Men's draw for 2020 World Cup revealed

The schedule for the next iteration of the Australian men's team's bogey tournament, the T20 World Cup, has been revealed, with the Aussies drawn in the same group as reigning champions West Indies and rivals New Zealand for the 2020 tournament on home soil.

Starting on October 24, 2020, Australia will play five group-stage games before the semi-finals are held in Adelaide and Sydney, while the final will be staged at the MCG on November 15.

VIEW THE FULL 2020 T20 WORLD CUP FIXTURE HERE

The Aussie men's team's renewed hunt for the only major piece of silverware that has eluded them – the Aussie women, on the other hand, have won the tournament five times in seven attempts – will begin with a match against Pakistan at the SCG.

Australia will then take on the Windies four days later at Perth Stadium before they play two matches against yet-to-be confirmed qualifiers at the Gabba and Adelaide Oval. A game against the Black Caps at the MCG on November 6 rounds out Australia's group games.

Image Id: 7E41857A762B42D089910CE6735607F1 Image Caption: Australia will begin their tournament at the SCG // Getty

The other side of the draw sees India, England, South Africa and Afghanistan, plus two more qualifiers, grouped together. 

In all, 16 teams will contest 45 matches at seven venues – the MCG, the SCG, Perth Stadium, Adelaide Oval, the Gabba, Bellerive Oval and Kardinia Park – in the early part of the 2020-21 Australian season.

For the first time, the ICC is staging the men's and women's events separately in the same country in the same year, with the women's T20 World Cup to be played in February and March at the end of the 2019-20 summer.

The top eight ranked T20 International sides (including Australia) have automatically been drawn in the Super 12 stage, with the remaining four sides to be determined through qualifiers played at Bellerive Oval in Hobart and Geelong's Kardinia Park on October 18-23.

Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, the ninth and tenth-ranked T20I teams respectively, are two of the sides who will be vying for a berth in the final stages of the tournament. The other four teams for the qualifier part of the tournament will be determined at an ICC event later this year.

Image Id: CDDF70153F304740800BEF1F18D4F969 Image Caption: The Windies will defend their 2016 title // Getty

The seventh men's T20 World Cup (previously known as the World T20) will be the first one held in Australia, the five-week tournament representing the national side's best opportunity to finally claim the title. 

Australian players are among the most sought-after in domestic T20 tournaments around the globe, while the KFC BBL is regarded as one of the strongest leagues in the world, yet the national side have struggled to hit their straps in international tournaments.

The closest they've come to winning the T20 World Cup was when they finished runners-up to England in 2010.

Fans hoping to see a rare clash between India and Pakistan at next year's tournament will have to hope both sides qualify for the finals. The fiercest rivals in international cricket, seeded one and two by the ICC's rankings, have been drawn in different groups.

Image Id: 3322B47E03C5438BAD7DF3A17F014510 Image Caption: Australia lost the 2010 final against England // Getty

Afghanistan's swift rise through the ranks has been reflected by their automatic qualification for the main part of the tournament, ahead of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Star Adelaide Strikers spinner Rashid Khan will play in front of his home BBL crowd when the Afghans take on South Africa on November 1.

West Indies claimed the 2016 T20 title in India, with Carlos Brathwaite famously smashing Ben Stokes for four sixes in the last over of the final to seal victory.

Ticketing information for the men's T20 World Cup will be confirmed later this year. Fans can register here to stay up to date with the latest ticketing news.

Australia's 2020 T20 World Cup schedule

Oct 24 – Australia v Pakistan, SCG

Oct 28 – Australia v West Indies, Perth Stadium

Oct 31 – Australia v Qualifier 1, The Gabba

Nov 3 – Australia v Qualifier 2, Adelaide Oval

Nov 6 – Australia v New Zealand, MCG

Finals

Nov 11 – First semi final, SCG

Nov 12 – Second semi final, Adelaide Oval

Nov 15 – Final, MCG

Group 1

Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, West Indies, Qualifier, Qualifer

Group 2

India, England, South Africa, Afghanistan, Qualifier, Qualifer

VIEW THE FULL 2020 T20 WORLD CUP FIXTURE HERE