The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 begins in Kirtipur on Thursday with Namibia, the Netherlands and hosts Nepal featuring in the first of 24 tri-series that will take four teams to the brink of qualifying for the 2027 ODI World Cup which will be played in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Run through a similar format to the inaugural edition from 2019 to 2023, the competition moves from a seven-team format to an eight-team competition, via 24 tri-series of six matches each, ICC reports. ICC U19 World Cup 2024: Uday Saharan and Three Other Indian Cricketers Named in Team of the Tournament.

Canada, Oman, Scotland, the United Arab Emirates and the United States of America are the other teams in the eight-team league that will comprise 144 matches in the lead up to the World Cup Qualifier. Teams were placed in the World Cup League 2 and the Qualifier Play-Offs, based on the previous World Cup Qualification cycle.

The top four teams from League 2 will make it to the World Cup Qualifier. They will be joined in the Qualifier by four teams coming through the Qualifier Play-Offs as well as teams that don’t qualify automatically based on ICC ODI Rankings. The top four teams in the Qualifier, a highly competitive event that saw two-time world champions West Indies knocked out last time, will join 10 direct qualifiers in the World Cup. Co-hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe and the other top eight ranked teams will complete the 14-team World Cup lineup.

ICC Head of Events Chris Tetley highlighted the importance of League 2 in the development of teams. "The League 2 fixtures are a very important part of our cricket calendar because not only do they provide a pathway to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027 but also provide a programme of highly competitive cricket around which teams can plan their calendars. NEP vs CAN 1st ODI 2024: Rohit Paudel Shines As Nepal Defeat Canada by Seven Runs.

"Several of the teams playing 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, providing an excellent opportunity to prepare for the World Cup in the T20 format."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 13, 2024 01:24 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).