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LONDON, Feb 9: Hosts England have been drawn against Zimbabwe in the opening match of this year's Champions Trophy, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Monday.
The two-week limited-overs tournament in September consists of the 10 Test-playing teams, as well as Kenya and one qualifiers yet to be decided.
England refused to play Zimbabwe in Harare during the World Cup last year, citing security concerns. The England players under then captain Nasser Hussain also suggested they had moral concerns.
The England and Wales Cricket Board is holding discussions over whether to boycott a tour to Zimbabwe later this year. The board says it may consider moral issues in making its decision.
Zimbabwe was suspended from the Commonwealth in 2002 after President Robert Mugabe was accused of rigging his re-election and harassing political opponents. The ICC Champions Trophy is being hosted at Edgbaston, The Oval and at Hampshire's Rose Bowl ground in Southampton. The final is scheduled for Sept 25 at The Oval.
Groupings:
Pool A: Australia, New Zealand, qualifiers.
Pool B: South Africa, West Indies, Bangladesh.
Pool C: Pakistan, India, Kenya.
Pool D: Sri Lanka, England, Zimbabwe.
Schedule:
Sept 10: England v Zimbabwe (Edgbaston).
Sept 10: New Zealand v qualifiers (The Oval).
Sept 11: India v Kenya (Southampton).
Sept 12: South Africa v Bangladesh (Edgbaston).
Sept 13: Australia v qualifiers (Southampton).
Sept 14: Pakistan v Kenya (Edgbaston).
Sept 14: Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe (The Oval).
Sept 15: West Indies v Bangladesh (Southampton).
Sept 16: Australia v New Zealand (The Oval).
Sept 17: Sri Lanka v England (Southampton).
Sept 18: South Africa v West Indies (The Oval).
Sept 19: India v Pakistan (Edgbaston).
Sept 21: First semifinal, winners of Pool A v winners of Pool D (Edgbaston).
Sept 22: Second Semifinal, winners of Pool B v winners of Pool C (Southampton).
Sept 25: Final (The Oval). -Reuters
