Let's make this a celebration of cricket in the Caribbean, says Lorgat

With just 18 days to go, the ICC is ready for a festival of cricket highlighting the diversity, passion and skill of the global game

India will be anxious to recapture the trophy it lost to Pakistan a year ago, says ICC Chief Executive

The ICC World Twenty20 will be a passionate celebration of the diversity, strength and skill that makes nation v nation cricket so appealing around the world, says ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat, who called on fans to get behind their teams.

With just 18 days to go before the first match takes place in Guyana on 30 April, Mr Lorgat says the event is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the proud and illustrious history of cricket in the Caribbean while also embracing the new, vibrant and talented next generation of cricketer.

"The West Indies is one of the great cricket territories and is a significant part of our shared cricket identity," said Mr Lorgat.

"It is a unique place to visit, to play and to hold an event and we are looking forward to bringing the very best players in the world to Guyana, St Lucia, St Kitts and Barbados for 17 days of world-class competition," he said.

Mr Lorgat was speaking in New Delhi where the ICC World Twenty20 2010 trophy was put on show. In 2007 India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni thrilled the nation when he lifted it after beating Pakistan in the final of the inaugural event in South Africa.

"We have the best of the best in international cricket coming to the West Indies for two and a half weeks of riveting action in men's and women's cricket and fans would not want to miss out. If you cannot make it all the way to the Caribbean you won't have to miss a ball of the action thanks to the hard work of our broadcast partner ESPN STAR Sports who will be ensuring the games are beamed live to every corner of the world," he said

A double-header featuring Sri Lanka and New Zealand as well as host West Indies taking on qualifier Ireland will set the tournament off and running in Guyana on 30 April with the final taking place in Barbados on 16 May.

India will launch its campaign with a tricky match against the new phenomenon of international cricket, Afghanistan, in St Lucia on 1 May.

"Through qualification for this event, the Afghanistan players have shown themselves to be worthy of a place among the big boys and I'm sure Team India will not be taking them lightly. It should be a fascinating match," said Mr Lorgat.

"India will not have enjoyed having to relinquish possession of the trophy and I have no doubt they will be doing everything in their power to win it back from Pakistan this time around.

As part of an exciting double-header in St Lucia, Pakistan will follow India's match on 1 May by opening its defence of the title it won in England last year with a match against Bangladesh.

The women's matches will take place in St Kitts with the semi-finals and final of that section of the event running as double-headers with the men's equivalent as was the case in England last year.

You can find more information about the event at http://www.icc-cricket.com/events_and_awards/twenty20/index.php.