Includes third and fourth place play-off to cater for possibility of third team going forward to ICC WT20 2009
The ICC today announced the revised schedule for the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier (WT20 Qualifier) in Belfast next month.
The tournament, involving the six leading Associate teams – Bermuda, Canada, Ireland, Kenya, the Netherlands and Scotland – will now take place from 2 to 5 August, with a fourth day included to allow room for a third and fourth place play-off.
That additional fixture has become necessary because a third team will join the two finalists in next year’s tournament, providing Zimbabwe Cricket’s board ratifies Zimbabwe’s decision, taken during the ICC’s annual conference week, to step down from the ICC World Twenty20 2009*.
If that is confirmed then the winner of the Belfast event will take the place of Zimbabwe in the main draw, in Group A, alongside India and Bangladesh.
The losing finalist will take its place in Group B, alongside Pakistan and England and has the prospect of playing the opening match of the tournament, against the host team at Lord’s, London.
The winner of the third and fourth place play-off slots into Group D, with South Africa and New Zealand.
The format for the WT20 Qualifier takes in 11 matches over four days, with the six teams split into two groups based on the sides’ One-Day International rankings.
Group A is made up of Ireland, Scotland and Bermuda while Group B features Kenya, the Netherlands and Canada.
The first two days of the tournament, 2 and 3 August, features round-robin action with the top two sides from each group going forward to the semi-finals.
Those semi-finals will take place on day three, followed by the all-important third and fourth place play-off. A fifth and sixth place play-off – a second additional fixture to the original schedule – will get the fourth day off and running before being followed by the final.
ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier
Groupings (seeding in brackets)
Group A
Ireland (1)
Scotland (3)
Bermuda (6)
Group B
Kenya (2)
The Netherlands (4)
Canada (5)
Tournament Schedule
Saturday 2 August
0930 Kenya v Netherlands
1300 Ireland v Scotland
1630 Netherlands v Canada
Sunday 3 August
0930 Scotland v Bermuda
1300 Kenya v Canada
1630 Ireland v Bermuda
Monday 4 August
0930 Semi-final one: Winner Group A v Runner-up Group B
1300 Semi-final two: Winner Group B v Runner-up Group A
1630 Third and fourth-place play-off
Tuesday 5 August
0930 Fifth and sixth-place play-off
1300 Final
ICC World Twenty20 2009 - Men's tournament groups
Group A
India
Bangladesh
Zimbabwe/Associate 1 (Associate 1 will take this place providing Zimbabwe steps down)*
Group B
Pakistan
England
Associate 1/Associate 2 (Associate 2 will take this place providing Zimbabwe steps down and Associate 1 moves to Group A)*
Group C
Australia
Sri Lanka
West Indies
Group D
New Zealand
South Africa
Associate 2/Associate 3 (Associate 3 will take this place providing Zimbabwe steps down and Associate 2 moves to Group B)*
The ICC WT20 2009 takes place in the UK between 5 and 21 June 2009 and is made up of men’s and women’s tournaments running alongside each other.
The inaugural men’s ICC WT20 took place in South Africa in 2007 and was won by India, which Pakistan by five runs in the final in Johannesburg.
ICC MEDIA RELEASE