Young Windies open vs US

The tournament, which will see 44 matches being played over 15 days, will bowl off today with a big match-up between South Africa and Australia at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo.

West Indies will begin action in the tournament tomorrow when they face the United States at the Nondescripts Cricket Club Ground.

Malcolm Speed, the ICC’s chief executive, hailed the tournament as a huge success, pointing to the growth of the tournament over the last two decades. "From humble beginnings in 1988 when it took place, for the most part, in country areas of Australia and involved just eight teams, through a ten-year hiatus before the concept was revived in South Africa in 1998, this tournament has come a long way," he said.

"It is now an established part of the global cricket calendar taking place every two years and when the ICC comes to sell television rights for all its events up to 2015 later this year it will form part of the package available to broadcasters."

He added: "This tournament will see the Super League semi-finals and final broadcast on television with a possible global audience of hundreds of millions of people."

The 16 teams have been grouped in four zones with Pool "A" comprising Bangladesh, New Zealand, Pakistan and Uganda; Pool "B" — Australia, South Africa, United States and West Indies; Pool "C" — India, Namibia, Scotland and Sri Lanka and Pool "D" — England, Ireland, Nepal and Zimbabwe.