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

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

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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)

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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

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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).

Structured Chaos Paves Way for World Cricket’s Changing Landscape

Lots of world cricket recently. Cricket here, cricket there, cricket everywhere.

In the last month, New Zealand defeated India to lift the inaugural World Test Championship. South Africa swept the Test series 2-0 and won the T20I series 3-2 against the world champions, West Indies, who themselves blew Australia out of the park in the T20I series. 

Ireland emerged victorious in an almost-perfect ODI match against South Africa. Finally, a last-minute England’s second-string squad whitewashed a full-strength Pakistan team 3-0, and a second-string India threatens to be too strong for Sri Lanka on paper.

Also Read: Indian Cricket Team 75+ Player Depth List, Top 50+ England Cricket Team Players Depth List

Embrace the Uncertainty

If you tried predicting all the series above, most likely you would have missed a few. Cricket’s landscape is changing. A vast transformation is taking place.

No single team is unbeatable, and no team can be taken lightly. Case and point— Sri Lanka. Transition phase, lackluster, downfall, where are the glory days gone?—call them anything, but they are the only Asian side to win a Test series in South Africa and that too in 2019.

In the current ODI Super League, Ireland have blown hot and cold. They have defeated current ODI World Cup holders, England and South Africa. Those were no fluke victories either—chasing 329 and putting 291 on the board is no little feat. However, the Irish drew 1-1 against UAE, lost 0-3 against Afghanistan, and surrendered important Super League points to Netherlands in a 1-2 series loss.

Also Read: Netherlands Vs Scotland & Ireland 2021, Ireland Vs Afghanistan 2021 Series Review

New Winners, New Stories

Let us dissect this further. This uncertainty is not a recent phenomenon either. Due to the influx of ICC tournaments (almost one every year now), there is a higher probability of multiple teams claiming a world trophy.

Gone are the days of West Indies 1980s (1975/1979 WC winners, 1983 finalist) and Australia 2000s (1996 finalists, 1999/2003/2007 WC winners, 2006/2009 Champions Trophy winners). 

South Africa (till 2015) and India been right up there over the last decade without putting their stamp of domination. West Indies have dominated T20Is, England have changed ODI cricket, and New Zealand have been a constant force.

Yet since the 2013 Champions Trophy, a different winner has conquered each ICC Trophy.

  • 2013 Champions Trophy: India
  • 2014 T20 World Cup: Sri Lanka
  • 2015 ODI World Cup: Australia
  • 2016 T20 World Cup: West Indies
  • 2017 Champions Trophy: Pakistan
  • 2019 ODI World Cup: England
  • 2021 World Test Championship: New Zealand

In the next decade, 5 WTC Finals, 6 T20I World Cups, 3 ODI World Cups, and 2 Champions Trophies will provide ample opportunity for new winners.

Sure, with the bench strength that England, India, or New Zealand possess, they will be contenders but not certain winners.

ICC Has Gotten Something Right

Honest confession time. I have been critical of the ICC in the past, but must give it to them. They have a made a few decent decisions recently—pushing for cricket in the Olympics, extending future World Cups to include more Associate nations (14-team ODI WC, 20-team T20I WC), and most importantly, by providing much needed structure.

The first great thing ICC did was granting T20I status to all 104 nations in 2018. It was the right step in “globalizing the game” by ensuring standardization in terms of grounds, umpiring, and code of conduct. T20I World Cups scheduled every two years will ensure vigorous qualification structure.

To provide context in Test cricket, the World Test Championship was installed. It has numerous flaws, but the fact that spectators were critical of the points table, a record number watched the finals, and predictions for the next cycles have already begun show that the ICC have succeeded at some level in contextualizing Test cricket. The fact that Virat Kohli, Tim Paine, Joe Root, and Kane Williamson have been active advocates for the WTC has made it an even better spectacle to view.

The best of these ICC innovations has to be the 13-team ODI Super League that feeds into the new ODI World Cup qualification system. Every ODI series is a 3-match affair, and every team plays 24 matches. This is already a win for the likes of Ireland, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, and the Netherlands, getting opportunities to compete against the top teams consistently. By the looks of it, Sri Lanka and even South Africa are in real danger of not making direct qualification for the next World Cup, spicing things up.

These systems are only in their infancy, and by the time the structure is robust, cricket will be at a better place.

Looking Forward to the 2020s

The 2000s was a wonderful era for cricket—a collision of generations. Sri Lanka-Pakistan-India had strong teams, England, New Zealand, & West Indies were competitive enough, while South Africa & Australia were the teams to beat. ODI cricket was at its peak, Test cricket was still prospering, and the Sehwags & Gayles provided us a glimpse into T20 future.

The 2010s saw each team going through massive transition eras. Home advantage in Test cricket killed any semblance of competition. The overkill of T20 cricket questioned cricket’s existence at the core.

Cricket has seen a turning point, especially since 2019. All formats have seen riveting action.

Carlos Brathwaite’s Remember the Name gave T20Is its unique iconic image. T20 cricket is now at its pinnacle with T20 specialists popping in every country and most nations now possessing a stable T20 league. With two consecutive T20 World Cups coming up, each T20I series is closely followed.

Brendon McCullum’s New Zealand and Eoin Morgan’s England changed the way ODI cricket was played. The 2019 World Cup final, Ben Stokes/Steve Smith’s Ashes, and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy have created a new generation of cricket fans. A sporting Test cricket pitch can go a long way. Bonners-Myers 4th innings chase, Fawad Alam’s almost match-saving knock, and the World Test Championship final all gave chills.

Changes will continue, one team will no longer dominate, and that is only a good thing. World cricket has survived its chaotic phase and has come out for the better.

Copyright @Nitesh Mathur, Broken Cricket Dreams 07/14/2021. Email: bcd@brokencricketdreams.com

Image Courtesy: Fractal Image – Robert Sontheimer, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

England Vs Sri Lanka 2021 Series Review: Woakes-Willey-Currans Impress As Sri Lanka Hit Rock Bottom

England Vs Sri Lanka 2021 Series Review. The #1 ranked team in the ODI Super League against the #11 team—a lopsided predictable series.

As we speak, England’s second string team is dominating Pakistan in an ODI series, but England found young guns in the Sri Lanka series as well. Liam Livingstone & Sam Billings progressed their case in the middle order, Dawid Malan & Eoin Morgan silenced their critics, and Joe Root & Jos Buttler did what they usually do. On the bowling front, Sam Curran, David Willey, Chris Woakes, and Tom Curran came to the party.

For Sri Lanka, the story goes from bad to worse. Apart from Dushmantha Chameera, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dhananjaya de Silva, and Dasun Shanaka, there was nothing much of note. Scores of 129, 111, and 91 in the T20Is along with 185, 241, & 166 in the ODIs shows how much ground the Lankans have lost in the last decade.

Add to that, the bio-bubble suspension of Kusal Mendis, Danushka Gunathilika, and Niroshan Dickwella, contract struggles, Thisara Perera’s retirement at 32, Angelo Mathews’ retirement consideration, numerous captaincy changes, and COVID induced India-Sri Lanka series, Sri Lanka have hit absolute rock-bottom.

Also Read: Top 50 England Cricket Team Players, West Indies Vs Sri Lanka 2021 Series Review

Results, Scorecards, & Video Highlights

T20I Series – England Won 3-0

  1. England won by 8 wickets (17 balls remaining) *Jos Buttler
    • SL 129/7 – Dasun Shanaka 50 (51), Adil Rashid (4-0-17-2)
    • Eng 130/2 – Jos Buttler 68* (55), Dushmantha Chameera (3.1-0-24-1)
    • Video Highlights
  2. England won by 5 wickets (11 balls remaining)*Liam Livingstone
    • SL 111/7 (18 overs) – Kusal Mendis 39 (39), Mark Wood (4-0-8-2)
    • Eng 108/5 (Target 103) – Liam Livingstone 29 (26), Wanindu Hasaranga (4-0-20-2)
    • Video Highlights
  3. England won by 89 runs*Dawid Malan
    • Eng 180/6 – Dawid Malan 76 (48), Dushmantha Chameera (4-0-17-4)
    • SL 91/10 – Binura Fernando 29 (14), David Willey (4-0-27-3)
    • Video Highlights

*Player of the Match

Player of the SeriesEngland
Sam Curran
Sri Lanka
Most RunsDawid Malan – 87 Runs
(Best of 76, 29.00 average, 129.85 SR)
Dasun Shanaka – 65 Runs
(Best of 50, 21.66 average, 89.04 SR)
Most WicketsSam Curran – 5 wickets
(Best – 2/14, 9.40 average, 5.22 Economy)
Dushmantha Chameera – 6 wickets
(Best – 4/17, 11.66 average, 6.26 Economy)
England Vs Sri Lanka 2021 T20I Series Stats

ODI Series – England Won 2-0

  1. England won by 5 wickets (with 91 balls remaining)*Chris Woakes
    • SL 185/10 Kusal Perera 73 (81), Chris Woakes (10-5-18-4)
    • Eng 189/5 Joe Root 79* (87), Dushmantha Chameera (8-0-50-3)
    • Video Highlights
  2. England won by 8 wickets (with 42 balls remaining)*Sam Curran
    • SL 241/9 Dhananjaya de Silva 91 (91), Sam Curran (10-1-48-5)
    • Eng 244/2 Eoin Morgan 75*(83), Chamika Karunaratne (6-0-34-1)
    • Video Highlights
  3. No Result
    • SL 166/100 (41.1 overs) Dasun Shanaka 48* (65), Tom Curran (10-0-35-4)
    • Video Highlights

Series Stats

Player of the SeriesEngland
David Willey
Sri Lanka
Most RunsJoe Root – 147 Runs
(Best of 79*, 84.48 SR, 50s-2, Not dismissed)
Wanindu Hasaranga – 100 Runs
(Best of 54, 33.33 average, 68.02 SR)
Most WicketsDavid Willey – 9 Wickets
(Best – 4/64, 16.00 average, 5.33 Economy)
Dushmantha Chameera – 3 Wickets
(Best – 3/50, 32.00 average, 5.64 Economy)
England Vs Sri Lanka 2021 ODI Series Stats

Highlights

England

  • Chris Woakes: 3-0-14-1 (1st T20I), Rested, 4-0-9-1 (3rd T20I), 10-5-18-4 (1st ODI), Rested, 10-3-28-2. Dream figures. Playing his first T20I since 2015/16 season, you would expect him to get a consistent run. Yet he has only played 3 T20Is, 6 Tests, and 7 ODIs over the last two years. Yes, England do play lots of cricket and have tough competition for spots, but Woakes at 32, is in his prime and is bowling beautifully. Resting him after 3 over spells just does not make sense (unless the England team management are hiding something).
  • David Willey & Sam Curran were the pick of the bowlers in the ODI series. In the 2nd ODI, they combined for 9 wickets together. Curran’s opening spell – reducing SL to 21/4 within 7 overs was especially spectacular. Willey has had a stop-start career and has always taken his opportunity. It is time he gets a consistent run. Was unlucky to miss out on the 2019 WC spot due to the Jofra Archer’s emergence.
  • Silencing the critics feat Dawid Malan, Eoin Morgan, and Tom Curran.
    • Tom Curran produced a 10-0-35-4 in the final ODI after a couple of expensive years.
    • One criticism is that since his record-breaking innings against Afghanistan, he hasn’t had much of note. Performance with KKR in the IPL? Not that great either. Meanwhile, Alex Hales is making runs for fun in the various T20 leagues. Dropping Morgan and picking Hales gained some traction in social media recently. Hence match-winning partnership with Joe Root in the 2nd ODI was timely.
    • Malan, the #1 ranked T20I batter, was under the hammer for below-par performances in slow subcontinent tracks. An exhilarating 76 in the 3rd T20I should solidify his case for the T20I World Cup.

Also Read: Why The World Needs Sam Curran: Calm, Charismatic, Courageous

Sri Lanka

  • Dushmantha Chameera has been the only positive for Sri Lanka fast bowling over the last year. He was the best bowler for Sri Lanka this tour in 3 out of 5 matches. Bowls with good pace, hits the deck—he has all the elements to be a Sri Lankan great.
  • Wanindu Hasaranga has been the find for Sri Lanka since the West Indies tour earlier this year. He is currently averaging 15.76 at 6.75 economy and is now unleashing his all-round potential. In this England series, he batted in the middle order with handy knocks of 54, 26, & 20.
  • Dhananjaya de Silva played a gem of a counterattacking knock in the 2nd ODI, scoring 91 runs. Pure timing and a great catch as well. Unfortunate to miss that century.

Also Read: Lasith Malinga: The Slinga, Slayer, and SuperStar

AwardsEnglandSri Lanka
Emerging PlayerLiam LivingstoneDushmantha Chameera
Comeback KidEoin MorganSL’s Administrative Struggles
Surprise Package Rotation of Chris WoakesDhananjaya de Silva
Broken Cricket DreamInternational Career Over For Alex Hales?Bio Bubble Breach
England Vs Sri Lanka 2021 Series Awards

T20I World Cup Squad Predictions

We look forward to early T20 World Cup 23-player squad prediction as of this series. Who knows how many changes we will get to see with Sri Lanka.

  1. Jason Roy, 2. Jos Buttler (WK), 3. Dawid Malan, 4. Jonny Bairstow, 5. Eoin Morgan*, 6. Ben Stokes, 7. Sam Curran, 8. Moeen Ali, 9. Jofra Archer, 10. Adil Rashid, 11. Mark Wood

Squad: 12. Sam Billings, 13. Liam Livingstone, 14. Tom Curran, 15. Chris Jordan, 16. Saqib Mahmood, 17. James Vince, 18. Tom Banton, 19. Joe Root, 20. Reece Topley, 21. Liam Dawson, 22. Matt Parkinson, 23. Phil Salt

Sri Lanka

  1. Kusal Perera, 2. Pathum Nissanka, 3. Dhananjaya de Silva, 4. Dinesh Chandimal, 5. Avishka Fernando, 6. Wanindu Hasaranga, 7. Dasun Shanaka*, 8. Akila Dananjaya, 9. Isuru Udana, 10. Dushmantha Chameera, 11. Lakshan Sandakan

Squad: 12. Ashen Bandara, 13. Asitha Fernando, 14. Nuwan Pradeep, 15. Oshada Fernando, 16. Suranga Lakmal, 17. Ramesh Mendis, 18. Kamindu Mendis, 19. Dilshan Madushanka, 20. Suranga Lakmal, 21. Dimuth Karunaratne, 22. Praveen Jayawickrama, 23. Lasith Malinga

Upcoming Fixtures – England Vs Sri Lanka 2021

England’s camp was hit by COVID so an entire new squad, captained by Ben Stokes, was picked for the Pakistan series. No Alex Hales picked.

Apart from the Hundred in July, England & Sri Lanka have lots of game time for the two T20 World Cups.

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Copyright: @Nitesh Mathur, Broken Cricket Dreams, 7/10/2021. Email at bcd@brokencricketdreams.com to get in touch with us.