Previews

T20 fireworks promised in Caribbean

Author: Lynda Collins
Date: 30/04/2010
Cricket betting

The World Twenty20 is rapidly approaching and the eagerly-awaited showdown in the Caribbean is set to engage and excite fans all across the globe.

With the competition being staged in the West Indies, the islands will be a carnival of colour for 17 exciting days through the end of April and May.

Throw in the hard-hitting, action packed cricket and scantily clad effervescent dancers that will be on show, the limited-overs spectacle is likely to further pin itself on the sporting map when it swings into play on April 30.

A dazzling opening ceremony will take place at Providence in Guyana before Group B sides New Zealand and Sri Lanka open up the event with Zimbabwe making up the three-team group.

The home favourites then take on Ireland straight after the curtain raiser while England join them in Group D and their first game comes against West Indies on May 3.

Group A consists of current champions Pakistan, Bangladesh and online sportsbook favourites Australia.

South Africa, India and massive outsiders Afghanistan make up Group C.

The top-two in each group automatically go through to the Super Eights that start on May 6 at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados.

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St Lucia's Beausejour Stadium will host the two semi-finals on May 13 and 14 before the final swings back to Barbados on May 16.

Pakistan came out on top at last year's event in England as they beat Sri Lanka by eight wickets with eight balls to spare in the final at Lord's.

The big-hitting Shahid Afridi's 54 runs from 40 deliveries pushed Pakistan over the line last June but the reigning champions will have a different look to them this time around.

Winning captain Younus Khan and Mohammad Yousuf have been banned indefinitely, while Rana Naved and Shoaib Malik have been served 12 month bans for issues surrounding their shocking tour of Australia at the end of last year.

Although Afridi makes the party again, he was also placed on probation for his downfalls Down Under that including his 'ball-biting' incident alongside Akmal brothers, Umar and Kamran.

India won the inaugural event in 2007 at the Wanderers in Johannesburg, South Africa, beating fierce rivals Pakistan in a closely-fought contest.

Needing five runs from their final four deliveries with one wicket to spare, Misbah-ul-Haq was caught by Sreesanth from Joginder Sharma's bowling to end a frantic finale.

Pakistan have proved themselves at this level during the previous two competitions and it will take a monumental effort for the highly-scrutinised nation to grab the honours again.

But one thing is for sure - the sun drenched Caribbean will be dished up a feast of cricket.

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