The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the first eight series of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 to begin in August 2019 on the Road to India 2023.
The Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 provides more competitive cricket for Nepal, Namibia, Oman, PNG, Scotland, UAE and USA, with each team playing 36 One Day Internationals (ODIs) over two and half years from August 2019 to January 2022, where teams are just two steps away from the Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.
The League will see 126 ODIs played across 21 tri-series, with the first series kicking off in Scotland on 14 August 2019.
Each team will host three series at home and play six series abroad if all goes according to the plans.
- Nepal will host USA and Oman from February 5 to 12 in 2020 at the TU Ground, Kathmandu for its first tri-series.
- Two months later, Nepal will travel to Namibia to join hosts and Scotland for another tri-series from April 20 to 27.
- From June 9 to 16, Nepal will play UAE and PNG at Amini Park, Port Moresby, PNG.
- In June 2020, Nepal meets Scotland and Namibia.
- In January 2021, Nepal will play USA and Oman.
- In February 2021, Nepal will play UAE and PNG.
- In August 2021, Nepal will meet USA and Oman.
- In November 2021, Nepal plays Namibia and Scotland.
- In January 2022, Nepal plays UAE and PNG
Each series will see teams play a total of six ODIs, with teams competing for the top three spots of the League 2 table which will confirm their place in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2022.
The bottom four teams will drop into the Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-Off 2022 – which is a repechage event to the Global Qualifier- and will be joined by the winner of Challenge League A and B.
The top two teams from the Play-Off will keep their hopes alive of participating in India 2023.
For the first time in cricket’s history, 20 teams will have ODI status providing more opportunity for ODI cricket both in ICC events and in Member organised bilateral cricket, ICC said.