The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : World Cup: India's campaign starts in Trinidad

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Thursday, Jul 15, 2004

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World Cup: India's campaign starts in Trinidad

By P. Subramanyam

LONDON, JULY 14. The news and the fever of World Cup 2007 has already started. India, the 2003 losing finalists will start its campaign in Trinidad and Tobago, while England will play its 2007 cricket World Cup first round matches in St. Lucia, it has been announced.

Defending champion, Australia will be based in St. Kitts & Nevis, while the host West Indies will be in a first round group based in Jamaica, which will also stage one of the semifinal along with St. Lucia.

The honour of playing host to the final has been given to Barbados. Barbados Prime Minister Owen Arthur welcomed the news with a live television address to the nation last night. "I charge the whole country to mobilise itself over the next three years to get Barbados ready to make 2007 a date with destiny and a date that will live on as a glorious chapter in the history of this island," Arthur said.

Barbados will stage seven matches, with six other matches in the quarterfinals, also know as the Super Eight League. The competition will be played between February and April 2007 and feature 16 teams playing a total of 51 matches, it was stated.

England, Australia, West Indies and India were placed in separate groups for the opening phase because they are expected to have the largest travelling support.

England visited St. Lucia for the first time during its tour to the Caribbean earlier this year, but lost both one-day internationals — the first by five wickets and the second by four wickets.

The top two teams from each first round group will progress to the Super Eight phase which will see games played in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada and Guyana.

The estimated potential revenue for the West Indies Cricket Board is put at £54.6 million.

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