at the momentous Wankhede stadium in Mumbai on April 2.

The 2011 World Cup is being hosted yet again in India. Firstly, it was made-up to be hosted mutually by India-Pakistan however terrorist attacks mostly the firing on Sri Lankan team forced the authorities to move matches and give them to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

The layout comprises 2 groups with 7 teams each. Four teams will be eligible from every group. These 8 teams will play subsequently 4 matches in the quarter finals. The four winners will play in the semi final at Colombo and Mohali on March 29 and March 30. The final will be played on April 2.

The Groups are divided into two: Group A including Australia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Canada and Kenya. On the other hand, Group B including England, India, South Africa, West Indies, Bangladesh and Netherland.

Here, full schedule of the ICC World Cup 2011:

    * Thu 17 Feb 08:30 IST opening ceremony at Dhaka, Bangladesh

    * Sat 19 Feb 02:00 PM IST IND vs BAN at Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
    * 2Sun 20 Feb 09:30 AM IST NZ vs KEN at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
    * Sun 20 Feb 02:30 PM IST SL vs CAN at Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium, Hambantota
    * Mon 21 Feb 02:30 PM IST AUS vs ZIM at Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium, Motera
    * Tue 22 Feb 02:30 PM IST ENG vs NED at Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur
    * Wed 23 Feb 02:30 PM IST PAK vs KEN at Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium, Hambantota
    * Thu 24 Feb 02:30 PM IST SA vs WI at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
    * Fri 25 Feb 09:30 AM IST AUS vs NZ at Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur
    * Fri 25 Feb 02:00 PM IST BAN vs IRE at Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
    * Sat 26 Feb 02:30 PM IST PAK vs Sl at R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
    * Sun 27 Feb 02:30 PM IST IND vs ENG at Mumbai
    * Mon 28 Feb 09:30 AM IST ZIM vs CAN at Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur
    * Mon 28 Feb 02:30 PM IST WI vs NED at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
    * Tue 01 Mar 02:30 PM IST SL vs KEN at R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
    * Wed 02 Mar 02:30 PM IST ENG vs IRE at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru (Bangalore)
    * Thu 03 Mar 09:30 AM IST SA vs NED at Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali
    * Thu 03 Mar 02:30 PM IST PAK vs CAN at R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
    * Fri 04 Mar 09:30 AM IST NZ vs ZIM at Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium, Motera
    * Fri 04 Mar 02:00 PM IST BAN vs WI at Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
    * Sat 05 Mar 02:30 PM IST AUS vs SL at R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
    * Sun 06 Mar 09:30 AM IST SA vs ENG at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
    * Sun 06 Mar 02:30 PM IST IND vs IRE at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru (Bangalore)
    * Mon 07 Mar 02:30 PM IST CAN vs KEN at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
    * Tue 08 Mar 02:30 PM IST PAK vs NZ at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy
    * Wed 09 Mar 02:30 PM IST IND vs NED at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
    * Thu 10 Mar 02:30 PM IST SL vs ZIM at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy
    * Fri 11 Mar 09:30 AM IST WI vs IRE at Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali
    * Fri 11 Mar 02:00 PM IST BAN vs ENG at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong
    * Sat 12 Mar 02:30 PM IST IND vs SA at Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur
    * Sun 13 Mar 09:30 AM IST NZ vs CAN at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
    * Sun 13 Mar 02:30 PM IST AUS vs KEN at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru (Bangalore)
    * Mon 14 Mar 09:00 AM IST BAN vs NED at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong
    * Mon 14 Mar 02:30 PM IST PAK vs ZIM at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy
    * Tue 15 Mar 02:30 PM IST SA vs IRE at Eden Gardens, Kolkata
    * Wed 16 Mar 02:30 PM IST AUS vs CAN at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru (Bangalore)
    * Thu 17 Mar 02:30 PM IST ENG vs WI at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
    * Fri 18 Mar 09:30 AM IST NED vs IRE at Eden Gardens, Kolkata
    * Fri 18 Mar 02:30 PM IST NZ vs SL at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
    * Sat 19 Mar 09:00 AM IST BAN vs SA at Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
    * Sat 19 Mar 02:30 PM IST AUS vs PAK at R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
    * Sun 20 Mar 09:30 AM IST ZIM vs KEN at Eden Gardens, Kolkata
    * Sun 20 Mar 02:30 PM IST IND vs WI at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
    * Wed 23 Mar 02:00 PM IST A1 vs B4 (1st Quarter Final, C) at Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
    * Thu 24 Mar 02:30 PM IST A2 vs B3 (2nd Quarter Final, D) at Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium, Motera
    * Fri 25 Mar 02:00 PM IST A3 vs B2 (3rd Quarter Final, E) at Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
    * Sat 26 Mar 02:30 PM IST A4 vs B1 (4th Quarter Final, F) at R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
    * Tue 29 Mar 02:30 PM IST Winner C vs Winner E (1st Semi Final) at R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
    * Wed 30 Mar 02:30 PM IST Winner D vs Winner F (2nd Semi Final) at Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali
    * Sat 02 Apr 02:30 PM IST SF1 vs SF2 (Final) at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

The International Cricket Council has ruled out the significant Eden Gardens in Kolkata as the venue for a key 2011 World Cup match between India Vs England after the stadium unsuccessful to meet the deadline for overhaul. The tickets of World Cup 2011 matches are available here

World Cup 2011 Schedule & Timetable releases

The ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 will be held by in the sub-continent South Asian countries: India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai will be hosting the final of the Cricket World Cup 2011.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 shedule has been released and the mega event will be held from the 19th of February to the 2nd of April in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

The first match of ICC World Cup 2011 begings between India vs Bangladesh on Feb 19, 2011 onwards.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Teams:
Group A – Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Canada and Kenya.
Group B – India, South Africa, England, Bangladesh, West Indies, Netherlands and Ireland.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Schedule or Timetable:

1. 19 February (14.00) – India vs Bangladesh – Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium, Dhaka

2. 20 February (09.30) – New Zealand vs Kenya – M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

3. 20 February (14.30) – Sri Lanka vs Canada – Hambantota International Cricket Stadium, Hambantota

4. 21 February (14.00) – Australia vs Zimbabwe – Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad

5. 22 February (14.30) – England vs Netherlands – Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur

6. 23 February (14.30) – Pakistan vs Kenya – Hambantota International Cricket Stadium, Hambantota

7. 24 February (14.30) – South Africa vs West Indies – Feroz Shah Kotla, New Delhi

8. 25 February (14.30) – Australia vs New Zealand – Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur

9. 25 February (09.30) – Bangladesh vs Ireland – Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium, Dhaka

10. 26 February (14.30) – Sri Lanka vs Pakistan – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

11. 27 February (14.30) – India vs England – Eden Gardens, Kolkata

12. 28 February (14.30) – West Indies vs Netherlands – Feroz Shah Kotla, New Delhi

13. 28 February (09.30) – Zimbabwe vs Canada – Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur

14. 01 March (14.30) – Sri Lanka vs Kenya – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

15. 02 March (14.30) – England vs Ireland – M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

16. 03 March (09.30) – South Africa vs Netherlands – Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali

17. 03 March (14.30) – Pakistan vs Canada – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

18. 04 March (09.30) – New Zealand vs Zimbabwe – Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad

19. 04 March (14.30) – Bangladesh vs West Indies – Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium, Dhaka

20. 05 March (14.30) – Sri Lanka vs Australia – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

21. 06 March (14.30) – India vs Ireland – M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

22. 06 March (09.30) – England vs South Africa – M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

23. 07 March (14.30) – Kenya vs Canada – Feroz Shah Kotla, New Delhi

24. 08 March (14.30) – Pakistan vs New Zealand – Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy

25. 09 March (14.30) – India vs Netherlands – Feroz Shah Kotla, New Delhi

26. 10 March (14.30) – Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe – Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy

27. 11 March (09.30) – West Indies vs Ireland – Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali

28. 11 March (14.30) – Bangladesh vs England – Chittagong Divisional Stadium, Chittagong

29. 12 March (14.30) – India vs South Africa – Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur

30. 13 March (09.30) – New Zealand vs Canada – Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

31. 13 March (14.30) – Australia vs Kenya – M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

32. 14 March (14.30) – Pakistan vs Zimbabwe – Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy

33. 14 March (14.30) – Bangladesh vs Netherlands – Chittagong Divisional Stadium, Chittagong

34. 15 March (14.30) – South Africa vs Ireland – Eden Gardens, Kolkata

35. 16 March (14.30) – Australia vs Canada – M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

36. 17 March (14.30) – England vs West Indies – M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

37. 18 March (14.30) – Sri Lanka vs New Zealand – Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

38. 18 March (09.30) – Ireland vs Netherlands – Eden Gardens, Kolkata

39. 19 March (14.30) – Australia vs Pakistan – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

40. 19 March (09.30) – Bangladesh vs South Africa – Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium, Dhaka

41. 20 March (09:30) – Zimbabwe vs Kenya – Eden Gardens, Kolkata

42. 20 March (14.30) – India vs West Indies – M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

43. 23 March (14.30) – First Quarterfinal (Group A1 vs Group B4) – Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium, Dhaka

44. 24 March (14.30) – Second Quarterfinal (Group A2 vs Group B3) – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

45. 25 March (14.30) – Third Quarterfinal (Group A3 vs Group B2) – Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium, Dhaka

46. 26 March (14.30) – Fourth Quarterfinal (Group A4 vs Group B1) – Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad

47. 29 March (14.30) – First Semifinal (Winner of Match 43 vs Winner of Match 45) – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

48. 30 March (14.30) – Second Semifinal (Winner of Match 44 vs Winner of Match 46) – Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali

49. 02 April (14.30) – Final (Winner of Match 47 vs Winner of Match 48) – Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

World Cup Cricket 2011 to start on Feb 19, here is full schedule

THE BIGGEST cricketing event, ICC World Cup Cricket 2011, which is jointly being organised by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh is going to start from February 19 at Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium in Dhaka. Mega final of the biggest cricket event is scheduled to be played at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 2. Stumpy, an elephant is the official mascot for the Cricket World Cup 2011. Fourteen countries, which are participating in the World Cup Cricket 2011 are divided into two groups. In group 'A' including host Sri Lanka others are including Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Canada, whereas in group 'B' South Africa, West Indies, England, Netherlands and Ireland are there other then host India and Bangladesh. During the 43 days long ICC World Cup Cricket 2011, total of 49 matches will be played including semi final and final matches. Complete schedule of the 2011 Cricket World Cup are following:

Match	Date	Group	Teams	Venue
1	19 Feb	B	India vs Bangladesh	Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium, Dhaka
2	20 Feb	A	New Zealand vs Kenya	M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
3	20 Feb	A	Sri Lanka vs Canada	International Cricket Stadium, Hambantota
4	21 Feb	A	Australia vs Zimbabwe	Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad
5	22 Feb	B	England vs Netherlands	Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur
6	23 Feb	A	Pakistan vs Kenya	International Cricket Stadium, Hambantota
7	24 Feb	B	South Africa vs West Indies	Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
8	25 Feb	A	Australia vs New Zealand	Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur
9	25 Feb	B	Bangladesh vs Ireland	Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium, Dhaka
10	26 Feb	A	Sri Lanka vs Pakistan	R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
11	27 Feb	B	India vs England	Eden Gardens, Kolkata
12	28 Feb	B	West Indies vs Netherlands	Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
13	28 Feb	A	Zimbabwe vs Canada	Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur
14	1 Mar	A	Sri Lanka vs Kenya	R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
15	2 Mar	B	England vs Ireland	M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
16	3 Mar	B	South Africa vs Netherlands	Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali
17	3 Mar	A	Pakistan vs Canada	R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
18	4 Mar	A	New Zealand vs Zimbabwe	Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad
19	4 Mar	B	Bangladesh vs West Indies	Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium, Dhaka
20	5 Mar	A	Sri Lanka vs Australia	R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
21	6 Mar	B	India vs Ireland	M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
22	6 Mar	B	England vs South Africa	M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
23	7 Mar	A	Kenya vs Canada	Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
24	8 Mar	A	Pakistan vs New Zealand	Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy
25	9 Mar	B	India vs Netherlands	Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
26	10 Mar	A	Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe	Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy
27	11 Mar	B	West Indies vs Ireland	Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali
28	11 Mar	B	Bangladesh vs England	Chittagong Divisional Stadium, Chittagong
29	12 Mar	B	India vs South Africa	Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur
30	13 Mar	A	New Zealand vs Canada	Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
31	13 Mar	A	Australia vs Kenya	M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
32	14 Mar	A	Pakistan vs Zimbabwe	Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy
33	14 Mar	B	Bangladesh vs Netherlands	Chittagong Divisional Stadium, Chittagong
34	15 Mar	B	South Africa vs Ireland	Eden Gardens, Kolkata
35	16 Mar	A	Australia vs Canada	M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
36	17 Mar	B	England vs West Indies	M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
37	18 Mar	A	Sri Lanka vs New Zealand	Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
38	18 Mar	B	Ireland vs Netherlands	Eden Gardens, Kolkata
39	19 Mar	A	Australia vs Pakistan	R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
40	19 Mar	B	Bangladesh vs South Africa	Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium, Dhaka
41	20 Mar	A	Zimbabwe vs Kenya	Eden Gardens, Kolkata
42	20 Mar	B	India vs West Indies	M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
43	23 Mar		First Quarterfinal	Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium, Dhaka
44	24 Mar		Second Quarterfinal	R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
45	25 Mar		Third Quarterfinal	Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium, Dhaka
46	26 Mar		Fourth Quarterfinal	Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad
47	29 Mar		First Semifinal	R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
48	30 Mar		Second Semifinal	Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali
49	02 Apr		Final	Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Bangladesh names Shakib as ICC World Cup skipper

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) also named opening batsman Tamim Iqbal as vice-captain of the team, which will face India in Dhaka on its first match Feb 19.

'The board wishes the two leading lights of Bangladesh cricket a very successful New Year and hopes their partnership would inspire the team to greater heights,' a BCB statement said.

The name of the full squad will be announced shortly.

Bangladesh is co-hosting the tournament with India and Sri Lanka. It will host the inauguration of the tourney Feb 17 at Bangabandhu National Stadium beside eight matches in Dhaka and Chittagong.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Matches Schedule, India Matches Schedule

The final fixtures of ICC Cricket World cup 2011 has been announced with India taking Bangladesh in the opening match. India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will be the hosts with Mumbai hosting the final of the World cup. It seems ICC took lessons from 2007 world cup and has divided the teams in two groups so that big teams qualify.

Group Division:

Group A:	Group B
Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Canada, Kenya.	India, South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland, Netherlands.

Match no.		Date	Teams	Venue
1		19 Feb	India vs Bangladesh	Dhaka
2		20 Feb	New Zealand vs Kenya	Chennai
3		20 Feb	Sri Lanka vs Canada	Hambantota
4		21 Feb	Australia vs Zimbabwe	Ahmedabad
5		22 Feb	England vs Netherlands	Nagpur
6		23 Feb	Pakistan vs Kenya	Hambantota
7		24 Feb	South Africa vs West Indies	New Delhi
8		25 Feb	Australia vs New Zealand	Nagpur
9		25 Feb	Bangladesh vs Ireland	Dhaka
10		26 Feb	Sri Lanka vs Pakistan	Colombo
11		27 Feb	India vs England	Kolkata
12		28 Feb	West Indies vs Netherlands	New Delhi
13		28 Feb	Zimbabwe vs Canada	Nagpur
14		1 Mar	Sri Lanka vs Kenya	Colombo
15		2 Mar	England vs Ireland	Bangalore
16		3 Mar	South Africa vs Netherlands	Mohali
17		3 Mar	Pakistan vs Canada	Colombo
18		4 Mar	New Zealand vs Zimbabwe	Ahmedabad
19		4 Mar	Bangladesh vs West Indies	Dhaka
20		5 Mar	Sri Lanka vs Australia	Colombo
21		6 Mar	India vs Ireland	Bangalore
22		6 Mar	England vs South Africa	Chennai
23		7 Mar	Kenya vs Canada	New Delhi
24		8 Mar	Pakistan vs New Zealand	Pallekelle
25		9 Mar	India vs Netherlands	New Delhi
26		10 Mar	Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe	Pallekelle
27		11 Mar	West Indies vs Ireland	Mohali
28		11 Mar	Bangladesh vs England	Chittagong
29		12 Mar	India vs South Africa	Nagpur
30		13 Mar	New Zealand vs Canada	Mumbai
31		13 Mar	Australia vs Kenya	Bangalore
32		14 Mar	Pakistan vs Zimbabwe	Pallekelle
33		14 Mar	Bangladesh vs Netherlands	Chittagong
34		15 Mar	South Africa vs Ireland	Kolkata
35		16 Mar	Australia vs Canada	Bangalore
36		17 Mar	England vs West Indies	Chennai
37		18 Mar	Sri Lanka vs New Zealand	Mumbai
38		18 Mar	Ireland vs Netherlands	Kolkata
39		19 Mar	Australia vs Pakistan	Colombo
40		19 Mar	Bangladesh vs South Africa	Dhaka
41		20 Mar	Zimbabwe vs Kenya	Kolkata
42		20 Mar	India vs West Indies	Chennai
43		23 Mar	First Quarterfinal	Dhaka
44		24 Mar	Second Quarterfinal	Colombo
45		25 Mar	Third Quarterfinal	Dhaka
46		26 Mar	Fourth Quarterfinal	Ahmedabad
47		29 Mar	First Semifinal	Colombo
48		30 Mar	Second Semifinal	Mohali
49		02 Apr	FINAL	Mumbai