New format for cricket World Cup
Wednesday, 7 October 2009 18:01Ireland will face England in an expanded seven-team group in the first round of the 2011 Cricket World Cup.
The format - two groups of seven teams - was confirmed by the International Cricket Council today and Ireland were placed in Group B, with West Indies, Bangladesh, England and the Netherlands also awaiting them.
The new format for the tournament in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, which will see the overall number of games reduced from 51 to 49, will take over from the much-criticised structure of the last World Cup which began with four groups of four and progressed to a Super Eight stage.
Group A: Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Canada, Kenya.
Group B: India, South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland, Netherlands.
