ICC announced fixtures of Champions Trophy 2013

World champion India and Pakistan are hit in the same group for the 2013 Champions Trophy in England and Wales. Opening Party of India however will be against South Africa in Cardiff on 6 June next year.
Meanwhile, the armies of England start the tournament playing defending champions and old rivals Australia in Birmingham Edgbaston ground.
The Champions Trophy, the "mini World Cup", says the world leaders in eight countries over 50-cricket.
Group A next year include Australia, England, New Zealand and Sri Lanka, while India, Pakistan, South Africa and the West Indies will compete in Group B.
In addition to Cardiff and Edgbaston, The Oval in south London also will stage Champions Trophy matches, with the final at Edgbaston on June 23.
One of the group's outstanding accessories will be the clash between the sub-continental rivals India and Pakistan in Barcelona, ​​which has one of the largest South Asian populations in Britain, June 15.
"This will be a great opportunity for fans to see the world's best one-day game in action in the space of less than three weeks and schedule appliance has launched a series of exciting head-to-head competitions," said tournament director and former South Africa seamer Steve Elworthy, after the England and Wales Cricket Board announced Tuesday's games.
Next year's edition will be the Champions Trophy for the seventh and last, with the tournament being replaced by the new International Cricket Council World Championship event instead.
Officials hoped to launch the World Test Championship in 2013, but the broadcast and sponsorship agreements meant they had to continue the Champions Trophy.
Debut in 1998, the Champions Trophy has usually taken place every two years, filling the "gap" between World Cups, held every four years.
But the 2008 edition due to be played in Pakistan was delayed due to security issues until 2009 when it was changed to South Africa, where Australia beat New Zealand in the final.
The tournament has not played since, with 2010 seeing the ICC World Twenty20 in the Caribbean last year while India, in his homeland, won the World Cup 50-beating Sri Lanka in final Mumbai.

Group A: Australia, England, New Zealand and Sri Lanka
Group B: India, Pakistan, South Africa and West Indies

Schedule

Group stage

Jun 06: India v South Africa (Day) - Cardiff

Jun 07: West Indies v Pakistan (Day) - The Oval

Jun 08: England v Australia (Day) - Edgbaston

Jun 09: Sri Lanka v New Zealand (Day) - Cardiff

Jun 10: Pakistan v South Africa (Day) - Edgbaston

Jun 11: India v West Indies (Day) - The Oval

Jun 12: Australia v New Zealand (Day/Night) - Edgbaston

Jun 13: England v Sri Lanka (Day/Night) - The Oval

Jun 14: West Indies v South Africa (Day) - Cardiff

Jun 15: India v Pakistan (Day) - Edgbaston

Jun 16: England v New Zealand (Day) - Cardiff

Jun 17: Sri Lanka v Australia (Day/Night) - The Oval

Knockout

Jun 19: Semi-final A1 v B2 (Day) - The Oval

Jun 20: Semi-final A2 v B1 (Day) - Cardiff

Jun 23: Final (Day) - Edgbaston

Posted in: cricket news, india, Others