Groups-
The groups were announced on 21 September 2011.
| Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D |
|---|---|---|---|
 England (A1) |
 Australia (B1) |
 Sri Lanka (C1) |
 Pakistan (D1) |
 India (A2) |
 West Indies (B2) |
 South Africa (C2) |
 New Zealand (D2) |
| Qualifier 2 | Qualifier 1 |  Zimbabwe |
 Bangladesh |
Ireland and 
Afghanistan, as finalists in the Twenty20 qualifying competition, have gained the two qualification places.Venues-
All matches will be playing at the following three grounds:
| Pallekele | Colombo | Hambantota |
|---|---|---|
| Pallekele International Cricket Stadium | R. Premadasa Stadium | Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium |
 |
 |
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| Capacity: 35,000 | Capacity: 35,000 | Capacity: 35,000 |
FIXTURES | - |
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Rules and regulationsDuring the group stage and Super Eight, points are awarded to the teams as follows:
Within each group (both group stage & Super Eight stage), teams are ranked against each other based on the following criteria:
FormatThe format is the same as the 2010 edition. The format will see four groups of three in a preliminary round. Apart from the ten test cricket playing nations, there will be a further two associate/affiliate teams who would qualify from the 2012 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier to be staged in the United Arab Emirates from March 13–14, 2012.The top two teams from each group will proceed to the Super Eight stage of the tournament. The Super Eight will consist of two groups. The top two teams from the two Super Eight groups would play the semi-finals, and the semi-final winners would contest the final, to be played at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium. The winner of this final shall be crowned world champions in Twenty20 cricket. England are the defending champions, having won the 2010 edition in the West Indies. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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