Nepal is ranked 25th among 96 cricket nations of the world, according to International Cricket Council (ICC).
The latest issue of ICC’s quarterly publication, CricketQuarterly, has published the top 20 associate and affiliate members of ICC. The ranking is based according to the ICC Trophy 2005 and World Cup Qualifying Series II 2005.
According to the list, Kenya is placed in the eleventh place atop the non-Test playing nations followed by Scotland, Ireland, Canada, Bermuda and Holland. These six nations along with 10 Test playing nations will play in the 2007 Cricket World Cup in West Indies.
Top ranked Asian nation is United Arab Emirates (UAE) at 17 while Oman is at 20; Nepal at 25; Qatar 26 and Kuwait 28.
The ranking of the non-Test playing nations:
11 Kenya
12 Scotland
13 Ireland
14 Canada
15 Bermuda
16 Holland
17 UAE
18 Namibia
19 Denmark
20 Oman
21 USA
22 PNG
23 Uganda
24 Fiji
25 Nepal
26 Qatar
27 Cayman Islands
28 Kuwait
29 Italy
30 Zambia
In a bid to bring regular global one-day cricket to the top 18 non-Test nations, ICC has introduced the ICC World Cricket League. “The three-division ICC World Cricket League will, for the first time, allow nations to play regular one-day cricket against similarly-ranked opponents regardless of where in the world they are based,†CricketQuaterly said.
UAE and Oman along with Namibia and Denmark are in the Division Two of the League. They will be joined by the finalists of the 8-nation Division One event. In Division One, USA, Uganda and Papua New Guniea will meet the five qualifiers from the regional event. The top ranked team in ACC Trophy besides UAE and Oman will qualify from Asia for the Division Two League.
The six World Cup qualifying teams will play the Division One League which will also be considered One-Day International. The League and the ranking will also play a vital role in the World Cup qualification for the 2011.
Besides the six top non-Test playing nations, the semifinalists of Division Two League in 2007 and finalists of the Division Three in 2009 will qualify to play the World Cup qualifying tournament in 2009.
How Can Nepal Qualify for World Cup Qualifier?
For Nepal to qualify for the World Cup qualifier in 2009, there is two roads.
The First Road: Nepal has to finish top besides UAE and Oman in 2006 ACC Trophy. It means either Nepal has to win the trophy or to lose in the final to either of these two countries or to finish third with these two reaching the final.
That will ensure Nepal’s qualification to Division Three. In Division Three League in 2007, Nepal has finish top three – top two will qualify for the Division Two and third to Division Three in 2009.
If Nepal qualifies for Division Two and finishes among top four, it will directly qualify for the World Cup qualifier in 2009.
The Second Road: If Nepal didn’t finish top in the ACC Trophy 2006 (besides UAE and Oman), they have to do so in 2008 to qualify for Division Three League 2009 and has to reach the final of the League to qualify for the World Cup qualifying event.
Click Here to See the World League Structure In Pictorial Table
