Australia, New Zealand to meet again in World Cup
Champions Trophy finalists Australia and New Zealand were placed in
the same group when the 2011 Cricket World Cup draw was released here
Wednesday.
Shane Watson-inspired Australia defeated New Zealand by six wickets
at SuperSport Park in Centurion two days ago in the second most
prestigious national team one-day tournament after the World Cup.
Pakistan, surprise semi-final losers to New Zealand in the Champions
Trophy, and co-hosts Sri Lanka are the other major forces in Group A
which is completed by Zimbabwe, Canada and Kenya.
India, who will host most matches in the quadrennial tournament,
South Africa, England and the West Indies are the top-eight teams in
Group B with co-hosts Bangladesh, Ireland and the Netherlands completing
the line-up.
Australia, winners of the last two World Cup tournaments, and a
star-studded Indian team back by their passionate supporters are early
favourites for the ultimate cricket prize.
A total of eight venues in India will stage 29 matches, another 12
are scheduled for three Sri Lankan grounds and eight for two venues in
Bangladesh, where the February 18 opening ceremony takes place.
Pakistan were chosen among four World Cup co-hosts only to be
stripped of their 14 fixtures, including a semi-final, last April after
a bus carrying the Sri Lankan team in Lahore was attacked.
Losing the matches will reportedly deprive the Pakistan Cricket Board
of 10,5 million dollars in match fees with the overall effect on the
economy raising that figure substantially.
Pakistan wanted the hosting of the next two World Cups reversed with
the 2015 tournament in Australia and New Zealand moved forward four
years, but the International Cricket Council rejected the plea.
Draw
Group A
Australia (holders), Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka (co-hosts),
Zimbabwe, Canada, Kenya.
Group B
India (co-hosts), South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh
(co-hosts), Ireland, Netherlands.
Note: Matches scheduled for February and March 2011
Johannesburg, AFP
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