The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifiers event will take place in Zimbabwe from 18 June to 9 July 2023. The event will determine the final two slots for the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup to be held in India. The schedule has been announced, and 10 participating teams have been decided.
The 10 teams participating in the qualifiers will be divided into two groups of 5 teams each. Host nations Zimbabwe, the West Indies, the Netherlands, Nepal and the United States will form Group A, while Sri Lanka, Ireland, Scotland, Oman and the United Arab Emirates will form Group B. Each team will play each other team in the group once. The top three from each group will advance to the Super 6 stage.
Matches during the event will be held across four venues in Harare and Bulawayo. Queens Sports Club and Bulawayo Athletic Club of Bulawayo, Harare Sports Club and Tasinga Cricket Club of Harare will share 34 matches, with the final being held at Harare Sports Club on 9 July. The Old Hararians Cricket Club also hosts a warm-up match.
Hosts Zimbabwe will face Nepal, who are seeking their first appearance in the Men’s Cricket World Cup, in the opening match at Harare Sports Club. Two-time Men’s Cricket World Cup champions, the West Indies, will face neighboring USA on 18 June at Tasinga Cricket Club. Group B begins in Bulawayo on 19 June, with 1996 World Cup winners Sri Lanka taking on the UAE at Queens Sports Club, while Ireland and Oman face off in another match at Bulawayo Athletic Club.
The Super 6 stage will begin on June 29, with the bottom two teams from each group qualifying for the playoffs. For the first time ever, DRS will be used in all matches from the Super Six stage onwards.
The stakes couldn’t be higher in this highly competitive event that will be enjoyed by fans looking forward to seeing who will join the eight teams who have already booked tickets to India. With two former Men’s Cricket World Cup champions on the shortlist, as well as an emerging cricket nation looking to qualify for the first time, this unique competition will feature teams from Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe. The event will serve as a showcase for global international competition, ‘The Game.
ICC Chief Executive Jeff Alladis said that “As the countdown to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 enters its final stages, this event presents a great opportunity for teams to qualify for one-day cricket’s premier event.” Zimbabwe Cricket President Tavengwa Mukulani expressed excitement for “an unforgettable, spectacular, entertaining and competitive cricket season, given the quality of the teams participating in the tournament”.
The schedule for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifiers 2023 has been provided with details of all the matches.