West Indies play England in T20 World Cup opener

IT will be a replay of the 2016 T20 World Cup final when West Indies play England in their opening match in Group One of the Super 12s on October 23 in the 2021 International Cricket Council Men’s T20 World Cup.

Five years ago, West Indian Carlos Brathwaite struck Ben Stokes for four consecutive sixes to win the tournament in spectacular fashion.

The match between West Indies and England will bowl off at 10 am (TT time) in Dubai. The tournament will be played in United Arab Emirates and Oman from October 17- November 14.

West Indies, captained by Kieron Pollard, will then battle South Africa in Dubai from 6 am, on October 26.

On October 29, West Indies will play the second placed team in Group B of the qualifiers at 8 am in Sharjah.

Pollard’s team will then face the winner of Group A of the qualifiers on November 4 in Abu Dhabi from 10 am, before closing out the preliminary phase against Australia in Abu Dhabi on November 6, at 6 am.

In the Super 12s, 12 teams will be split into two groups of six. In Group One, West Indies, England, Australia, South Africa, the winner of Group A and the second placed finisher in Group B will play.

In Group Two, the teams vying for places in the knock-out phase are India, Pakistan, New Zealand, Afghanistan, the winner of Group B and the runner-up of Group A.

The top two in each group will advance to the semifinals.

Before the Super 12s, eight teams will be split into two groups with the top two advancing to the Super 12s.

Group A will feature Sri Lanka, Ireland, Netherlands and Namibia and in Group B Bangladesh, Scotland, Papua New Guinea and Oman will duke it out.

West Indies won the T20 World Cup in 2012 and 2016.