Format & Qualification

Formate:
Late in 2007, the four host nations agreed upon a revised format for the 2011 World Cup, in which 14 teams will participate instead of 16. The first round of the tournament will be a round-robin similar to the one held in South Africa in the 2003 edition in which the 14 teams are divided into 2 groups of 7 teams each. The 7 teams play each other once with the top four from each group qualifying for the quarter-finals. The format ensures that each team gets to play a minimum of six matches even if they are ruled out of the tournament due to early defeats. One semi-final of the tournament was officially handed over to India, after Pakistan were stripped of its rights to host the tournament.


    * The planned semi-final venues are the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka and PCA Stadium in Mohali, India
    * The final is scheduled to be played at the renovated Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, India.

Qualification:
Main articles: ICC World Cricket League 2007-09 and 2009 ICC World Cup Qualifier
As per ICC regulations, all 10 full members automatically qualify for the World Cup, including Zimbabwe who have given up their test playing status until the standard of their team improves.


The ICC also organised a qualifying tournament in South Africa to determine which Associate teams would participate in 2011 event. Ireland who had been the best performing Associate nation since the last World Cup, won the tournament, beating Canada in the final. The Netherlands and Kenya also qualified by virtue of finishing third and fourth respectively.