Home advantage for the hosts in later stages

The hosts of the 2011 World Cup will enjoy home advantage during the quarter-final and semi-final stage, the ICC has confirmed. Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh will play at home if they reach the quarter-finals, the venues for which are Mirpur (staging the first and the third game), Ahmedabad (second) and Colombo (fourth), 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 determined.

For the semi-finals, to be held in Colombo and Mohali, will involve the winners of A1 v B4 and A3 v B2, and A2 v B3 and A4 v B1.

"I can confirm that the three host countries will play the knock-out rounds on their own grounds," Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, told reporters on the eve of the opening game of the tournament.