New Cricket World Cup format disadvantages associate nations like Namibia
via The Namibian3 min read
The International Cricket Council ICC has announced a new format for next year's Cricket World Cup, which Namibia will co-host with South Africa and Zimbabwe. While the number of competing teams has increased to 14, the new structure makes it significantly harder for associate nations, including co-host Namibia, to qualify for the main stage. South Africa and Zimbabwe automatically qualify as ICC full members, along with the top eight ranked nations. The remaining four spots are determined through a lengthy qualifying process that began two years ago. Namibia, as an associate nation, must still qualify despite being a co-host. Namibia and seven other associate nations are currently competing in the ICC World Cup League Division 2 WCL D2. The top four teams from WCL D2 will advance to a final World Cup qualifier. The ICC states the changes aim to create more meaningful contests and enhance the tournament experience, but the new format has drawn criticism on social media, particularly from associate nations. The Netherlands opening batter Max O' Dowd highlighted the extensive qualifying rounds associate teams must endure. Namibia is currently in the Netherlands preparing for a crucial WCL D2 series against the Dutch and Nepal, sitting seventh on the log with 22 points.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Namibian.
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