With the ODI World Cup scheduled to be played in 2023, the ICC World Cup Qualifiers will begin on June 18th in Zimbabwe. The tournament will be held among ten teams divided into two groups. Three teams from each group will qualify to play the super six round of the tournament, and after that, the playoffs will take place among the four teams that qualify from the super six round.
From the playoffs, two teams will be chosen to play the final game of the tournament, and those two teams will qualify for the ICC ODI World Cup 2023. The top bookmakers in India have World Cup qualifiers odds with them.
This year's biggest surprise is the inclusion of West Indies and Sri Lanka in the qualifiers tournament, as they failed to qualify directly for the ODI World Cup. Both teams are going through a tough time in international cricket, and they both hope to revive their performance during the qualifier tournament. Here is a list of five extremely important matches in the qualifier tournament.
West Indies vs USA – 18th June
This will be the first time West Indies and the USA will come face to face in international cricket. The match holds importance due to an interesting matchup between America's Ali Khan and Windies' Shai Hope. Khan will be confident enough with his pace to challenge Shai Hope and the rest of the batting order. West Indies, being giants in international cricket, will be hoping to start the tournament with a win. The fixture is scheduled to take place at Takashinga Sports Club on 18th June.
Scotland vs UAE – 23rd June
UAE enjoyed an international cricket presence in 2022 during the T20 World Cup tournament, where they hosted the tournament and automatically qualified for the group stage. They have a happy memory of the tournament as they stunned Namibia in their third fixture. On the other hand, Scotland is a better team than UAE, but they are missing out on some crucial players due to the county cricket tournament. It will be an interesting contest between the young talent of UAE and the experienced players from Scotland.
Netherlands vs Nepal – 24th June
Since Monty Desai took over the coaching duties of the Nepal cricket team, the team has won 11 out of 12 matches in League 2. They also won the ACC Premier Cup at home, and Nepal will be part of their first-ever Asia Cup in 2023. Adding more intrigue to this clash is the fact that Nepal's first ODI victory came against the Netherlands five years ago. The Netherlands will do anything to stop Nepal from reaching the next round, but considering the quality of players in the team, it is going to be a thrilling competition.
Zimbabwe vs West Indies – 24th June
Another crucial match between historical arch-rivals, Zimbabwe and West Indies, taking place on the same day. When it comes to the ODI format, both teams will be facing each other after five years. They recently played a Test series where West Indies overpowered the hosts. It will be interesting to see two powerful teams desperate to qualify for the ODI World Cup scheduled to take place in India. The fixture is scheduled to be held on 24th June at Harare Sports Club.
Sri Lanka vs Ireland – 25th June
It is disappointing to see a team that once dominated international cricket and won the 1996 World Cup, participating in the Qualifiers Tournament. Sri Lanka won the Asia Cup in 2022, and it looked like the team was coming back on track, but things remained unchanged in their camp. They met Ireland for a two-match Test series at Galle, and the visitors won the series. Ireland will be up for a challenge against some talented players, but Sri Lanka might face some troubles from the Irish pacers.
