a
M

Follow Us At

Which 10 Teams Will Play in the 2023 ICC ODI Cricket World Cup Qualifier? (The Complete Guide): Squads, Schedule, Fixtures, Preview

by | Jun 17, 2023 | ODI League, ODI World Cup

Which 10 Teams Will Play in the 2023 ICC ODI Cricket World Cup Qualifier? Ireland, Nepal, Netherlands, Oman, Scotland, Sri Lanka, UAE, USA, West Indies, and Zimbabwe will compete in the 2023 ICC ODI Cricket World Cup Qualifier.

Get ready for an exhilarating journey as we dive into our complete guide to the 2023 ICC ODI Cricket World Cup Qualifier!

This article will provide you with an in-depth look at the ten teams competing for a coveted spot in the upcoming World Cup. We’ll explore their squads, examine the schedule and fixtures, and offer a comprehensive preview of what’s in store for cricket fans worldwide.

Let’s begin!

2023 ICC ODI World Cup Qualifier Teams: Road to the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup

32 teams began their journey for 10 spots for the 2023 ODI World Cup.

Teams played in the ODI Super League, World Cup League 2, Challenge League, and Qualifier Play-off (from the Challenge League) to get to the qualifiers. Here’s a quick summary of the road to the 2023 World Cup Qualifier.

  • ODI Super League: Ranked 1-13 (Top 7 teams plus hosts India qualified directly for the World Cup, Bottom 5 in the World Cup Qualifier)
    • New Zealand, England, Bangladesh, India (hosts), Pakistan, Australia, Afghanistan, South Africa qualify directly for the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup.
    • West Indies, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Zimbabwe, Netherlands will have to compete in the ICC World Cup Qualifier.
  • League 2: Ranked 14-20 (Top 3 qualify for this ICC World Cup qualifier, Bottom 4 play the Qualifier Play-Off)
    • Scotland, Oman, Nepal qualify directly for the World Cup qualifier.
    • Namibia, United States, United Arab Emirates, Papua New Guinea had to go through the Qualifier Play-off.
  • Challenge League: Ranked 21-32 (Top 2 qualify for the Qualifier Play-Off)
    • Canada, Jersey qualify for the Qualifier play-off.
    • Other Teams: Singapore, Denmark, Malaysia, Vanuatu, Qatar, Hong Kong, Kenya, Uganda, Jersey, Bermuda, Italy (eliminated)
  • Qualifier Play-Off
    • United States & United Arab Emirates qualify for the World Cup qualifiers.
    • Namibia, Canada, Jersey, Papua New Guinea eliminated.

Also Read: Rethinking the ODI World Cup Format

What is the Format for the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier?

Ten teams are divided in two groups of five.

The group stage will be in round-robin format and top three of each group will qualify for the Super Six stage.

Each team will play three matches in the Super Six stage (will play teams who were in the other Group Stage) and the Top 2 teams in the Super Six stage will qualify for the World Cup.

There will be a final on 9 July, 2023 but will have no impact on qualification.

How Many Matches Will be Played in the 2023 ODI World Cup Qualifier?

34 matches will be played in the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup qualifiers.

This includes 9 Super 20 group matches, nine Super-Six matches, four place play-off games, and one final.

Where will the 2023 ICC ODI Cricket World Cup Qualifier be played?

The 2023 ICC ODI World Cup Qualifier will be held in Zimbabwe. 4 venues will host the qualifier, two each in Harare and Bulawayo.

The four stadiums where the 2023 ICC ODI Cricket World Cup Qualifier is to be played are Harare Sports Club (Harare), Takashinga Sports Club (Harare), Queens Sports Club (Bulawayo), and Bulawayo Athletic Club (Bulawayo).

  • Matches in Group A will be played in Harare, while matches in Group B will be played in Bulawayo.
  • The Super Sixes will be played in Harare Sports Club and Queens Sports Club. The 7th Place Play-off & 9th Place Play-off will be held at Takshinga Sports Club.
  • The final will be played at Harare Sports Club.

Also Read: Most Beautiful Cricket Stadiums, Cricket Stadiums in USA

ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2023 – Group A

1. Nepal

  • Current ODI Ranking: 14
  • How They Got Here: #3 in League 2 (Direct Qualification)
  • Captain: Rohit Paudel
  • Squad: Aarif Sheikh, Aasif Sheikh, Dipendra Singh Airee, Kushal Bhurtel, Gulsan Jha, Karan KC, Kushal Malla, Sandeep Lamichhane, Kishore Mahato, Gyanendra Malla, Pratis GC, Lalit Rajbanshi, Arjun Saud, Bhim Sharki, Sompal Kami

Prediction: May not make the Super Six

Embed from Getty Images

2. Netherlands

  • Current ODI Ranking: 17
  • How They Got Here: #13 in ODI Super League
  • Captain: Scott Edwards (WK)
  • Squad: Wesley Barresi, Noah Croes, Bas de Leede, Aryan Dutt, Clayton Floyd, Vivian Kingma, Ryan Klein, Michael Levitt, Teja Nidamanuru, Max O’Dowd, Saqib Zulfiqar, Shariz Ahmad, Logan van Beek, Vikramjit Singh

Prediction: May not make the Super Six

Also Read: Do check out this ESPNCricinfo’s article on why Netherlands are missing their entire bowling line up. Associates do not earn as much and have to pick County deals over international commitments to keep up.

Embed from Getty Images

3. United States of America (USA)

  • Current ODI Ranking: 15
  • How They Got Here: #1 in Qualifier Play-Off (League 2 Ranking: #5)
  • Captain: Monank Patel (WK)
  • Squad: Aaron Jones, Ali Khan, Jessy Singh, Nosthush Kenjige, Sushant Modani, Saiteja Mukkamalla, Saurabh Netravalkar, Abhishek Paradkar, Nisarg Patel, Kyle Phillip, Shayan Jahangir, Gajanand Singh, Steven Taylor, Usman Rafiq

Prediction: Should make the Super Six given their recent rise. Might give a run for their money in the Super Six, but they will probably not make the Top 2.

Also Read: USA Cricket: The Complete Guide, Major League Cricket: The Teams

Embed from Getty Images

4. West Indies

  • Current ODI Ranking: 10
  • How They Got Here: #9 in ODI Super League
  • Captain: Shai Hope (WK)
  • Squad: Rovman Powell, Shamarh Brooks, Yannic Cariah, Keacy Carty, Johnson Charles (WK), Roston Chase, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Keemo Paul, Nicholas Pooran (WK), Romario Shepherd, Gudakesh Motie (withdrew)

Prediction: Narrowly misses on a World Cup spot

Embed from Getty Images

5. Zimbabwe

  • Current ODI Ranking: 11
  • How They Got Here: #12 in ODI Super League
  • Captain: Craig Ervine
  • Squad: Ryan Burl, Tendai Chatara, Brad Evans, Joylord Gumbie (WK), Luke Jongwe, Innocent Kaia, Clive Madande (WK), Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Sikandar Raza, Sean Williams,

Prediction: One of the favorites to qualify in the Top 2. Might surprise West Indies or Sri Lanka

With Blessing, Innocent, Joylord, and Sikandar with them, stars may align for Zimbabwe

Embed from Getty Images

ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2023 – Group B

6. Ireland

  • Current ODI Ranking: 12
  • How They Got Here: #11 in ODI Super League
  • Captain: Andy Balbirnie
  • Squad: Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Graham Hume, Josh Little, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Peter Moor (WK), Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Loran Tucker (WK), Ben White, Craig Young

Prediction: Also one of the favorites, but may end up #3-4 in Super Six due to the tough competition

Embed from Getty Images

7. Oman

  • Current ODI Ranking: 18
  • How They Got Here: #2 in League 2 (Direct Qualification)
  • Captain: Zeeshan Maqsood
  • Squad: Aqib Ilyas, Ayaan Khan, Bilal Khan, Fayyaz Butt, Jatinder Singh, Jay Odedra, Kaleemullah, Mohammad Nadeem, Naseem Khushi (WK), Kashyap Prajapati, Sandeep Goud, Shoaib Khan, Samay Shrivastava, Suraj Kumar (WK)

Prediction: May not make the Super Six

Embed from Getty Images

8. Scotland

  • Current ODI Ranking: 13
  • How They Got Here: #1 in League 2 (Direct Qualification)
  • Captain: Richie Berrington
  • Squad: Matthew Cross (WK), Alasdair Evans, Chris Greaves, Hamza Tahir, Jack Jarvis, Michael Leask, Tomas Mackintosh, Christopher McBride, Brandon McMullen, George Munsey, Adrian Neill, Safyaan Sharif, Chris Sole, Mark Watt

Prediction: Just like Ireland, will be in the running for the Top 2 spot but may not make it

Embed from Getty Images

9. Sri Lanka

  • Current ODI Ranking: 9
  • How They Got Here: #10 in ODI Super League
  • Captain: Dasun Shanaka
  • Squad: Kusal Mendis (WK), Charith Asalanka, Dushmantha Chameera, Dhananjaya de Silva, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushan Hemantha, Dimuth Karunaratne, Chamika Karunaratne, Lahiru Kumara, Pathum Nissanka, Matheesha Pathirana, Kasun Rajitha, Sadeera Samarawickrama (WK), Mahesh Theekshana

Prediction: If they do not make the Top 2, it will be a shock to the system (but quite possible)

Embed from Getty Images

10. United Arab Emirates

  • Current ODI Ranking: 19
  • How They Got Here: #2 in Qualifier Play-Off (League 2 Ranking: #6)
  • Captain: Muhammad Waseem
  • Squad: Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Vriitya Aravind (WK), Asif Khan, Basil Hameed, Ethan D’Souza, Junaid Siddique, Karthik Meiyappan, Muhammad Jawadullah, Rameez Shahzad, Rohan Mustafa, Aryansh Sharma, Sanchit Sharma, Zahoor Khan

Prediction: May not make the Super Six

Embed from Getty Images

ICC ODI Cricket World Cup Qualifier Fixtures & Schedule – Group Stage (June 18, 2023 – June 27, 2023)

DateTeam 1Team 2GroupVenue
June 18, 2023ZimbabweNepalAHarare Sports Club (Harare)
June 18, 2023West IndiesUSAATakashinga Sports Club (Harare)
June 19, 2023Sri Lanka UAEBQueens Sports Club (Bulawayo)
June 19, 2023IrelandOmanBBulawayo Athletic Club (Bulawayo)
June 20, 2023ZimbabweNetherlandsAHarare Sports Club (Harare)
June 20, 2023NepalUSAATakashinga Sports Club (Harare)
June 21, 2023IrelandScotlandBQueens Sports Club (Bulawayo)
June 21, 2023OmanUAEBBulawayo Athletic Club (Bulawayo)
June 22, 2023NepalWest IndiesAHarare Sports Club (Harare)
June 22, 2023NetherlandsUSAATakashinga Sports Club (Harare)
June 23, 2023OmanSri LankaBQueens Sports Club (Bulawayo)
June 23, 2023ScotlandUAEBBulawayo Athletic Club (Bulawayo)
June 24, 2023ZimbabweWest IndiesAHarare Sports Club (Harare)
June 24, 2023Nepal NetherlandsATakashinga Sports Club (Harare)
June 25, 2023IrelandSri LankaBQueens Sports Club (Bulawayo)
June 25, 2023OmanScotlandBBulawayo Athletic Club (Bulawayo)
June 26, 2023ZimbabweUSAAHarare Sports Club (Harare)
June 26, 2023NetherlandsWest IndiesATakashinga Sports Club (Harare)
June 27, 2023ScotlandSri LankaBQueens Sports Club (Bulawayo)
June 27, 2023IrelandUAEBBulawayo Athletic Club (Bulawayo)

ICC ODI Cricket World Cup Qualifier Fixtures & Schedule – Super Sixes Stage (June 29, 2023 – July 7, 2023)

DateTeam 1Team 2Venue
June 29, 2023A2B2Queens Sports Club (Bulawayo)
June 30, 2023A3B1Queens Sports Club (Bulawayo)
July 1, 2023A1B3Harare Sports Club (Harare)
July 2, 2023A2B1Queens Sports Club (Bulawayo)
July 3, 2023A3B2Harare Sports Club (Harare)
July 4, 2023A2B3Queens Sports Club (Bulawayo)
July 5, 2023A1B2Harare Sports Club (Harare)
July 6, 2023A3B3Queens Sports Club (Bulawayo)
July 7, 2023A1B1Harare Sports Club (Harare)

ICC ODI Cricket World Cup Qualifier Fixtures & Schedule – Playoff Stage

DatePlayoffVenue
June 30, 20237th Place Playoff Semi-FinalTakashinga Sports Club (Harare)
July 2, 20237th Place Playoff Semi-Final Takashinga Sports Club (Harare)
July 4, 20237th Place PlayoffTakashinga Sports Club (Harare)
July 6, 20239th Place PlayoffTakashinga Sports Club (Harare)

ICC ODI Cricket World Cup Qualifier Fixtures & Schedule – The Final

DateFinalVenue
July 9, 2023TBD vs TBDHarare Sports Club (Harare)

ICC ODI Cricket World Cup Qualifier – FAQs

Which teams will play in the 2023 ICC ODI Cricket World Cup Qualifiers?

Ireland, Nepal, Netherlands, Oman, Scotland, Sri Lanka, UAE, USA, West Indies, and Zimbabwe will compete in the 2023 ICC ODI Cricket World Cup Qualifier.

Where is the 2023 ICC ODI Cricket World Cup held?

The 2023 ICC ODI Cricket World Cup is held in Zimbabwe. It will be hosted in Harare and Bulawayo with four different stadiums in total (two in each city).

How many teams will qualify from the ODI World Cup Qualifiers to the main draw of the World Cup?

Only two teams will qualify for the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup to be held in India in October.

Which teams are favorites to qualify for the World Cup?

West Indies, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Scotland, and Zimbabwe are the favorites to get the two sports for the 2023 ODI World Cup.

Photo Credits: Original photo by Johan Rynners (ICC/ICC via Getty Images)

© Copyright @Nitesh Mathur and Broken Cricket Dreams, LLC 2023. Originally published on 06/17/2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Broken Cricket Dreams with appropriate and specific direction to the original content (i.e. linked to the exact post/article).

The World Is Back In the Cricket World Cup

by | Jun 2, 2021 | Analysis, Miscellaneous, ODI League

Greek philosopher Heraclitus penned a now famous phrase, “Change is the only constant in life, ” and well, it seems that the Cricket World Cup (CWC) formats took this quote a little too seriously.

Group stage, round-robin, Super Sixes, Super Eights, knockouts—you name it, the format has been experimented with.

History Repeats Itself

From an 8-team event (1975, 1979), the CWC gradually grew to nine teams (1992), then 12 (1996, 1999), 14-teams (2003), and finally reached its inflection point with 16 teams in the 2007 Cricket World Cup.

The 2007 iteration was poorly received for various reasons, but one of the fallouts was halting the gradual expansion of Associate nations in World Cups. With genuine upsets from Ireland & Bangladesh against Pakistan, India, and later South Africa, the ICC lost a major chunk of funding.

The impact?

2011 & 2015 World Cups went back to the ‘90s formats with an elongated 14-team event, while the 10-team 2019 & 2023 events have revived the 1992 round-robin structure, providing as much game time (and hence, financial stability) for the big teams.

If It Is Broke, Fix It

The change of management has done wonders for the ICC—reducing the power of the Big 3, promoting the idea of cricket in the Olympics, and expanding the game with coordinated World Cups with a blockbuster World Cup schedule for the next decade:

  • Men’s ODI World Cup & Women’s ODI Champions Trophy (2023, 2027, 2031)
  • Women’s ODI World Cup & Men’s Champions Trophy (2025, 2029)
  • Women’s & Men’s T20I World Cups (2024, 2026, 2028, 2030)
  • World Test Championship Final (2023, 2025, 2027, 2029, 2031)

There is at least one major tournament for both men & women every year with the odd years also including the World Test Championship final.

Expansion Is the Will of the Nature

If you thought that was good news, hear this out.

The 54-match ODI World Cup is expanded to a 14-team affair (throwback to 2003) – 2 groups of 7, followed by Super Sixes, and finally the semi-finals & the finals.

The 55-match T20I World Cups will well and truly be a ‘world cup’—20 team tournament, 4 groups of 5, a Super Eight Stage, followed by semi-finals & finals. The T20I World Cup will guarantee at least 4 games for eight non-Test playing nations. Massive improvement.

With expanded World Cups, this provides incentive & motivation for Associate players to continue the game. Several Associate cricketers have taken premature retirements for opportunities elsewhere. This will add the fuel to keep them going.

Basketball has caught up with the FIFA benchmark of world cups with a 32-team event, while field hockey & rugby are 16-team affairs. It is time that cricket expand and catch up to the will of nature.

Revisiting the Glory Days

Remember Dwayne Leverlock’s one-handed stunner? Or Shapoor Zadran’s emotional celebration?

This is what World Cups are for—discovering new talents, cherishing the moments, providing a platform for smaller teams to grow, and promoting competition, not diminishing it.

The Associate Nations have provided numerous moments of glory—World Cup’s fastest century at the hand of Kevin O’Brien to hand England a defeat in Bangalore, Stuart Broad’s missed run-out/overthrow giving way for a Netherlands victory, Zimbabwe’s defeat to world-beaters Australia in 2007, and Bangladesh’s rise via CWC victories against Pakistan (1999), India, South Africa (2007), and England (2011, 2015).

Gruesome Qualifier Tournaments Out of the Window

With the expanded World Cup formats, one thing is for certain. The added salt to injury, also known as the Qualifiers, will have a lesser impact.

After Afghanistan & Ireland attained Test Status and became Full Members, the 2019 & 2023 formats were even more difficult to digest. It is a cricket sin for Full Members to not be a part of the World Cup. Zimbabwe & Ireland did not make it to the 2019 WC, and it is likely that even someone like Sri Lanka can lose out on a spot in the next world cup.

Case & point is the 2018 CWC Qualifier, one of the more closely fought tournaments in recent times. Scotland was in sight of qualifying at the expense of the West Indies or Afghanistan, when rain arrived and Scotland mathemagically lost by 5 runs due to the DL method. Zimbabwe also missed out on a qualification spot due a rained-out match.

An over or two should not determine fates for a World Cup qualification. Even worse was the T20 tournaments. After a 51-match qualification tournament for Associates, teams would enter a 3-match ‘pre-qualification’ stage in the actual world cup itself! Ludicrous.

In 2016, Bangladesh & Afghanistan proceeded to the next round while Zimbabwe, Scotland, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Oman, & Ireland crashed out.

Double disqualification, I like to call it. Survivor of the fittest ones that have the most money.

Warning: Potential Conflicts & T10 Format Ahead

Not everything will be fixed by expanding the Word Cup, however. Last month, the ICC backed T10 Cricket in Olympics. I am in full support of cricket in the Olympics albeit T20.

However, with a T20 World Cup now scheduled every two years, including 2028 & 2032, T20 cricket in the Los Angeles & Brisbane Summer Olympics look like a distant dream. Creating an international T10 format might be the only feasible choice, further crowding the international and the T10/T20 leagues calendar.

In any case, I will definitely take more context in cricket calendar, & support for the Associate & lower-ranked nations in exchange of embracing the T10 format.

It is the Little Moments That Matter

Did we really need a World Cup to prove that in the ‘80s the West Indians were a class apart or the Australians were the best in the world in the 2000s?

No, but a World Cup or Olympics is much more than that. So, why have predictable world cup formats?

Surprises & uncertainty, thrills & chills, unity in a divided world, and sportsmanship & hope amidst despair—that is what sport is all about.

It is about time cricket puts the world back in its so-called world cup.

Copyright: Nitesh Mathur, 6/2/2021, bcd@brokencricketdreams.com

Image Courtesy: Image by stokpic from Pixabay

Rethinking the ODI World Cup format: What is the Best ODI World Cup format?

by | Aug 5, 2020 | Cricket innovations, ODI League, ODI World Cup

Is there a thing such as the best ODI World Cup format?

Ireland Vs England, 3rd ODI. What a game yesterday. Twin centuries by the seniors Paul Stirling and Andy Balbirnie with ample support from Harry Tector and the evergreen Kevin O’Brien, Ireland chased 329 against the World Cup holders, albeit without the likes of Stokes, Butler, and Archer.

That certainly does not take anything away from Ireland and breathes life into the new ODI Super League. So it is ideal to reflect on the ODI World Cup Super League (WSL) and current World Cup format now.

Does the ODI Super League and the World Cup provide enough exposure to grow cricket worldwide?

In a scathing review of the 2019 Cricket World Cup (CWC) format, the late Martin Crowe wrote an article proposing an innovate format where the teams and audience both benefit while the game still grows. The 40-over World Cup would consist of a pre-tournament qualifier, a two group conference based competition involving 18 teams, followed by a best of three semi-final and a Grand Finale. Although we provide another solution, this is a good template to reference.

Also Read: 2023 ICC World Cup Qualifier (The Complete Guide), World Cup All-Time XI

ODI Super League – Good or Bad?

As a whole, I think the ODI Super League is a good idea. The top 13 teams in the world play a total of 8 three-match series (4 home/ 4 away) for a total of 24 games. The top 7 sides, along with the next World Cup hosts, qualify automatically for the World Cup, while the bottom five along with 5 associate play a qualifying tournament for the final two spots. This sounds a balanced format, unlike the World Test Championships, but the WSL still has major flaws.

Currently, the 12 test-playing nations are permanent ODI members, while the next 8 teams have temporary ODI status, with only one, the Netherlands qualifying for the ODI Super league.

In what world does this make any sense? If anything, the teams with temporary ODI status should have more exposure to the game so they can prove that they deserve the status. If only one out of the 8 teams is given a chance, it is likely that the one team will get better while the others lose their ODI status and eventually, their respective golden generations.

Finally, the qualifying tournaments in cricket do not provide any value. More often then not, the Associate Teams battle out the qualifiers, where several good teams miss out due to D/L method or a couple of tight games. Even Test-playing nations like Zimbabwe and Ireland missed out on the 2019 World Cup. Simply, the system is rigged against the Associate and lower-ranked nations.

What Should Happen

The current World Cup Super League should be expanded to all 20 teams, and the qualifying tournament should be eliminated altogether. More games should be allocated to the league so each team gets to play an equal number of opponents in each ranking tier (Tier 1: Rank 1-7, Tier 2: Rank 8-14, Tier 3: Rank 15-20). At the end of the four-year period, the top 15 teams qualify for the world cup automatically.

ODI World Cup Format

Group Stage: 3 Groups, 5 Teams Each – Top 3 from group qualify to the next round (30 games)

Super 9s: 3 groups, 3 Teams Each – Groups contain teams that have not played each other earlier (9 games)

Semis + 3rd Place Play-off: Top 3 + 4th ranked team from Super 9s (3 games)

Grand Finale: 1 game

Benefits:

  • Each team plays at least 4 games, so neither do we see a repeat of the 2007 World Cup where both India/Pakistan were eliminated prematurely, nor do we see several one-sided affairs.
  • 15 teams participate – the game grows
  • Each match is meaningful
  • Tournament is 43 matches long, five less than current format. Not quite Martin Crowe’s 18-team vision, but still a valid proposal.

Conclusion

The argument for the 2019 World Cup was that it would be competitive. At the end, only about 10 out the 48 games were close, it took Sri Lanka upsetting England 2 weeks in the tournament for the world cup to open up, and the 4-pre tournament favorites made the semi-finals. If we could just detach ourselves from that final, we could sum 2019 CWC in one word— Predictable.

Meanwhile, Ireland chased 300+ vs England (2011) and West-Indies (2015), Scotland upset England on the eve of the World Cup, and Afghanistan’s rise is a shining example. What else do the Associate nations need to do?

What is your ideal ODI world cup format? Please comment below and don’t forget to share and subscribe for more!

Sources: ESPNCricinfo

Image courtesy of caribbeancricket / Ryan / CC BY creative commons license, some rights reserved.