Daily Times

LAHORE: Arch-rivals Pakistan and India will lock horns on October 24 in Dubai at Twenty20 World Cup as the International Cricket Council announced schedule of the mega event on Tuesday. This will be the first time in over two years that the traditional will clash. The last time India played Pakistan was in the 2019 ODI World Cup. With bilateral ties between the two countries put on hold, ICC tournaments are the only occasion where fans of India-Pakistan cricket can watch the ‘mother of all battles.’ The Babar Azam-led side will also face New Zealand and Afghanistan in Group 2 of the Super 12s stage, along with two qualifiers from Round 1. They will play New Zealand at the same venue on October 27 and take on Afghanistan in Dubai on October 29.

The 16-nation tournament —- to be held in the United Arab Emirates and Oman — will begin on October 17 with Oman taking on Papua New Guinea in the opener followed by an evening match between Scotland and Bangladesh in Round One of the competition. The top two teams from both Group A and Group B in the first round will advance to the Super 12 stage, where the game’s heavyweight nations join the tournament. Sri Lanka, champions in 2014, and Bangladesh, Ireland, Namibia, Netherlands Oman, PNG and Scotland, feature in Round One of the tournament, being hosted by India. Abu Dhabi will be the venue of the first semi-final on November 10 while the other semi-final (November 11) and the final (November 14) will be played in Dubai. All day matches are scheduled for 14h00 local time and the day-night matches are slated for 18h00 local time.

The tournament was originally meant to take place in Australia at the end of 2020. But it was called off as the coronavirus pandemic swept across the globe. It was meant to be held in India this year, but was moved to the United Arab Emirates and Oman after the South Asian giant was hit by a massive surge in virus cases in April and May. Incidentally, 2021 was also due to feature a T20 World Cup as per previous ICC schedules, and that second tournament will now to be played in Australia late next year.

Pakistan captain Babar said in a statement: “The ICC T20 World Cup 2021 schedule announcement brings us one step forward in our preparations for this much-awaited global tournament. We will utilise the build-up period by playing in home series against New Zealand and England and will not only aim to fine-tune our final outlook but also win as many matches as possible so that we can carry that winning form and momentum to the United Arab Emirates. For Pakistan, the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 is like a home event as the UAE has been our venue for more than a decade. We have not only nurtured our talent and developed our side in the UAE but have also beaten the top sides in these conditions to peak to number-one in the ICC T20I Team Rankings. All the players are excited, motivated and enthusiastic, and view this tournament as an opportunity to showcase our prowess and re-establish our superiority in the shortest format of the game in conditions that suit us best. From a personal point of view, this will be my first ICC Major Event as Pakistan captain. I tasted success in 2017 and suffered disappointment in 2019 when we missed out on a semi-final spot by a fraction of a point despite beating both the finalists in league matches. I remain focused in inspiring my side with my performances so that we can become the first Pakistan side to win an ICC Major Event in Asia.”

Kieron Pollard, captain of defending champions West Indies, is promising exciting cricket, the type that helped them defeat England in a pulsating final at the Eden Gardens in 2016 with Carlos Brathwaite blasting four consecutive sixes in the last over to turn the tables on 2010 champions England. Pollard said: “We are excited to begin defence of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title later this year. T20 cricket is dynamic and the international scene is highly competitive, with players constantly pushing the boundaries of innovation and we are expecting a spectacular event in the United Arab Emirates and Oman.”