More cricket awaits Team India

India will have a hectic playing schedule over the next one year, which features as many as 15 Tests apart from several ODIs beginning with the triseries against Bangladesh in the first week of June. The Bangladesh tournament also features Pakistan and will be held after the conclusion of the inaugural IPL on May 31. India would also take part in the Asia Cup in Pakistan from June 24, follow which they undertake a tour of Sri Lanka to play three Tests and five ODIs till Aug 30. Then the team goes to Pakistan again for the ICC Champions Trophy, from September 8 to 28. Next, India will host Australia for a four-Test series, to be played at Bangalore, Mohali, New Delhi and Nagpur, from Oct 9 to Nov 10. England will play seven ODIs and two Tests against India, which will end on December 23. From Jan 4 to Feb 20 next year, India will visit Pakistan for three Tests and five ODIs, before touring New Zealand from February 26 to April 15 to play three Tests and five ODIs.

Following is the schedule from June, 2008 to April 2009:

First week of June : Triseries in Bangladesh/India/Pakistan.

June 24: Asia Cup begins in Pakistan.

July 15 to Aug 30 : Tour of Sri Lanka for three Tests/5 ODIs.

Sept 8 to 28 : ICC Champions Trophy at Pakistan.

Oct 9 to Nov 10: Australia to tour India for four Tests at Bangalore, Mohali, New Delhi and Nagpur.

Nov to December 23: England tour of India for seven ODIs and two Tests.

2009: Jan 4 to Feb 20: India to tour Pakistan for three Tests and 5 ODIs.

Feb 26 to Apr 15 : India to tour New Zealand 3 Tests, 5 ODIs.

ICC Champions Trophy 2008 schedule announced

The International Cricket Council announced the schedule and venues for this year’s ICC Champions Trophy 2008 to be played in Pakistan from 11 to 28 September. Host Pakistan will face 2004 winner and 2006 runner-up West Indies in the opening match on 11 September (Thursday) in a Group A game at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore while defending champion and top seed Australia will open its campaign against India on 13 September (Saturday) the same venue. Karachi and Rawalpindi are the other venues to be used in this year’s event, which is very much an elite tournament with only the top eight sides in the world competing. As discussed at the ICC Board meeting earlier this week in Dubai, a full independent security assessment of the situation in Pakistan will be conducted in June. As compared to the 2006 tournament when 21 matches were played over 29 days, 15 matches will be played in 17 days this year in what is a much shorter, sharper format. The first semi-final will be played at the National Stadium in Karachi on 24 September while Rawalpindi will host the second semi-final on 25 September. Gaddafi Stadium, which hosted the final of the 1996 ICC Cricket World Cup, has been selected to stage the final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2008. In India two years ago, sides ranked seven to 10th in the LG ICC ODI Championship table as on 1 April 2006, started the tournament by contesting a preliminary round with a round-robin format. The top two sides from that preliminary round went forward to the second stage which saw the top six sides from the LG ICC ODI Championship table divided into two groups, joined by the two qualifiers from the preliminary round. This year, the groupings were finalised on 12 March the basis of teams’ rankings in the LG ICC ODI Championship table as on 12 March which was the cut-off date for the determination of the seedings for the ICC Champions Trophy 2008. The eight teams were then split into two groups of four with a round-robin format in operation. The top two sides from each group will progress to the knock-out stage.

The following are the two groups (with seedings in brackets):

Group A: Australia (1), India (4), Pakistan (5), West Indies (8)

Group B: South Africa (2), New Zealand (3), Sri Lanka (6), England (7)

Schedule:

11 September – Pakistan v West Indies, Lahore.

12 September – New Zealand v Sri Lanka, Karachi.

13 September – Australia v India, Lahore.

14 September – England v Sri Lanka, Karachi.

15 September – South Africa v New Zealand, Rawalpindi.

16 September – West Indies v India, Karachi.

17 September – Pakistan v Australia, Rawalpindi.

18 September – South Africa v Sri Lanka, Lahore.

19 September – England v New Zealand, Rawalpindi.

20 September – Pakistan v India, Lahore.

21 September – Australia v West Indies, Karachi; England v South Africa, Rawalpindi.

24 September – 1st semi-final, Karachi.

25 September – 2nd semi-final, Rawalpindi.

28 September – final, Lahore.

India facing tough opponents in Champions Trophy Draw

Defending champions Australia have been paired in the same group as bitter rivals India for this year's Champions Trophy, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Thursday. Pakistan and runners-up West Indies are also in Group A for the sixth edition of the biennial tournament, which is to be hosted by Pakistan in September-October this year. "Group A comprises Australia, India, Pakistan and the West Indies while South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and England form group B," the ICC said in a statement released from its headquarters in Dubai. India beat hosts Australia to lift a tri-series tournament earlier this month and are now considered the greatest threat to Australia's dominance. India's victory followed a bad-tempered Test series against Australia marred by allegations of racial abuse. Australia defeated the West Indies to take their maiden Champions Trophy title in 2006 in India.