Australia will play all their T20 World Cup matches this June in the Caribbean, after the ICC released the tournament’s fixtures overnight
No US matches for Australia as World Cup fixtures released
Australia have been denied the chance to play a maiden cricket match in the USA, with each of their T20 World Cup group games to be staged in the West Indies.
Organisers unveiled the schedule for this year's historic T20 World Cup, which will be played in both the USA and Caribbean islands, on Friday (Saturday AEDT).
Cricket's largest ever international venture into the United States will include games played in three USA cities, with group matches to be scheduled for New York, Dallas and Miami.
But Australia will not be invited to join the party in the USA. Instead, they'll play exclusively in the West Indies, with group matches in Barbados, Antigua and St Lucia.
Australia have been handed a friendly draw, however, with Oman, Namibia and Scotland in their group which does, however, feature champions England.
Australia’s 2024 T20 World Cup group games:
vs Oman, June 5, Barbados
vs England, June 8, Barbados
vs Nambia, June 11, Antigua
vs Scotland, June 15, St Lucia
The top two teams will progress to the competition's Super Eight stage, which will be held exclusively in the Caribbean.
Australia's opener will be against Oman on June 5, with the big clash against England on June 8 in Barbados.
The Aussies have never played an international match in the USA across both the men's and women's game.
But there has been a step into the country in recent years from players, with Adam Zampa among those to feature in Major League Cricket last year.
Teams from Asia will likely make up the bulk of games played across the three USA cities, with an aim to target a large expat community.
That will be headlined by a marquee clash between India and Pakistan in New York, on June 9 at Eisenhower Park in New York.
The tournament will kick off on June 1, with USA playing Canada in Dallas while other matches in the USA include the four India group fixtures – three in New York and a match against Canada in Lauderhill, Florida on June 15.
The semi-finals are scheduled for June 26 in Guyana and June 27 in Trinidad, with the final at Kensington Oval in Barbados on June 29.
2024 Men's T20 World Cup groups:
Group A: India, Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, USA.
Group B: Australia, England, Namibia, Scotland, Oman.
Group C: New Zealand, West Indies, Afghanistan, Uganda, Papua New Guinea.
Group D: South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Netherlands, Nepal.