Dubai, 24 December
The International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced the schedule of matches for the Champions Trophy, saying that traditional rivals India and Pakistan will play a match against each other on February 23 in Dubai. India will play all their Champions Trophy matches in Dubai. If India qualifies for the semi-final and final, then both these matches will also be held in Dubai. Both India and Pakistan have been placed in the same Group ‘A’. The other two teams in the group include New Zealand and Bangladesh. Group ‘B’ includes South Africa, Australia, Afghanistan and England. The opening match of the tournament will be played between hosts Pakistan and New Zealand in Karachi. The final competition will be held on March 9.
The last time this tournament of 50-50 overs was played in 2017. A total of 15 matches will be played in the tournament, out of which at least 10 matches will be played in Pakistan. The matches of the tournament will be played in the stadiums of Rawalpindi, Lahore and Karachi. The second semi-final will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The Group B matches will begin on February 21 with the Afghanistan vs South Africa match in Karachi. India will begin their campaign against Bangladesh on February 20. India will play their last league match against New Zealand on March 2. ICC has reserved days for semi-final and final matches. Admittedly, India refused to travel to Pakistan citing security reasons. India has not played a match in Pakistan since the 2008 Mumbai terror attack in which 150 people lost their lives. -News-Patiala