India will be out to defend its unbeaten record (12-0) at World Cups against Pakistan with the two arch-rivals again placed in the same group for the upcoming T20 World Cup in UAE.
The International Cricket Council announced the groupings for the Super 12 phase on Friday with Group 2 to comprise India, Pakistan, New Zealand, Afghanistan and two more teams from Round 1 of the tournament--a qualifying stage--that begins on October 17. Bangladesh looks good to win the fifth Group 2 spot and the last one is likely to go to one of Sri Lanka or Ireland after their Round 1 fixtures.
The tournament proper will begin with Super 12s where on paper, Group 1 has stiffer competition with defending champions West Indies, 2019 ODI champions England, Australia and South Africa pooled together.
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The ICC statement said “groups (were) selected on the basis of team rankings as of 20 March 2021” but it’s no secret that as far as possible, they try to ensure that India and Pakistan face off at least once. It’s a game that continues to remain the biggest draw at ICC World Cups.
{{/usCountry}}The ICC statement said “groups (were) selected on the basis of team rankings as of 20 March 2021” but it’s no secret that as far as possible, they try to ensure that India and Pakistan face off at least once. It’s a game that continues to remain the biggest draw at ICC World Cups.
{{/usCountry}}“No doubt we want to try to put India versus Pakistan in our event. It’s fantastic for the tournament because it gives it a massive kick,” Dave Richardson, who was then the ICC chief executive, had said in 2016. “So long as the pools are balanced, it’s silly to avoid (that fixture) when you can fairly cater for it.”
However, had it not been for the postponement of the World Cup from 2020 to 2021, the two rivals would have been placed in different groups because they were No 1 and 2 in ICC rankings.
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With resumption of cricket ties not on the agenda for either the Indian or the Pakistani government, bilateral cricket has been on a long hiatus. The last time the two had played each other was in the 2019 ODI World Cup at Birmingham. Their last encounter in a T20 World Cup was in 2016 at Kolkata.
BCCI continues to retain the hosting rights for this World Cup, which has been moved to the UAE due to the state of Covid-19 in India. Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah will host the Super 12s while the Round 1 qualifiers are likely to be played in Oman. The tournament schedule is yet to be announced. The final will be played on November 14.
India and England, two of the favorites for the title were keen to unburden themselves off any such tag. “England will be the team to beat. They’re the number one side in the world and the prime focus will be on them,” Indian captain Virat Kohli told ICC.
“India are going to go into the World Cup as favorites – and I think it is justified. They are a really strong team, they have a lot of depth in their squad as well and have all bases covered,” said England captain Eoin Morgan.