Bangladesh should not expect an easy ride even if they overcome the first round barrier at the ICC World Twenty20 at home next year, as they are on course to join Asian neighbours India and Pakistan, holders West Indies and giants Australia in the Super 10 stage.
The International Cricket Council formally announced the tournament groups and released the fixture schedule at a programme in Dhaka on Sunday, with Bangladesh pitted against three qualifiers in the first round.
The tournament will be held in two phases, as six qualifiers will join full members Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in the first round.
The eight teams will be divided into two round-robin groups of four teams each, with the group winners progressing to the Super 10 stage.
The six qualifiers will be decided in a tournament to be staged in the UAE from November 15-30.
Bangladesh will join India, Pakistan, West Indies and Australia in Group 2 if they win Group A and qualify for the Super 10 stage.
The Group B winners will join Sri Lanka, England, South Africa and New Zealand in Group 1 in the Super 10 stage.
The tournament will get underway on March 16 with Bangladesh playing against a qualifier at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium. The Tigers will then travel to Chittagong for their two remaining first-round matches. If they qualify for the Super 10 stage they will play their all matches in Dhaka.
The Super 10 stage will start with a cracker of a contest between India and Pakistan in Dhaka on March 21, two days before West Indies start their title defence against India in the same city.
Overall, Dhaka will host 17 matches, including the semi-finals and the finals of the men’s and women’s events. Chittagong and Sylhet will host 15 and six matches respectively of the men’s event. Sylhet has been awarded all the first-round matches for the women’s event, which had originally been slated to take place in Cox’s Bazar.
The tournament, which will end on April 6, offers prize money of US$3 million for the men’s event, with the winners receiving US$1.1 million and the losing finalists collecting US$550,000.
ICC WORLD T20 2014 GROUPS
MEN’S
First Round – Groups
Group A: Bangladesh, Qualifier, Qualifier, Qualifier
Group B: Zimbabwe, Qualifier, Qualifier, Qualifier
Super 10 (Based on teams’ rankings as on October 8, 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)
***
WOMEN’S
Group A: Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, Ireland
Group B: England, West Indies, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh
ICC WORLD T20 2014 FIXTURE
MEN’S
(all matches are at Bangladesh Standard Time)
Sun 16 Mar Bangladesh v Qualifier Group A (3:30-6:30pm), Mirpur
Sun 16 Mar Qualifier Group A v Qualifier Group A (7:30-10:30pm), Chittagong
Mon 17 Mar Qualifier Group B v Zimbabwe, (3:30-6:30pm), Sylhet
Mon 17 Mar Qualifier Group B v Qualifier Group B (7:30-10:30pm), Sylhet
Tues 18 Mar Qualifier Group A v Qualifier Group A (3:30-6:30pm), Chittagong
Tues 18 Mar Bangladesh v Qualifier Group A (7:30-10:30pm), Chittagong
Wed 19 Mar Zimbabwe v Qualifier Group B (3:30-6:30pm), Sylhet
Wed 19 Mar Qualifier Group B v Qualifier Group B (7:30-10:30pm), Sylhet
Thur 20 Mar Qualifier Group A v Qualifier Group A (3:30-6:30pm), Chittagong
Thur 20 Mar Bangladesh v Qualifier Group A (7:30-10:30pm), Chittagong
Fri 21 Mar Zimbabwe v Qualifier Group B (11:30am-2:30pm), Sylhet
Fri 21 Mar Qualifier Group B v Qualifier Group B (3:30-6:30pm), Sylhet
Fri 21 Mar India v Pakistan (7:30-10:30), Mirpur
Sat 22 Mar Sri Lanka v South Africa (3:30-6:30pm,Chittagong
Sat 22 Mar England v New Zealand (7:30-10:30pm), Chittagong
Sun 23 Mar Pakistan v Australia (3:30-6:30pm), Mirpur
Sun 23 Mar West Indies v India (7:30-10:30pm), Mirpur
Mon 24 Mar New Zealand v South Africa (3:30-6:30pm), Chittagong
Mon 24 Mar Sri Lanka v Q1B (7:30-10:30pm), Chittagong
Tues 25 Mar Q1A v West Indies (7:30-10:30pm), Mirpur
Thur 27 Mar South Africa v Q1B (3:30-6:30pm), Chittagong
Thur 27 Mar England v Sri Lanka (7:30-10:30pm), Chittagong
Fri 28 Mar West Indies v Australia (3:30-6:30pm), Mirpur
Fri 28 Mar Q1A v India (7:30-10:30pm), Mirpur
Sat 29 Mar New Zealand v Q1B (3:30-6:30pm), Chittagong
Sat 29 Mar England v South Africa (7:30-10:30pm), Chittagong
Sun 30 Mar Pakistan v Q1A (3:30-6:30pm), Mirpur
Sun 30 Mar India v Australia (7:30-10:30pm), Mirpur
Mon 31 Mar England v Q1B (3:30-6:30), Chittagong
Mon 31 Mar Sri Lanka v New Zealand (7:30-10:30pm), Chittagong
Tues 1 Apr Q1A v Australia (3:30-6:30pm), Mirpur
Tues 1 Apr West Indies v Pakistan (7:30-10:30pm), Mirpur
Thur 3 Apr Semi-final S10 Group 1 First v S10 Group 2 Second (7:00-11:00pm), Mirpur
Fri 4 Apr Semi-final S10 Group 1 Second v S10 Group 2 First (7:00-11:00pm), Mirpur
Sun 6 Apr Men’s final (7:00-10:00pm), Mirpur
Mon 7 Apr Reserve day
-With New Age input