Hosts have home advantage in quarter & Semi finals

The hosts of the ICC World Cup 2011 will enjoy home advantage during the quarter finals and semi finals as ICC has assured. Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh will play at home if they reach the quarter finals, the venues for which are Mirpur (first and third quarter finals), Ahmadabad (second quarter final game) and Colombo (host the fourth game of quarter-final stage), as well as the semis. However, while the draw for the quarter-final in terms of who plays whom from each group has been decided – (A1 v B4), (A2 v B3), (A3 v B2) and (A4 v B1) - the sequence of these games will only be revealed at the end of the Group stage once the final positions of the concerned teams has been indomitable.

For the semi finals, to be held in Colombo and Mohali, will engage the winners of (A1 v B4) playing the winners of (A3 v B2), and the winners of the (A2 v B3) quarter final versus the winners of the (A4 v B1) match. "I can corroborate that the three host countries will play the knock-out rounds on their own grounds," Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive.

India gets precedence over Sri Lanka while Sri Lanka takes precedence over Bangladesh. As the instant permutations stand, assuming all three hosts qualify for the last eight, it is possible that Sri Lanka from Group A could meet either India or Bangladesh in the quarter-final. In case they are drawn to meet India, the quarter-final will be held in Ahmedabad. In case their opponent is Bangladesh, the quarter-final will be held in Colombo. Do they succeed for the last eight; Bangladesh's best possibility of playing one of the two quarter-finals scheduled for Mirpur, is to be drawn against any Group A team other than Sri Lanka. If India makes it to the semi-finals, it will play in Mohali even if its opponent is Sri Lanka, who will have to give up its March 29 semi-final in Colombo. The 43-day event comprises 49 games spread over three countries and 13 venues and will be a week shorter than the 2007 edition in the West Indies. Group A comprises Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Canada and Kenya. Group B consists of India, South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland and the Netherlands.