ICC announces schedule of warm-up matches for 2015 ICC World Cup

The much-coveted World Cup trophy that teams will be vying for

The International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced the complete schedule of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, including match start times and warm-up matches.

A total of 14 non-ODI warm-up matches will be played across Adelaide, Christchurch, Melbourne and Sydney from 8 to 13 February, with hosts and four-time former world champion Australia taking on reigning world champion India at Adelaide Oval on the first day.

Four matches will be played on the second day, with Christchurch hosting South Africa and Sri Lanka at Hagley Oval, and co-host New Zealand and Zimbabwe going head to head at Bert Sutcliffe Oval. In Sydney, England will face West Indies at the Sydney Cricket Ground, and Blacktown will host the Asian clash between Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Three qualifiers will be in action on Tuesday, 10 February, day three of the warm-up matches. European rivals Ireland and Scotland will lock horns at Blacktown in Sydney while neighbours India and Afghanistan will prepare for the tournament proper at the Adelaide Oval.

Eight sides will feature on Wednesday, 11 February. New Zealand will meet South Africa at Hagley Oval, and Sri Lanka will take on Zimbabwe at Bert Sutcliffe Oval (both matches in Christchurch), 1992 World Cup finalists England and Pakistan will test each other at the Sydney Cricket Ground and Australia will play the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

On Thursday, 12 February, the West Indies will play Scotland at the Sydney Cricket Ground and Ireland will play Bangladesh in Blacktown, while Friday, 13 February, sees the UAE play Afghanistan at Melbourne’s Junction Oval in the final warm-up game.

The public will be welcome to attend warm up matches which will be ticketed but free of charge. Details of how to obtain tickets will be announced in due course. It should be noted that warm-up matches are not official ODIs and operate under slightly different rules with up to 15 players able to be used throughout the game with no more than 11 players may field at any one time. The spectator experience will not be the same standard as at normal ODI matches.

For media, entry will be through the normal accreditation process and only those that complete the second phase of the accreditation process, which started on 1 December, will be given access to the venues.

Additionally, the ICC has also confirmed the match start times of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.

The 14 February tournament opener between New Zealand and Sri Lanka will start at 11.00 (NZT), while Australia will square-off against England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on the same day with the first ball to be bowled at 14.30 (AEDT).

The 29 February final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground will start at 14.30 (AEDT).

Complete schedule of warm-up matches:

Sunday, 8 February – India v Australia (1400), Adelaide Oval, Adelaide

Monday, 9 February - South Africa v Sri Lanka (1100), Hagley Oval, Christchurch; New Zealand v Zimbabwe (1100), Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Christchurch; England v West Indies (1430), Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney; Pakistan v Bangladesh (1430), Blacktown ISP, Sydney

Tuesday, 10 February – Ireland v Scotland (1430), Blacktown ISP, Sydney; India v Afghanistan (1400), Adelaide Oval, Adelaide

Wednesday, 11 February – New Zealand v South Africa (1100), Hagley Oval, Christchurch; Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe (1100), Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Christchurch; Australia v UAE (1430), Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne; England v Pakistan (1430), Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney

Thursday, 12 February – West Indies v Scotland (1000), Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney; Ireland v Bangladesh (1000), Blacktown ISP, Sydney

Friday, 13 February – Afghanistan v UAE (1000) Junction Oval, Melbourne