London. England (BBC) England has been grouped with hosts West Indies and one qualifier in the World Twenty20 tournament scheduled for next year. The West Indies, who knocked England out of this year’s tournament, will open the competition on April 30 next year.

Defending champions Pakistan will come upm against Australia and Bangladesh, with Sri Lanka pooled against New Zealand and Zimbabwe.

India take on South Africa and another qualifier, with the tournament staged in St Lucia, St Kitts, Barbados and Guyana, set to finish on May 16.

Chris Gayle’s West Indies defeated England at the Super Eight stage in this year’s Twenty20, winning a match in which the winner would qualify from their group.

In a rain-affected contest, an unbeaten partnership of 37 between Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan saw the Windies home.

Pakistan, who won the recent Twenty20 tournament in England, begins their title defence against Bangladesh on May1 in St Lucia, swiftly followed by a match against Australia the following day.

The West Indies will face one of two qualifying sides in Guyana on April 30 in a double-header featuring 2009 losing finalists Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

Another qualifier for the tournament will take on 2007 champions India in St Lucia on May 1.

The ICC decided to stage Twenty20 World Cups in successive years to avoid having two major events in 2011, when the one-day World Cup is scheduled to be played in South Asia.

The final will be staged at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on 16 May.

England’s women, who beat New Zealand to win the inaugural women’s title, start their campaign against Australia in St Kitts on May 5.

They will also face West Indies and South Africa in Group A.

As with this year’s tournament, the women’s semi-finals and final will take place at the same venue and on the same day as the men’s matches.