International Cricket Council today confirmed 15 of the 16 men's squads for next month's ICC World Twenty20 to be held in Bangladesh.
The cut-off date for the submission of 15-player squads was February 16 and all but Zimbabwe submitted their squads to the ICC before the deadline. Zimbabwe requested an extension, which was accepted by the ICC.
Bangladesh will square off against Afghanistan in the tournament opener in Mirpur on March 16, while former champions India and Pakistan will go head to head in the first match of the Super 10 stage at the same venue on March 21.
The final will be played in Mirpur on April 6, while Chittagong and Sylhet are the other two venues that will be used for the tournament.
Defending champion West Indies has retained 12 players who were members of the side that defeated Sri Lanka by 36 runs in Colombo to win the 2012 event. The three newcomers are Sheldon Cottrell, Andre Fletcher and Krishmar Santokie, who have replaced the experienced but injured trio of Darren Bravo, Fidel Edwards and Kieron Pollard.
India has retained three players who were members of the side that defeated Pakistan by five runs in the inaugural event in Johannesburg in 2007. These players are captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Rohit Sharma and Yuvraj Singh. However, six players from the 2012 event will return to Bangladesh as India aims to reclaim the title, namely Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Ravichandran Ashwin, Rohit Sharma and Yuvraj.
Pakistan's side includes seven players from the squad that lifted the trophy at Lord's in 2009. These players are Ahmed Shahzad, Kamran Akmal, Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Sohail Tanvir and Umar Gul.
