India open the defence of their 2011 World Cup title against traditional rivals Pakistan at Adelaide on February 15, a day after the tournament opens with co-hosts Australia and New Zealand playing their respective opponents on home turf, the International Cricket Council said on Tuesday.
The tournament will run from February 15 to March 29 and will involve 14 teams, the 10 full ICC members, and four qualifiers, of whom Ireland have already been identified. The final will be held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
India, who won the 2011 event beating Sri Lanka by six wickets in the final in Mumbai, will complete their group fixtures against Zimbabwe at Eden Park, Auckland, on March 14 after games against South Africa (Melbourne, February 22), Qualifier 4 (Perth, February 28), West Indies (Perth, March 6) and Ireland (Hamilton, March 10).
On the occasion, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was quoted as saying: “It only seems like yesterday that we won the World Cup in front of a passionate and supportive home crowd. The World Cup is a very special event for every cricketer because it only takes place every four years. Having tasted success in Mumbai in 2011, we’ll be working very hard to retain it.
“I’m keenly looking forward to the tournament and confident that we’ll do well. Our recent victory in the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 has provided the team with a lot of confidence, and I am sure this experience will help us in our preparations for the World Cup in 2015,” he added.
Christchurch will see the opening match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka.