WI to face Lankans, Afghans in warm-ups

DUBAI:

West Indies will play warm-up matches against hosts Sri Lanka and minnows Afghanistan, in the lead up to the Twenty20 World Cup which bowls off next month.

The Caribbean side, considered as one of the favourites for the September 18 to October 7 event, will play Sri Lanka at the NCC on September 13 before taking on the Afghans four days later at the P Sara Oval.

The two fixtures are among 12 that will run from September 13-19 and which will provide the launch pad for what will be the fourth edition of the T20 World Cup.

West Indies will compete in Group B against Australia and Ireland, and are expected to progress safely through to the Super Eight second round.

They have never won the tournament, reaching as far as the semi-finals of the 2009 edition in England and the Super Eights of the last event staged in the Caribbean.

Meanwhile, West Indies Women are slated to play one warm-up match - against Australia on September 23 - in the lead up to the start of the Women's T20 World Cup on September 26.

The men's tournament will be staged across the cities of the Colombo, Hambantota and Pallekelle while the group stage of the women's competition will be played in Galle