ICC 2012 T20 Cricket World Cup Schedule and Venues

 India will open their 2012 ICC T20 campaign against one of the two qualifiers at the R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo on September 19, 2012, according to the schedule of the tournament announced by the ICC. 

India, who won the firs T20 World cup tournament in South Africa in 2007, have been placed alongside defending champions  England and a qualifier in Group A.  India will next face England at the same venue on September 23, 2012. 

England, meanwhile, will also start its title defence at the R Premadasa Stadium exactly one year from today, September 21 next year, against one of the two qualifiers for the tournament, which will conclude on October 7, 2012. 

Australia, chasing the one global trophy that has eluded them till now, will go head-to-head with the other qualifier in Colombo on September 19, 2012. 

Sri Lanka, which lost to England in the semifinal of last year's tournament in the West Indies, will open its campaign against Zimbabwe under lights in Hambantota on the first day of the tournament, September 18, before taking on South Africa at the same venue on September 22. 

If Sri Lanka reaches the Super Eight, it will then go on to play in Pallekele before moving to Colombo if it qualifies for the knock-out stage. 

Pakistan, which won the 2009 edition in England, has been grouped with New Zealand and Bangladesh, and will play their matches in Pallekele on September 23 and 25, respectively. Pallekele will also host the New Zealand-Bangladesh match on September 21. 
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super Eights round, which will also be contested in two pools. The first two in each pool will advance to the semifinals. 

A total of 42 matches, including 27 men's and 15 women's games, will be played over 20 days at four venues -- R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Pallekele, Hambantota and Galle, with R Premadasa Stadium hosting the final on October 7, 2012.  "The ICC World Twenty20 is now a marquee event in T20 cricket where nations challenge each other for the most coveted title in the shortest format of the game," ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said in a statement. 

"The previous editions in South Africa, England and the West Indies have smartly established the ICC World Twenty20 as a major global event that is not only exciting and entertaining but embraces both men's and women's cricket.  "Following the legacies and success of the recent ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, I am confident that the hosts, Sri Lanka, will deliver a world class event. 

"I am happy that the men's and women's semifinals and finals will once again be played on the same days at the same venues," he added.  Apart from the 10 Test playing nations, the tournament will also include two teams qualifying from the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier 2012, which will be staged in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from March 13-24 next year. 

The ICC statement also said that the tickets of the T20 Cricket World Cup will be available for sale from March 1 next year.

Rahul Dravid - The Last Classical Batsman

Whenever we talk about classical batsman in cricket world, some top most classical batsman in cricket like Don Bradman, Brian Lara, Steve Waugh, Sunil Gavaskar and Rahul Dravid. Today Rahul Dravid will play last  ODI match against England of his career. It is 344th  match of his 15 years career. He is the classical batsman of modern cricket. He started test career from Lord test before 15 yrs against England. He scored more than 90s runs in first test while Saurav Ganguly scored hundred in his first test.

‘The Wall of Team India’, Rahul Dravid’s scintillating ODI career is set to end here at Cardiff when India will play fifth and final ODI against England on Friday. “

In the 15-year-old ODI career, Rahul Dravid has played 343 international games and scored 10, 820 runs with an impressive average of 39.06. He has 12 ODI hundreds while 82 fifties in his kitty.

Popularly known as Mr. Perfect, Dravid has every shot in his book Making ODI debut against Sri Lanka in the year 1996, initially Dravid was not considered as an ODI cricketer but his determination and dedication towards the game cemented his position as No.3 batsmen.  He did biggest partnership with Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly in ODI with more than 300 runs. Dravid’s orthodox technique makes him last classical batsman of this era.

When Ganguly was sacked as the captain during the coach Greg Chappel’s regime, Dravid was made skipper of Team India. However, a two-year stint as captain was less successful. But as a captain, he led the side to series victories in England and the West Indies for the first time in a generation. But Dravid witnessed worse downfall of his career when the Team India crushed out of 2007 World Cup in West Indies. Under the captaincy of Dravid, India lost the game against minnows Bangladesh and ousted from the World Championship in the early stage. India’s defeat in the 2007 WC cost Dravid captaincy and his ouster from the ODI team as well.

He is the first test cricket who made century against all test nation in that Land. It shows he was brilliant player and technical sound in cricket. 2011 England shows he was the single player who played very well against English bowler. 3 century against England in 2011 tour of India . Now Dravid will play only test cricket. He is the single player who played only one T-20 match of his career.

All wishes with Mr. Wall for his test match