2019 Cricket World Cup: India to open campaign against South Africa, will play Pakistan on June 16

Indian cricket team will commence its 2019 World Cup campaign against South Africa on June 4, instead of June 2. As per the recommendation of the Lodha Committee, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will have to maintain a mandatory 15-day gap between 2019 Indian Premier League (IPL) final and the flagship event of the international cricket calendar.

The 2019 World Cup will be held in the UK from May 30 to July 14. The matter was discussed during the ICC Chief Executives Meeting in April on Tuesday.

"The 2019 IPL will be played between March 29 and May 19. But we need to maintain a 15-day gap and World Cup starts on May 30. Therefore as per 15 day gap we could have only played on June 4. Earlier, we were scheduled to start on June 2 but we couldn't have played on that day," a senior BCCI official said.

"South Africa are our first opponents. The CEC agreed and the matter has been referred to the ICC board," he further added.

Interestingly, ICC in their various marquee events have always started with an Indo-Pak fixture which is a sureshot sell-out. It happened in the 2015 World Cup in Australia (at Adelaide) and 2017 Champions Trophy in UK (in Birmingham).

"This is the first time Indo-Pak match won't be a starting affair. Since the format will be a round robin affair (all teams playing each other like 1992)," the official added.

Among the other decisions that were formalised included the FTP for the next five year cycle from 2019-23.

"As we had decided, India will play a maximum 309 days of international cricket in this cycle across formats, a reduction of 92 days from the earlier cycle. 

"However the number of home Test matches will increase from 15 to 19. All these Tests will be part of the World Test Championship," he added.

It was also confirmed that India will not play any Day/Night Test match for now as it's not a part of World Test Championship.

"All matches in ICC World Test Championship are day matches played with red ball. If that's the case, there is no point in playing pink ball Tests if it doesn't help in preparation for World Test Championship," he concluded.

India will square off against their arch-rivals Pakistan at Old Trafford on June 16 in one of the much-awaited clashes of the ICC World Cup.

In what is expected to be a high-octane clash, India will meet Pakistan two years after their clash in the finals of the 2017 Champions Trophy--which the latter side went on to win by 180 runs.

Meanwhile, arch-rivals England and Australia will face each other at Lord's Cricket Ground on June 19.

Another much-awaited encounter between 2015 World Cup finalists Australia and New Zealand will take place on June 29 at Lord's.

Earlier, Afghanistan and the West Indies qualified for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, to be played from May 30 to July 14 in England and Wales, after finishing as the top two sides in the 10-team qualifying tournament.

The tournament will see the return of the format which was used in 1992. All the ten teams will face each other once, with the top-four sides making it to the knockouts.

The first semifinal will take place on July 9 at Old Trafford, while the second last-four clash will be held at Edgbaston on July 11. The final match of the marquee event will be held on July 14 at the Lord's. 

2019 Cricket World Cup Schedule

England and Wales
Thursday, May 30
England vs. South Africa, The Oval, London

Friday, May 31
West Indies vs. Pakistan, Nottingham

Saturday, June 1
New Zealand vs. Sri Lanka, Cardiff

Afghanistan vs. Australia, Bristol

Sunday, June 2
South Africa vs. Bangladesh, The Oval, London

Monday, June 3
England vs. Pakistan, Nottingham

Tuesday, June 4
Afghanistan vs. Sri Lanka, Cardiff

Wednesday, June 5
South Africa vs. India, Southampton

Bangladesh vs. New Zealand, The Oval, London

Thursday, June 6
Australia vs. West Indies, Nottingham

Friday, June 7
Pakistan vs. Sri Lanka, Bristol

Saturday, June 8
England vs. Bangladesh, Cardiff

Afghanistan vs. New Zealand, Taunton

Sunday, June 9
India vs. Australia, The Oval, London

Monday, June 10
South Africa vs. West Indies, Southampton

Tuesday, June 11
Bangladesh vs. Sri Lanka, Bristol

Wednesday, June 12
Australia vs. Pakistan, Taunton

Thursday, June 13
India vs. New Zealand, Nottingham

Friday, June 14
England vs. West Indies, Southampton

Saturday, June 15
South Africa vs. Afghanistan, Cardiff

Sri Lanka vs. Australia, The Oval, London

Sunday, June 16
India vs. Pakistan, Manchester

Monday, June 17
West Indies vs. Bangladesh, Taunton

Tuesday, June 18
England vs. Afghanistan, Manchester

Wednesday, June 19
New Zealand vs. South Africa, Birmingham

Thursday, June 20
Australia vs. Bangladesh, Nottingham

Friday, June 21
England vs. Sri Lanka, Leeds

Saturday, June 22
India vs. Afghanistan, Southampton

West Indies vs. New Zealand, Manchester

Sunday, June 23
Pakistan vs. South Africa, Lord's, London

Monday, June 24
Bangladesh vs. Afghanistan, Southampton

Tuesday, June 25
England vs. Australia, Lord's, London

Wednesday, June 26
New Zealand vs. Pakistan, Birmingham

Thursday, June 27
West Indies vs. India, Manchester

Friday, June 28
Sri Lanka vs. South Africa, Chester-le-Street

Saturday, June 29
Pakistan vs. Afghanistan, Leeds

New Zealand vs. Australia, Lord's, London

Sunday, June 30
England vs. India, Birmingham

Monday, July 1
Sri Lanka vs. West Indies, Chester-le-Street

Tuesday, July 2
Bangladesh vs. India, Birmingham

Wednesday, July 3
England vs. New Zealand, Chester-le-Street

Thursday, July 4
Afghanistan vs. West Indies, Leeds

Friday, July 5
Pakistan vs. Bangladesh, Lord's, London

Saturday, July 6
Australia vs. South Africa, Manchester

Sri Lanka vs. India, Leeds

Tuesday, July 9
First semifinal (1 vs. 4), Manchester

Wednesday, July 10
Reserve day

Thursday, July 11
Second semifinal (2 vs. 3), Birmingham

Friday, July 12
Reserve day

Sunday, July 14
Final, Lord's, London

Monday, July 15
Reserve day

(With agencies inputs)