While not totally satisfied with how the T20 World Cup matches were allocated, Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) vice-president Arjoon Ramlal said the TTCB will do its part to make sure the event is a major success.
“Let me put it this way, we are not satisfied in the sense that we are not getting some of the marquee games but we are happy that we are getting a semi-final,” Ramlal told the Express yesterday.
“It is not a group with a lot of big-name teams but we welcome these teams. We all know what New Zealand can produce and we can’t underestimate Afghanistan,” he added.
T&T will host just five matches at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in the showpiece event, including four Group C games and one of the semi-finals. Group C features hosts West Indies, New Zealand, Afghanistan, Uganda and Papua New Guinea.
However, T&T will only host one match featuring the home team, on June 12 against New Zealand.
The Windies will open their campaign against Papua New Guinea (PNG) on June 2 in Guyana before facing Uganda in the same country on June 8 before travelling to Trinidad.
The hosts complete their Group C campaign in St Lucia when they face Afghanistan on June 17.
The other games that will be hosted in Trinidad are Afghanistan versus PNG on June 13, New Zealand against Uganda (June 14) and on June 17 when New Zealand take on PNG.
The top two teams in the group will advance to the Super Eight phase where the teams will be divided into two groups of four.
T&T will not be hosting any of the 12 matches in the Super Eight stage.
T&T will host semi-final two on June 27 with a reserve day on June 28.
The other semi-final will be played in Guyana on June 26 while the final takes place in Barbados on June 29 with a reserve day on June 30.
The tournament opens in Dallas, Texas, with hosts USA up against Canada in Group A on June 1.
The other Group A teams are India, Pakistan and Ireland. Defending champions England will do battle in Group B along with Australia, Namibia, Scotland and Oman.
Meanwhile, Group D features South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the Netherlands and Nepal.
This will be the biggest ICC Men’s T20 event with 20 teams competing in 55 games across nine venues.
Member of the Local Organising Committee for the T20 World Cup, Omar Khan also expressed disappointment that T&T wasn’t chosen to host any Super Eight games, but said they are committed to putting on a good show for the matches at Tarouba.
“The semi-final will be a big draw but these matches will give us an opportunity to showcase T&T to the world,” Khan said.
GROUPS:
A – India, Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, United States
B – England, Australia, Namibia, Scotland, Oman
C – New Zealand, West Indies, Afghanistan, Uganda, Papua New Guinea
D – South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the Netherlands, Nepal
* The top two teams from each group progress to the Super 8.