The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed that India and Pakistan will face each other in a highly anticipated match in New York for this year’s men’s Twenty20 World Cup.

The Guardian was the first to announce that the match will occur on 9 June. During the tournament taking place from 1-29 June in the Caribbean and United States, England and Australia will also be facing each other. The India-Pakistan game will be held in a stadium with a capacity of 34,000 seats, which will also be hosting eight other matches.

England will begin their title defense with a game against Scotland, both teams being from Britain. The match will be held in Barbados on June 4th. The current title holders will continue in Barbados to play against Australia on June 8th, and then travel to Antigua for matches against Oman (June 13th) and Namibia (June 15th). Scotland will also face Namibia in Barbados on June 6th, followed by a match against Oman in Antigua on June 9th and a game against Australia in St Lucia on June 15th. Ireland has been placed in Group A with India, Pakistan, Canada, and the US. They will have two games in New York and two in Florida.

20 teams were divided into four groups for the T20 World Cup, with a total of 55 games to be played throughout the month. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Eight round. According to ICC chief executive Geoff Allardice, this year’s T20 World Cup will be even more thrilling as it includes a record number of teams from Africa, the Americas, Asia, East-Asia Pacific, and Europe.

In addition, Joe Root and Nat Sciver-Brunt from England have been selected as finalists for two additional ICC awards. Root is a contender for the ICC men’s Test cricketer of the year award, along with Ravi Ashwin from India and Travis Head and Usman Khawaja from Australia. The 33-year-old player from Yorkshire scored 787 runs in the test format last year, achieving two centuries and five half-centuries. He had a top score of 153 not out against New Zealand in February and played an important role in England’s comeback to draw the Ashes series after being down 2-0.

Sciver-Brunt has been chosen as a nominee for the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for the top ICC women’s cricketer of the year. She was previously shortlisted for the ICC women’s ODI cricketer of the year award. Along with Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu, Australians Ashleigh Gardner and Beth Mooney are also competing for the top prize.

Sciver-Brunt, age 31, has performed exceptionally well in all three formats throughout the year and aims to defend her 2022 title as well as the ODI cricketer of the year award. Lauren Bell from England has been nominated for emerging women’s cricketer of the year, while spinner Sophie Ecclestone hopes to receive the women’s T20I cricketer of the year recognition.

Source: theguardian.com