No Pakistan-India clash in group stage of T20 World Cup

SYDNEY: For the first time since the 2011 T20 World Cup, Pakistan will not meet India in the group stage of an ICC event. The two teams have faced each other in five ICC tournaments since 2011 — and will meet again in the 2019 World Cup in England and Wales — but cricket’s traditional rivalry will not be on show in the group stages of 2020 T20 World Cup in Australia.

Pakistan will take on hosts Australia in the opening fixture of the T20 World Cup, organisers said Tuesday as the draw for the tournaments was announced.Pakistan and India occupy the No. 1 and No. 2 spots respectively, necessitating the two teams to be placed in different groups for the tournament.

England and Australia aren’t guaranteed to meet each other either. While England are placed in Group B alongside India, Australia are in Group A alongside Pakistan.

The top-eight teams have automatically qualified for the tournament, while Sri Lanka and Bangladesh — ninth and tenth in the rankings respectively — will contest six other sides in the qualifying tournament in Geelong and Hobart for the remaining four spots in the Super 12s stage.

Pakistan and Australia clash at the SCG on a double-header Saturday on October 24. India will take on South Africa at the new Perth Stadium in the second match of the day. Defending champions West Indies will open their campaign against New Zealand at the MCG the next day.

The SCG and the Adelaide Oval will host the semi-finals on November 11 and 12 respectively, while the final will be held at the MCG on November 15.For the women’s fixtures, four-time winners Australia are in Group A with New Zealand, India, Sri Lanka and one qualifier, while West Indies and 2009 champions England join South Africa, Pakistan and a second qualifying team.

The women’s final will be played on March 8 to coincide with International Women’s Day, and the men’s final will be held on November 15.

Men’s qualifiers: October 18 - 23

Group stages (October 24 - November 8)

Group 1: Pakistan, Australia, West Indies, New Zealand, two qualifiers

Group 2: India, England, South Africa, Afghanistan, two qualifiers

Semi-finals: November 11 and 12

Final: November 15

Women’s group stages (February 21 - March 3)

Group A: Australia, New Zealand, India, Sri Lanka, Qualifier 1

Group B: England, West Indies, South Africa, Pakistan, Qualifier 2

Semi-finals: March 5

Final: March 8