ICC Cricket World Cup Words by Nicholas Sadleir

Home , One Day International, Wankhede Stadium

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Oryx February 11 © Lintao Zhang /gettyimages.com © Jewel Samad /gettyimages.com © Jewel sport 69

This month India, Cup in the West Indies. Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka have each been Sri Lanka, and which has proved hard to beat at victorious once. Bangladesh home, will relish the opportunity to upset the tournament favourites. South Africa, an excellent one-day collectively play host to side but repeatedly labelled as The final will be contested at the ‘chokers’, has never won the Cricket the 2011 Cricket World Match of the revamped Wankhede Stadium in World Cup; neither has England. Cup – the cricketing Tournament? Mumbai on April 2. Australia clinched the last three Possibly the most anticipated world’s premier Cups, but is low in confidence after game will be played between tournament. Tickets for the World Cup are recently losing the Test cricket Ashes India and England at the available through the International to traditional rival England for the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata on February 27. The six-week cricket feast will be Cricket Council (ICC), while Qatar third time in succession. England’s The rebuilt stadium, which hosted by 13 cities: Ahmedabad, Airways has a comprehensive comfortable victory at last year’s will be filled ot capacity with Bengaluru (Bangalore), Chennai flight network that will deliver Twenty20 World Cup and its good 82,000 spectators, could be (Madras), Kolkata (Calcutta), you to numerous cities in the showing at the Ashes will certainly no better venue for such an Mohali, Mumbai (Bombay), three countries. inspire belief in its players that this epic clash. Nagpur, and New Delhi (all in year could be their turn for Cricket India); Colombo, Hambantota, and As any cricket follower would know, World Cup glory. But throw in the One day 101 Kandy in Sri Lanka; and Chittagong the game has religion-like status on mercurial Pakistanis and the skilful For the uninitiated, One Day and Dhaka in Bangladesh. the Subcontinent. Attending a Sri Lankans and the race for the cricket is just that: it takes World Cup match at a stadium with trophy is wide open. place over just a single day. With a limited time allocated The World Cup sees 14 teams 80,000 screaming fanatics may not to each team, the battling for supremacy in the be everybody’s cup of tea, but for But more than just for the cricket combatants play hard and One-Day International format many it will prove the experience of itself, this World Cup represents a fast to score as many runs as of the game. Australia, Pakistan, a lifetime. The atmosphere at any fantastic opportunity for visitors to they can. The first team to bat New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, international cricket match in the explore Southern Asia. India’s sights does so in the afternoon, while usually the second Canada, and Kenya feature in Group region is electric, and the World Cup and sounds need little introduction; team takes to the crease A, while India, South Africa, England, is guaranteed to entertain both on Sri Lanka was ranked number one in as the floodlights are turned West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland, and off the field. The New York Times ‘Places to see in on. The play is as colourful as and the Netherlands are the teams 2010’; and Bangladesh is a hidden the teams themselves, who in Group B. The 2011 tournament will be the gem of a tourist destination that ditch the traditional all-whites of Test cricket tenth in the history of World Cup boasts beautiful countryside, (which can take five days per The tournament kicks off when Cricket. Reigning World Champion fantastic shopping opportunities, match) in favour of India travels to Dhaka on February Australia has won it on four and an economy that is growing at multi-coloured outfits based 19 to take on Bangladesh – the side occasions, the West Indies came out a rapid rate. So miss this tournament on their national colours. that beat them in the 2007 World on top twice, and India, Pakistan, at your peril.

B The ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 mascot is an elephant called Stumpy, a name picked out from a huge online poll.

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ICC Cricket © Mlenny, robas, holgs /istockphoto.com World Cup 2011 schedule (by venue) Delhi

The first match of the ICC World Cup 2011 (match 1) is between India and Bangladesh on February 19. The final (match 49) of the six-week long tournament will be held at the rebuilt Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on April 2.

Chennai Mumbai Connect India

✈ To book flights to the ICC Cricket World Ahmedabad Bengaluru Chennai Kolkata Cup, go to www.qatarairways.com Sardar Patel Stadium M. Chinnaswamy Stadium M. A. Chidambaram Stadium Eden Gardens

4. February 21 (14.00) 15. March 2 (14.30) 2. February 20 (09.30) 11. February 27 (14.30) ICC Cricket World Australia vs Zimbabwe England vs Ireland New Zealand vs Kenya India vs England Cup 2011 Teams: 18. March 4 (09.30) 21. March 6 (14.30) 22. March 6 (09.30) 34. March 15 (14.30) Group A connect via doha New Zealand vs Zimbabwe India vs Ireland England vs South Africa South Africa vs Ireland Australia Melbourne, daily flights 46. March 26 (14.30) 31. March 13 (14.30) 36. March 17 (14.30) 38. March 18 (09.30) Pakistan Karachi, daily flights Fourth Quarterfinal Australia vs Kenya England vs West Indies Ireland vs Netherlands Sri Lanka Colombo, 3 flights a day (Group A4 vs Group B1) Kenya Nairobi, 2 flights a day 35. March 16 (14.30) 42. March 20 (14.30) 41. March 20 (09:30) New Zealand, Zimbabwe, and Canada. Australia vs Canada India vs West Indies Zimbabwe vs Kenya

Group B connect via dohA India Ahmedabad, daily flights Bengaluru, daily flights Chennai, daily flights Mohali Mumbai Nagpur Delhi Mumbai, daily flights Punjab Cricket Wankhede Stadium Vidarbha Cricket Feroz Shah Kotla Delhi, 2 flights a day Association Stadium Association Stadium Cricket Stadium South Africa Cape Town, 4 flights a week 30. March 13 (09.30) Johannesburg, daily flights 16. March 3 (09.30) New Zealand vs Canada 5. February 22 (14.30) 7. February 24 (14.30) England London, 5 flights a day South Africa vs England vs Netherlands South Africa vs West Indies 37. March 18 (14.30) Manchester, daily flights Netherlands Sri Lanka vs New Zealand 8. February 25 (14.30) 12. February 28 (14.30) Bangladesh Dhaka, 11 flights a week 27. March 11 (09.30) Australia vs New Zealand West Indies vs Netherlands West Indies, Netherlands, and Ireland. West Indies vs Ireland 49. April 2 (14.30) Final 13. February 28 (09.30) 23. March 7 (14.30) 48. March 30 (14.30) (Winner of Match 47 Zimbabwe vs Canada Kenya vs Canada Second Semifinal vs Winner of Match 48) (Winner of Match 44 29. March 12 (14.30) 25. March 9 (14.30) vs Winner of Match 46) India vs South Africa India vs Netherlands

Connect Dhaka, Bangladesh ✈ Distance: 3,362 km ✈ Flight Time: 5 hours, 15 minutes ✈ Frequency: 11 flights a week

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Dhaka Colombo Hambantota Sher-e-Bangla R. Premadasa Stadium Hambantota International Cricket Stadium Cricket Stadium 10. February 26 (14.30) 1. February 19 (14.00) Sri Lanka vs Pakistan 3. February 20 (14.30) India vs Bangladesh Sri Lanka vs Canada 14. March 1 (14.30) 9. February 25 (09.30) Sri Lanka vs Kenya 6. February 23 (14.30) Bangladesh vs Ireland Pakistan vs Kenya 17. March 3 (14.30) 19. March 4 (14.30) Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Pakistan vs Canada Pallekele Bangladesh vs West Indies Stadium, Dhaka Kandy International Cricket 20. March 5 (14.30) Pallekele International Stadium, Kandy 40. March 19 (09.30) First named Mirpur Stadium, Sri Lanka vs Australia Cricket Stadium Bangladesh vs South Africa it was renamed after AK Just 30 minutes from Kandy Fazlul Haque, one of the 39. March 19 (14.30) 24. March 8 (14.30) in Sri Lanka’s hill country, 43. March 23 (14.30) Australia vs Pakistan country's most renowned Pakistan vs New Zealand Pallekele’s new ground was First Quarterfinal leaders and freedom fighters renamed in July 2010 as (Group A1 vs Group B4) 44. March 24 (14.30) 26. March 10 (14.30) the Muttiah Muralitharan in the 1940s. Originally built Second Quarterfinal Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe International Cricket Stadium for football and athletics, 45. March 25 (14.30) (Group A2 vs Group B3) to honour the legendary Third Quarterfinal the government decided 32. March 14 (14.30) Sri Lankan spin bowler. Its (Group A3 vs Group B2) that the capital city needed 47. March 29 (14.30) Pakistan vs Zimbabwe design is based on SuperSport a dedicated cricket ground. First Semifinal Park in Centurion, South Chittagong A metre of soil was excavated (Winner of Match 43 Africa, and has a 35,000 Chittagong Divisional vs Winner of Match 45) to remove all the red clay, capacity. Trivia: By dismissing Stadium with a maze of PVC piping Chris Gayle of the West installed. As such, 28. March 11 (14.30) Indies, Sri Lanka’s Suranga Bangladesh vs England Sher-e-Bangla is noted as Lakmal became the third having excellent drainage. bowler to take a wicket with 33. March 14 (14.30) It’s been further upgraded the first ball bowled in a test Bangladesh vs Netherlands ahead of the ICC World Cup. match at a new venue.

Connect Colombo, Sri Lanka ✈ Distance: 3,631 km ✈ Flight Time: 4 hours, 55 minutes ✈ Frequency: 3 flights a day

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