The schedule for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier has been published, following the confirmation of the 10 teams that will participate in the event from 18 June to 9 July 2023 in Zimbabwe.
Teams will compete for two spots at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 in India, which will offer them nine guaranteed matches at the sport’s ODI global championship.
The ten teams competing in the qualifier are divided into two divisions of five. Group A consists of the hosts Zimbabwe, the West Indies, the Netherlands, Nepal, and the United States, while Group B consists of Sri Lanka, Ireland, Scotland, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates.
Each team will face the other teams in its group once, with the top three teams from each group advancing to the Super Six round. They will face the teams they did not face in the group stage in the Super Six.
Except for points earned against teams that did not qualify for the Super Six, all points earned in the group stage will be carried over to the Super Six stage. Both finalists will advance to the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
Queen’s Sports Club and Bulawayo Athletic Club in Bulawayo, Harare Sports Club and Takashinga Cricket Club in Harare, and Harare Sports Club hosting the final on July 9 will divide 34 matches. Additionally, Old Hararians Cricket Club will host warm-up matches.
On the opening matchday at Harare Sports Club, Zimbabwe will face Nepal, who are attempting to qualify for the Men’s Cricket World Cup for the first time. The two-time Men’s Cricket World Cup champion West Indies will also be in action on June 18 at Takashinga Cricket Club against the United States.
Group B begins on 19 June in Bulawayo, with 1996 World Cup champions Sri Lanka facing the UAE at the Queen’s Sports Club, and Ireland facing Oman at the Bulawayo Athletic Club.
The Netherlands will kick off their season on 20 June against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club, while Scotland will face rivals Ireland at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on 21 June. The Super Six stage will begin on June 29, while the final two teams in each group will compete in the Playoff.
At the Super Six stage and beyond, DRS will be utilized for the first time in this tournament.
The Qualifier combines together the bottom five teams from the ICC Men’s CWC Super League, three automatic qualifiers from the ICC Men’s CWC League 2, and two teams who qualified via the ICC Men’s CWC Qualifier Play-off.
ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice stated, “The countdown to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 is entering its final stages, and this event presents an incredible opportunity for teams to achieve a spot in one day cricket’s premier competition. Fans are eager to see who will join the eight teams that have already scheduled their flights to India, so the stakes in this extremely competitive event will not increase.
This unique event, featuring teams from Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe, will be a showcase of the global game, with two former Men’s Cricket World Cup champions among the contenders and emerging cricket nations aiming to qualify for the first time.
Zimbabwe Cricket Chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani stated, “We anticipate an unforgettable treat of great, entertaining, and competitive cricket, which is assured given the caliber of the teams competing in the tournament.”
This event presents us as hosts with an incredible opportunity to demonstrate not only the passion for cricket in Zimbabwe, but also the friendliness of our people and the breathtaking natural beauty and tourist attractions of our country.
ICC MEN’S CRICKET WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS (All matches begin at 9:00 a.m. local time)
Zimbabwe vs. Nepal, Harare Sports Club West Indies vs. United States, Takashinga Cricket Club, Sunday, June 18
Sri Lanka vs. UAE on Monday, June 19; Queen’s Sports Club Ireland vs. Oman; Bulawayo Athletic Club.
Zimbabwe vs. Netherlands, Harare Sports Club Nepal vs. United States, Takashinga Cricket Club, Tuesday, June 20
Wednesday, June 21st, Ireland versus Scotland, Queen’s Sports Club Oman versus UAE, and Bulawayo Athletic Club.
West Indies vs. Nepal, Harare Sports Club Netherlands vs. USA, Takashinga Cricket Club, Thursday, June 22
Sri Lanka vs. Oman, Queen’s Sports Club Scotland vs. UAE, and Bulawayo Athletic Club on Friday, June 23.
Saturday, June 24th, Harare Sports Club, Zimbabwe vs. West Indies; Takashinga Cricket Club, Netherlands vs. Nepal
Sunday, June 25th, Sri Lanka vs. Ireland, Queen’s Sports Club Scotland vs. Oman, and Bulawayo Athletic Club.
Zimbabwe vs. USA, Harare Sports Club; West Indies vs. Netherlands, Takashinga Cricket Club; Monday, 26 June
Sri Lanka vs. Scotland; Queen’s Sports Club Ireland vs. UAE; Bulawayo Athletic Club; Tuesday, June 27;
Thursday, June 29th, Super 6: A2 vs. B2 at the Queen’s Sports Club
Friday, June 30th, Super 6: A3 versus B1; Queen’s Sports Club
A5 versus B4 in the playoffs for Takashinga Cricket Club
Saturday, July 1st, Super Six: A1 versus B3 Harare Sports Club
Sunday, July 2nd, Super 6: A2 versus B1, Queen’s Sports Club
A4 versus B5 in the playoff for the Takashinga Cricket Club
Monday, July 3rd, Super Six: A3 vs. B2 Harare Sports Club
Queen’s Sports Club A2 vs. B3 on Tuesday, July 4, Super 6
7th vs. 8th Takashinga Cricket Club in the playoffs
Super Six, 5 July, A1 vs. B2, Harare Sports Club
Thursday, July 6th
Super Six: Queen’s Sports Club A3 vs. B3
9th vs. 10th Takashinga Cricket Club in the playoffs
Super Six, 7 July, A1 vs. B1, Harare Sports Club
Sunday, July 9th, Harare Sports Club Final
WARM-UP FIXTURES
Tuesday, June 13: West Indies vs. Scotland, Harare Sports Club vs. Oman, Takashinga Cricket Club vs. UAE, Old Hararians Cricket Club vs. Netherlands, Queen’s Sports Club vs. United States of America, and Bulawayo Athletic Club vs. Ireland.
Thursday, June 15: Nepal vs. Oman, Harare Sports Club vs. West Indies, Takashinga Cricket Club vs. Scotland, Old Hararians Cricket Club vs. Netherlands, Queen’s Sports Club vs. Sri Lanka, Bulawayo Athletic Club vs. United States of America.
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