ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 Kick-off: Tri-Series in Nepal
The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 is set to commence in Kirtipur, Nepal on Thursday. The opening tri-series will feature Namibia, the Netherlands, and the host nation, Nepal. This is the first of 24 tri-series leading up to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027, which will be hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.
The eight-team league also includes Canada, Oman, Scotland, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States of America. A total of 144 matches will be played in the lead-up to the World Cup Qualifier.
The top four teams from League 2 will advance to the World Cup Qualifier. They will be joined by four teams from the Qualifier Play-Offs and teams that fail to qualify automatically based on ICC ODI Rankings.
Teams were assigned to the World Cup League 2 and the Qualifier Play-Offs based on their performance in the previous World Cup Qualification cycle.
The top four teams in the Qualifier will join 10 direct qualifiers in the World Cup. The co-hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe, along with the other top eight ranked teams, will complete the 14-team World Cup lineup.
Chris Tetley, ICC Head of Events, on the Importance of League 2
Chris Tetley, the ICC Head of Events, emphasized the significance of League 2 in the development of teams. He stated, “The League 2 fixtures are a crucial part of our cricket calendar as they not only pave the way to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027 but also provide a program of highly competitive cricket around which teams can plan their calendars.”
He further added, “Several of the teams participating in League 2 will also be featuring in this year’s Men’s T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies. The League 2 series provide Members with the opportunity to schedule T20I fixtures around their 50 over matches, offering an excellent opportunity to prepare for the World Cup in the T20 format. I wish all the players the very best in what promises to be a very closely fought league.”
Rohit Paudel, Nepal’s Captain, on the Upcoming Series
Rohit Paudel, the captain of the Nepal team, expressed his excitement about the upcoming months as his team prepared to play their first League 2 series at home. He said, “We are pleased to be hosting the first tri-series of what promises to be a well-contested League 2 with several talented sides in the fray.”
He continued, “These are exciting times for us with the Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 less than four months away and our qualification campaign starting for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027. We are heartened and more confident after a 3-0 win over Canada in the just concluded series and hope to get off to a fine start in League 2 with this home Tri-series.”
Tri-Series Fixtures in Nepal
15 Feb: Nepal vs Namibia
17 Feb: Nepal vs Netherlands
19 Feb: Namibia vs Netherlands
21 Feb: Nepal vs Namibia
23 Feb: Namibia vs Netherlands
25 Feb: Nepal vs Netherlands
The Associate Member Future Tours Programme (2024-27) encompassing all World Cup league 2 fixtures is available here.