Scotland’s 47-run win over Ireland today in the ICC Trophy final in Ireland confirms the groupings for the first stage of the 2007 World Cup. The fixtures schedule for 2007 can now be finalised and, along with the tournament dates, will be announced on July 19 in Trinidad.
Scotland’s reward for winning the ICC Trophy is a place alongside Australia, Holland and South Africa in Pool 1 in St Kitts. Ireland will be in Pool 4 with the host West Indies, Pakistan and Zimbabwe.
In Pool 2 Bermuda will take on Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh in Trinidad and Tobago while Canada will be in Pool 3 in St Lucia with New Zealand, England and Kenya.
Confirmed World Cup Pools
Pool 1 - St Kitts Australia, South Africa, Holland, Scotland Pool 2 - Trinidad Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Bermuda
**Pool 3 - St Lucia **New Zealand, England, Kenya, Canada
**Pool 4 - Jamaica **West Indies, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Ireland
Too many useless matches on the card again. Good Lord. I’m assuming 2 teams get out of each pool for the next round, can someone confirm me on this? Otherwise, it would be freakin’ awesome to knock out the home team in the first round of the World Cup .
Pakistan gets an easy pool. From pool 1 Australia vs S. Africa will be a nice contest and so will the SL vs India from pool 2 and NZ vs England from pool 3. I think all the first 3 pools will have some tough oponents as compare to Pakistan.
Logically looking at the list, seems all groups are easy for the top eight test playing countries. I'd be surprised if Kenya, Bangladesh or Zimbabwe end up winning two games. The first round is just the politically correct, though controversial ICC move to keep trying and expand reach of cricket in all corners of the world. The real contest will start from second round/q.finals/super 8's (or whatever you call it).
The addition of teams like Scotland, Holland, Bermuda and Ireland really dilutes the prestige of World Cup. Why can't such low profile teams be saved for ICC championships, etc. The WC should be played among top 8 teams of the world...where each team plays a round robin and only 4 advance to semifinals.
I know that quality of games suffers with minnows playing in the tournament but ICC has globalization of the game to take care of. Shallow argument but an argument still.
okay, I know two from each pool will get through to super eight. But what happens after that. Does pool 3 qualified play pool 4 qualified for the semi-final spot and pool 1 play pool 2 for the other two spots?
I think once the 8 teams from prelimary round will qualify for super eight, they will be divided into 2 groups, and each team will play 3 matches within their group and the 2 top teams from both groups will be the 4 semifinalist. However I am not sure what will be the criteria of dividing 8 teams into 2 groups during super eight round. I personally think that they will merge the winners of pool 1 and pool 3 to make a group and the other group will be the winners of pool 2 and4.
than we should let ethiopia in to. There’s a reason world cup soccer let’s only 30 or so teams into the world cup. Who wants to see a brazil-mongolia match. World cup should only be for the best of the best i.e the test playing nations.
then it should be named as Best of the World Cup:halo: than simply a mere world cup.. but hey, they know better:p… and they have included Bermuda for they agree with me:snooty:
whoops, I replied without knowing who I was replying to. You hang around “cafe” don’t you, I am sorry for wasting your but more importantly my time. Carry on lad with your colorful smileys. Here, let me help you out. :elmo:
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They are master of making things difficult for self!
:elmo: