Mirpur: The World Cup 2011 begins in the subcontinent on Saturday, with co-hosts India and Bangladesh contest the opening match in Mirpur.
The 14 teams have been divided into two groups of seven and after a round-robin section the top four from each group will go through to the quarter-finals.
Defending champions Australia face Zimbabwe on Monday and England begin against the Netherlands on Tuesday.
The 2011 event, which takes place over the next six weeks in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, is seen as pivotal to the future of the 50-over game, which some believe is under threat because of the enormous popularity of Twenty20 cricket.
There was huge criticism of the protracted 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean which saw group stages followed by a round-robin Super Eight phase before the two semi-finals, and comprised 51 matches in total.
This time around there will be no Super Eight phase, and each team will be guaranteed at least six matches, which the organisers hope will mean less chance of one of the leading nations suffering a shock early elimination, as happened to India and Pakistan four years ago.
The decision to stage the tournament in 13 different stadiums across three countries has presented organisers with considerable logistical and security challenges.
India, still smarting from the chaotic build-up to the Commonwealth Games in Delhi last year, suffered a further blow to its image when inspectors declared that Kolkata’s iconic Eden Gardens would not be ready for the high-profile showdown between India and England on 27 February.
England go into the tournament chastened by a 6-1 series defeat to Australia and the loss of key batsman Eoin Morgan.
With four teams qualifying from each seven-team group, qualification for a quarter-final should be a formality, but captain Andrew Strauss admitted his team’s narrow 16-run warm-up win over Canada proved nothing could be taken for granted.
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