About ICC World Twenty20 Bangladesh 2014
As many as 35 tournament matches will be played across Chittagong, Dhaka and Sylhet in the 22-day tournament. The format for the men’s event has been changed following an increase in teams from 12 to 16.
As the teams’ seeding are based on the Reliance ICC T20I Team Rankings Table as of 8 October 2012, the top eight sides following the conclusion of the ICC World Twenty20 Sri Lanka 2012 will play directly in the Super 10 stage, while Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, which finished outside the top eight, will participate in the first round that will be held from 16-21 March.
The first round of the men’s event will include eight sides that will be divided into two groups of four teams each, with the table-toppers progressing to the Super 10 stage.
The Super 10 stage will start with an evening match between former champions India and Pakistan in Dhaka onFriday 21 March.
The two groups of the Super 10 stage are:
Super 10 (S10) Groups (Based on teams’ rankings on the Reliance ICC T20I Team Rankings as on 8 October 2012)
Group 1 – Sri Lanka, England, South Africa, New Zealand, Group B Qualifier 1 (Q1B)
Group 2 – West Indies, India, Pakistan, Australia, Group A Qualifier 1 (Q1A)
Reigning champion the West Indies will launch its title defence against India in an evening match on Sunday 23 March. Earlier on the same day, Pakistan will lock horns with Australia, which is looking for the only global title that its has not bagged.
If Bangladesh reaches the Super 10 stage, it will play all its matches in Dhaka, facing the West Indies on 25 March, India on 28 March, Pakistan on 30 March and Australia on 1 April.
This is the third time that the men’s and women’s competitions will be played alongside each other, with the women’s semi-finals and final held on the same day as the men’s, and at the same venue.
The first round matches of the women’s event will take place in Sylhet from 23 March to 2 April, with the semi-finals and final played in Dhaka from 3 to 6 April.