DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, CMC – West Indies will face Kenya and Sri Lanka in Colombo next February, in official warm-up matches for the 2011 Cricket World Cup.
Cricket’s world governing body, the ICC, unveiled the warm-up schedule on Thursday which will see 14 matches played over seven days in seven cities across the host venues Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka.
West Indies will clash with Kenya on February 12 and also play 2007 losing finalists Sri Lanka four days later in their opponents’ capital city.
With the February 19 to April 2 showpiece now just under six months away, ICC President Sharad Pawar said every effort would be made to ensure its success.
“Let there be no doubt whatsoever that the ICC, along with the three co-hosts, will ensure that the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 is the best of all the World Cups staged so far,” he said.
The West Indies and Kenya contest will be one of five matches played on the opening day of the warm-up schedule.
Perhaps the highlight of the warm-up campaign, however, will be the clash between World Champions Australia and one-day powerhouses India in Bangalore on February 13 and the contest between the Aussies and South Africa two days later in the same city.
West Indies open their preliminary round campaign on February 24 against the Proteas in Delhi before meeting the Netherlands four days later at the same venue.
The Caribbean side will do battle in Group B alongside India, South Africa, the Netherlands, England, Bangladesh and Ireland.
