DUBAI: Sri Lanka, the 1996 world champions, will start their ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 campaign with a match against New Zealand on 1 June at the Cardiff Wales Stadium.
The match will be one of nine league matches that Sri Lanka will play in five cities in England and Wales, according to the schedule of fixtures for the 46-day ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 released by the International Cricket Council.
The 10-team tournament will run from 30 May to 14 July across 11 world-class venues in England and Wales. Each side will play the other once in a single-league format with the top four sides after 45 matches progressing to the semi-finals.
In addition to Sri Lanka, the other teams are Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and the Windies, formerly known as the West Indies.
Apart from winning the 1996 tournament, Sri Lanka played in the finals of the 2007 and 2011 Word Cup tournaments.
Sri Lanka’s schedule for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019:
01 June – vs. New Zealand, Cardiff (d)
04 June – vs. Afghanistan, Cardiff (d)
07 June – vs. Pakistan, Bristol (d)
11 June – vs. Bangladesh, Bristol (d)
15 June – vs. Australia, Oval (d)
21 June – vs. England, Headingly (d)
28 June – vs. South Africa, Riverside (d)
01 July – vs. Windies, Riverside (d)
06 July – vs. India, Headingly (d)
England will open the next edition of the Cricket World Cup at The Oval on 30 May when they will take on South Africa, while Australia will launch their title defence on 1 June against the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier champions Afghanistan in a day/night match in Bristol.
Reigning ICC Champions Trophy winners and former champions Pakistan will start their campaign against the ICC World Twenty20 winners and two-time former champions the Windies at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on 31 May.
India, the 1983 and 2011 world champions, who also won the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013 in England and Wales, will play their first match on 5 June against South Africa at the Hampshire Bowl in Southampton. Their feature match against traditional rivals Pakistan will be at Old Trafford in Manchester on 16 June.
Old Trafford in Manchester and Edgbaston in Birmingham will stage the two semi-finals on 9 and 11 July, while Lord’s will play host to a World Cup final for the fifth time, on 14 July. All these three matches will have reserve days.
