The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the dates of the T20 World Cup matches on Tuesday, which will be held in the United Arab Emirates and Oman from October 17 to November 14. As 8 teams will participate in the qualifying round of which 4 will reach the Super 12 stage, which will start from October 23. The long-awaited India-Pakistan match, will kick off on October 24 in Dubai. Both India and Pakistan are entered in Group Two of the Super 12 stage of the T20 World Cup, which also includes Afghanistan and New Zealand as other two automatic qualifiers. India plays a total of 4 matches in Dubai and one in Abu Dhabi. None of their Super 12 matches in Sharjah have been scheduled. Meanwhile, Super 12 of first group move begins with two heavyweight battles. South Africa and Australia kick off the Super 12 in Abu Dhabi, which will be followed by the repeat of 2016 T20 World Cup final between England and the West Indies in Dubai on 23 October.India's fixtures at T20 World CupIndia vs Pakistan - October 24 - 6 pm local time in Dubai India vs New Zealand - October 31 - 6 pm local time in Dubai India vs Afghanistan - November 3 - 6 pm local time in Abu Dhabi India vs B1 (qualifier) - November 5 - 6 pm local time in Dubai India vs A2 (qualifier) - November 8 - 6 pm local time in Dubai. Overview of teams for T20 World CupRound 1 (Top 2 teams from each group qualify for Super 12)Group A: Ireland, Netherlands, Sri Lanka and Namibia Group B: Oman, Papua New Guinea, Scotland Bangladesh Super 12 (Top 4 teams qualify for semi-final) Group 1: Australia, South Africa, England, West Indies, A 1, B2 Group 2: India, Pakistan, New Zealand, Afghanistan, A2, B1 The tournament will kick off with the Group B first round match between hosts Oman and Papua New Guinea at 2:00 p.m. local time on October 17, with Scotland and Bangladesh, the other teams from Group B match start in evening 6pm. Ireland, Netherlands, Sri Lanka and Namibia, which make up Group A, will play in Abu Dhabi the next day, with first-round matches continuing till October 22. The top two teams in each group will move to the Super12 stage of the tournament, starting on October 23. Top 4 teams from the Super 12 will make it to the semi-final. Reserve days for semi-finals and finalThe first semi-final will take place in Abu Dhabi on November 10 at 6pm local time. Dubai will host the second semi-final on November 11. Both semifinals have backup days. The finalThe final of the tournament will take place in Dubai at 6pm local time on November 14, Sunday, with Monday being the reservation day for the final.Also Read- KL Rahul becomes 10th Indian to hit Test hundred at Lords
Pakistan national team coach Misbah-ul-Haq and bowling coach Waqar Younis resigned from their positions with the national team on Monday due to citing bio-bubble fatigue The decision helps to raise the eyebrows, since there is only one month left for T20 World Cup. Misbah and Waqar had one year left on their contracts after being appointed in September 2019. Notably, on Monday Pakistan announced their squad for the T20 World Cup and home series against New Zealand and England. Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis reported their decisions to the PCB on Monday.Meanwhile, Pakistan has appointed former spinner Saqlain Mushtaq and former all-rounder Abdul Razzak as temporary coaches for New Zealand Series. The Black Caps team, currently in Bangladesh, will play 3 ODI and 5 T20I matches in September and October. The Pakistani team is scheduled to assemble for their training camp on September 8. The Pakistan Cricket Board has confirmed that the support staff for the T20 World Cup will be appointed in the near future.'Don't think I am in the right frame of mind for upcoming challenges'Misbah-ul-Haq, who had to be quarantined in the West Indies for an extended period after testing positive for Covid-19, admitted that the timing of his decision was not right but he had to take the call to spend time with his family. "The quarantine in Jamaica post the West Indies series provided me with an opportunity to reflect on the past 24 months as well as the schedule for international cricket ahead. Considering that I would have had to continue to spend considerable time away from my family and that too in a bio-secure environment, I have decided to step down from the role," Misbah said, as quoted by a PCB statement. "I understand that the timing may not be ideal, but I don't think I'm in the right frame of mind for the upcoming challenges and it makes sense for someone new to step in and take the side forward."Also Read- ICC T20 World Cup 2021 complete schedule: India to face Pakistan on October 24 Decided to step down together: Waqar YounisWaqar Younis said he decided to step down after Misbah communicated his decision to him. “After Misbah informed me of his decision and his future plans, it was easy for me to resign as we had walked into the roles together, we worked collectively as a pair and now also step down together. "Working with Pakistani bowlers, including young people, has been more satisfying because now they are started to show progress. Bio secure safe environments in the last 16 months have had their impact, something we have never seen during our playing days.". Misbah and Waqar step down from coaching rolesMore details https://t.co/PHRwRNazCH— PCB Media (@TheRealPCBMedia) September 6, 2021Pakistan announced its 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup on Monday. While Babar Azam named captain, Fakhar Zaman, Faheem Ashraf, and Sarfaraz Ahmed were notable omissions.Also Read- England vs India, 4th Test Day 1: Shardul Thakur breaks Ian Botham's record, hits fastest Test fifty in England
