Pakistan Women have been placed alongside India Women and six-time champion Australia Women as the International Cricket Council on Monday announced fixtures and groups for this year’s Women’s T20 World Cup 2024.

Australia are also the defending champion as they won the last T20 World Cup in 2020, trouncing India in the final by 85 runs.

Pakistan will play their first match on October 3 against Sri Lanka and encounter India on October 6, in their second.

The highly-anticipated ninth edition of the tournament has been moved from Bangladesh to the UAE, after political instability marred the Asian country amid students’ uprising in last month.

The event will now be played in Dubai and Sharjah in October.

The groups remain the same with Australia drawn alongside 2020 runners-up India, Trans-Tasman rival New Zealand, Asian sides Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Group A, the ICC announced in a handout.

South Africa and England are placed alongside 2016 champions West Indies, Bangladesh and Scotland in Group B.

Sri Lanka and Scotland qualified for the tournament via the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier tournament held in Abu Dhabi earlier this year.

Each side will play four group matches at the tournament, with the top two teams from each group progressing to the semi-finals on 17 and 18 October ahead of the Final in Dubai on 20 October. A reserve day has been fixed for both the semi-finals and the final.

If India advances to the semi-finals, they will feature in Semi-final 1.

In total, there will be 23 matches played across two venues in Dubai and Sharjah.

Group A: Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka

Group B: South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Scotland

There will be 10 warm-up matches held prior to the tournament from 28 September through to 1 October.

Tournament fixtures

October 3, Thursday, Bangladesh v Scotland, Sharjah, 2 PM

October 3, Thursday, Pakistan v Sri Lanka, Sharjah, 6 PM

October 4, Friday, South Africa v West Indies, Dubai, 2 PM

October 4, Friday, India v New Zealand, Dubai, 6 PM

October 5, Saturday, Bangladesh v England, Sharjah, 2 PM

October 5, Saturday, Australia v Sri Lanka, Sharjah, 6 PM

October 6, Sunday, India v Pakistan, Dubai, 2 PM

October 6, Sunday, West Indies v Scotland, Dubai, 6 PM

October 7, Monday, England v South Africa, Sharjah, 6 PM

October 8, Tuesday, Australia v New Zealand, Sharjah, 6 PM

October 9, Wednesday, South Africa v Scotland, Dubai, 2 PM

October 9, Wednesday, India v Sri Lanka, Dubai, 6 PM

October 10, Thursday, Bangladesh v West Indies, Sharjah, 6 PM

October 11, Friday, Australia v Pakistan, Dubai, 6 PM

October 12, Saturday, New Zealand v Sri Lanka, Sharjah, 2 PM

October 12, Saturday, Bangladesh v South Africa, Dubai, 6 PM

October 13, Sunday, England v Scotland, Sharjah, 2 PM

October 13, Sunday, India v Australia, Sharjah, 6 PM

October 14, Monday, Pakistan v New Zealand, Dubai, 6 PM

October 15, Tuesday, England v West Indies, Dubai, 6 PM

October 17, Thursday, Semi-final 1, Dubai, 6 PM

October 18, Friday, Semi-final 2, Sharjah, 6 PM

October 20, Sunday, Final, Dubai, 6 PM