India, Pakistan clubbed in same pool in Champions Trophy

London: World Cup champions India will clash with arch-rivals Pakistan in a high-voltage 2013 Champions Trophy match at Edgbaston in Birmingham after taking on South Africa in their inaugural game of group `B` on June 6 in Cardiff.

Top eight teams in the ICC ODI rankings will compete in the tournament, which will be held for the last time as the world body of the game has decided to scrap it after this edition. Cardiff, Edgbaston and The Oval will each host four group matches of the competition that will see the eight teams divided into two pools of four each. Group A will feature Australia, England, New Zealand and Sri Lanka with India, Pakistan, South Africa and West Indies contesting in Group B. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals, to be played at The Oval and Cardiff, with the winners then progressing to the final at Edgbaston on June 23. Hosts England, will kick off their campaign against defending champions Australia at Edgbaston on June 8. Tournament Director, Steve Elworthy commented, "This will be an incredible opportunity for fans to see the world`s very best One-Day International sides in action over the space of less than three weeks and the fixture schedule has thrown up a host of exciting head-to-head contests. "The format means every match counts and all eight teams will feel that they are capable of winning the tournament in a competition which is set to be one of the highlights of the 2013 summer." The tournament does not appear in the Future Tournament Programme after 2013, with the ICC moving towards having one championship for each of the game`s three formats from 2015. PTI