Twenty 20 Blog

Reigning 50-over world champions Australia, have been ranked below Bangladesh for next year’s World Twenty20 in the Caribbean, organisers announced Sunday.

Seedings are based primarily on the results of last month’s second edition of the tournament in England where Pakistan, losing finalists in 2007, beat Sri Lanka at Lord’s to take the trophy.

Australia lost both their group matches, against the West Indies and Sri Lanka. Bangladesh also failed to make it through to the second round, after defeats by minnows Ireland and 2007 champions India.

But Bangladesh emerged with a slightly better, if still negative, run-rate compared to that of Australia (-0.996 to -1.331).

Both countries have now been placed in the same first round Group A, along with defending champions Pakistan.

The top two sides from each of the four groups in the 12-nation men’s tournament will go through to the second round Super Eights from which the top four sides for the semi-finals will be drawn.

Should Australia qualify at Bangladesh’s expense they would inherit their rivals’ A2 seeding.

Bangladesh, if they got through instead of Australia, would remain as A2 regardless of whether they or Pakistan topped the group.

In one of cricket’s greatest shocks, Bangladesh beat Australia by five wickets in a 50 over one-day international at Cardiff - where the 2009 Ashes begin on Wedenesday - in 2005.

The semi-finals and final of the eight-team women’s tournament will take place on the same days and at the same venues as the corresponding men’s matches, a move that was widely seen as helping give women’s cricket a greater profile during last month’s World Twenty20.

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