ICC sets schedule for World Twenty20 qualifier

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- The International Cricket Council today announced the schedule for the eight-team ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier 2010, which will be hosted by the Emirates Cricket Board in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from February 9-13 2010.

At stake will be a place in the ICC World Twenty20 2010 to be staged in the West Indies. Both finalists from this event will qualify for the big one which will take place at Barbados, Guyana and St Lucia from April 30 to 16 May 16. The winner of the tournament will join South Africa and India in Group C while the losing finalist will join Group D which includes the West Indies and England.

The ICC WT20 Qualifier involves two groups of four teams with Ireland, Scotland, Afghanistan and the USA making up Group A while Kenya, the Netherlands, Canada and the UAE will fight it out for supremacy of Group B.

Ireland, Kenya, Scotland, the Netherlands, Afghanistan and Scotland have directly qualified for the qualifier on the basis of their ODI status while the UAE and the USA have been specially invited by the ICC to participate in the tournament.

A total of 17 matches will be played over five days with Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium hosting six group stage matches and Dubai International Cricket Stadium at Dubai Sports City staging 11 matches, including six group stage matches, four Super Four matches and the final.

ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier

UAE

Groupings (In brackets are the seedings. The top five sides have been seeded on the basis of their final positions in the ICC WT20 Qualifier in Belfast in July 2008 while Afghanistan, the UAE and the USA have been seeded on the basis of their 50-over global rankings)

Group A
Ireland (1)      
Scotland (3)
Afghanistan (6)          
USA (8)         

Group B
Netherlands (2)
Kenya (4)
Canada (5)
UAE (7)

Tournament schedule
 
 Start Time
 Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai Sports City
 Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
 
Tuesday 9 Feb
 0930
 Ireland v Afghanistan
 Scotland v USA
 
1330
 Netherlands v Canada
 Kenya v UAE
 
Wednesday 10 Feb
 0930
 Canada v Kenya
 Afghanistan v Scotland
 
1330
 UAE v Netherlands
 USA v Ireland
 
Thursday 11 Feb 

0930
Afghanistan v USA
Canada v UAE
 
1330
 Ireland v Scotland
 Netherlands v Kenya
 
Friday 12 Feb
0930
Super Four A1 v B2
 
1330
Super Four B1 v A2
 
Saturday 13 Feb
0930
Super Four B1 v A1
 
1330
Super Four B2 v A2
 
1930
Final