Reigning 50-over world champions Australia, have been ranked below Bangladesh for next year's World Twenty20 in the Caribbean, organisers announced on Sunday.

Seedings are based primarily on the results of last month's second edition of the tournament in England, which saw Pakistan, losing finalists in 2007, beat Sri Lanka at Lord's to take the trophy.

Australia lost both their group matches, against the West Indies and Sri Lanka. Bangladesh too also failed to make it through to the second round, after defeats by minnows Ireland and 2007 champions India.

But Bangladesh emerged with a slightly better, if still negative, run-rate compared to that of Australia (-0.996 to -1.331).

Both countries have now been placed in the same first round Group A, along with defending champions Pakistan.

The top two sides from each of the four groups in the 12-nation men's tournament will go through to the second round Super Eights from which the top four sides for the semi-finals will be drawn.

Should Australia qualify at Bangladesh's expense they would inherit their rivals' A2 seeding.

Bangladesh, if they got through instead of Australia, would remain as A2 regardless of whether they or Pakistan topped the group.

In one of cricket's greatest shocks, Bangladesh beat Australia by five wickets in a 50 over one-day international at Cardiff - where the 2009 Ashes begin on Wedenesday - in 2005.

The semi-finals and final of the eight-team women's tournament will take place on the same days and at the same venues as the corresponding men's matches, a move that was widely seen as helping give women's cricket a greater profile during last month's World Twenty20.

Group and Fixture schedule for the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 in the Caribbean:

Men's event:

Group A: Pakistan (A1), Bangladesh (A2), Australia
Group B: Sri Lanka (B1), New Zealand (B2), Zimbabwe
Group C: South Africa (C1), India (C2), Qualifier One
Group D: West Indies (D1), England (D2), Qualifier Two

Fixtures:

Group stage:

Apr 30: Guyana: Opening ceremony, WIS v Q2, SRI v NZL
May 01: St Lucia: IND v Q1, PAK v BAN
May 01: Guyana: ENG v Q2
May 02: St Lucia: RSA v IND, PAK v AUS
May 02: Guyana: NZL v ZIM
May 03: Guyana: WIS v ENG, SRI v ZIM
May 04: Barbados: RSA v Q1, BAN v AUS

Super Eights:

May 06: Barbados: A1 v D2, C1 v B2
May 07: Barbados: A2 v C2, B1 v D1
May 08: Barbados: C1 v D2, A1 v B2
May 09: Barbados: C2 v D1, B1 v A2
May 10: St Lucia: B2 v D2, A1 v C1
May 11: St Lucia: B1 v C2, D1 v A2

Semi-finals:

May 13: St Lucia: 1st semi-final
May 14: St Lucia: 2nd semi-final

Final:

May 16: Barbados: Final

Women's event:

Group A: England, Australia, West Indies, South Africa
Group B: New Zealand, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan

Fixtures:

Group stage:

May 05: St Kitts: WIS v RSA, ENG v AUS
May 06: St Kitts: SRI v PAK, NZL v IND
May 07: St Kitts: AUS v RSA, ENG v WIS
May 08: St Kitts: IND v PAK, NZL v SRI
May 09: St Kitts: ENG v RSA, AUS v WIS
May 10: St Kitts: NZL v RSA, IND v SRI

Top two from each group qualify for semi-finals

Semi-finals:

May 13: St Lucia: 1st semi-final
May 14: St Lucia: 2nd semi-final

Final:

May 16: Barbados: Final

AFP

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