Bermuda's 2007 Cricket World Cup initiation will be a serious baptism by fire ? potentially against the likes of Steve Harmison, Andrew Flintoff and Matthew Hoggard.

The release of tournament fixtures at a swank launch ceremony in Trinidad yesterday morning revealed the Island's first taste of cricket's signature event will be in a warm-up match against the mighty English on March 5, 2007, in St. Vincent.

Three days later, Bermuda come up against Zimbabwe in the second of their two 'friendlies' prior to heading north for the March 11 Opening Ceremony in Jamaica. After that, they fly south to their base in Trinidad & Tobago to get down to the real nitty gritty ? the tournament proper.

Pitted against three teams from the sub-continent in Group B ? Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh ? Bermuda will have their work cut out to progress to the Super Eight which is the World Cup's second stage.

They begin their historic campaign against Sri Lanka on March 15 before opposing India four days later and finally Bangladesh on March 25 with reserve days scheduled for the day after each game.

"We're very excited about it. We knew the warm-up venue would be a different location from where we will play our World Cup matches and we knew we wouldn't be playing against teams in our group," said Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB) chief executive Neil Speight, reacting to the news.

"We're happy to be going to St. Vincent and we were waiting with bated breath to see who we would be facing. To have an opportunity to play against probably the second-best team in world cricket is exciting and also to be in the same warm-up location with Australia ? even though we're not playing them ? will be a great benefit."

The value of being grouped with Australia and England in the warm-up series, he stressed, could not be underestimated.

"It will be a fantastic chance to learn and I think that's what a lot of this World Cup experience will be about.

"This is a great opportunity to mix with the Englands and Australias and speak not only to the players but also to the people who run their programmes and to see how they operate."

Speight said that now that the fixtures had been publicised the BCB "can start planning properly".

"It should be a very exciting time for the country and for our cricket," he added.

While plans are far from being finalised, he provided some insight into how matters were proceeding since the team's qualification for the World Cup at the ICC Trophy in Ireland two weeks ago.

"Myself and members of the Board are working actively on a 20-month plan for the team that we will present to Government. Obviously there are significant financial considerations in terms of preparing a team for the World Cup, not the least of which are the players' work commitments," said the BCB official.

"It goes a lot deeper than the playing commitments and the financial considerations for players' time but also infrastructure and how we capitalise on the wave of excitement and the opportunity we have to crystallise ourselves at a new level ? from the youth up."

Meanwhile, hosts West Indies will play the World Cup's first match against Pakistan, in Jamaica, on March 13, 2007. That Group D game will be staged at the newly-renovated Sabina Park in Kingston.

Defending champions, Australia, open their tournament against Scotland in St. Kitts on March 14. Overall, 51 matches will be played in 47 days with the final scheduled for April 28 in Barbados.

The winners and runners-up from each of the four round-robin groups will advance to the Super Eight stage where teams will play each of the other teams advancing ? except the other team which also advances from their own group ? for a total of six games each.

These matches take place in Antigua & Barbuda, Grenada, Guyana and Barbados from Tuesday, March 27, to Sunday, April 22, 2007, with the top four teams qualifying for the semi-finals.

The top semi-final team will play the fourth-placed team for a final's berth (April 25 in St. Lucia) while number two and three battle it out for the other coveted spot (April 24 in Jamaica).