Cricket:Ireland have been drawn in Group B alongside England for the 2011 cricket World Cup. The tournament, which will take place in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, will be played under a new format after the previous structure was heavily criticised.
Instead of 16 teams contesting four groups of four, there will be two groups of seven.
Ireland will contest Group B with India, South Africa, the West Indies, Bangladesh, Holland and their near neighbours.
After a round robin series the top four teams in the groups will progress straight into the knock-out stages. This will ensure each team plays at least six games and that the competition consists of 49 games, rather than 51.
Australia, who are seeking their fourth title in a row, are named in Group A with local rivals New Zealand.
Twenty20 champions Pakistan, stripped of co-hosting rights due to security concerns in the country, are also in the group, along with Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Canada and Kenya.
India will stage matches in eight venues, Sri Lanka has 12 matches at three venues and Bangladesh eight at two.
Group A:Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Canada, Kenya
Group B:India, South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland, Netherlands.