ICC Cricket World Cup 2019: Warmup Matches

The ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 is drawing ever closer, all 10 teams are getting stuck into their preparations. With the tournament set to begin on the 30th of May, the team do need some practice matches ahead of the World Cup 2019 to get in the groove of things.

Since the last major event was the IPL 2019, there is a need to get out of the 20 over style of play and switch to an ODI style of play. That is where the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 warmup matches come into effect for the teams.

These warmup matches of the World Cup 2019 will be held from the 24th of May until the 28th of May, two days before the actual tournament begins. Kicking things off will be Afghanistan, who will be facing their neighbours, Pakistan at the Bristol County Ground, Bristol. On the same day the Sri Lankan team will square off against South Africa at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff.

The following day, the hosts, England, play against Australia at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton, and India go up against New Zealand at The Oval in London in their first practice match of the World Cup. Then, on the 26th, Bangladesh clash with Pakistan at Sophia Gardens and South Africa play against the West Indies at the Bristol County Ground.

A day later, Australia play against Sri Lanka at the Ageas Bowl and England face Afghanistan at The Oval. On the final day of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 warmup matches, Bangladesh take on India at the Sophia Gardens and New Zealand play against the West Indies at the Bristol County Ground. All matches take place at 3PM IST.

These ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 warm up matches, will also give the teams, ample time to get used to the conditions. Also, for Indian fans, all warmup matches will be telecast on Star Sports. Matches will also be streamed live on Hotstar for fans who are unable to watch on TV. However, users are compelled to pay subscription fees to access all the World Cup-related content on the Hotstar app and the website.

Recently, Star TV Network’s Executive Vi ce-President, Sanjog Gupta confirmed the same on Twitter. He tweeted, “10 warm-up matches (including both India warm-ups) will be aired live. 2 each on 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th & 28th (India plays on 25th and 28th).”

Also, with regard to these warmup matches, the teams are free to experiment with their lineups and test players for fitness issues.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 Managing Director, Steve Elworthy, said: “It is always a huge milestone announcing an exciting warm-up schedule for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup as it really highlights just how close we are to the action getting underway this summer.

“These games provide another fantastic opportunity for fans to see world-class players at their local venue and allows the tournament to engage local schools and communities with another chance to get involved with the Cricket World Cup.”

Also Read: ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 Overall Schedule