| Administrator(s) | International Cricket Council |
|---|---|
| Cricket format | One Day International List A |
| Tournament format(s) | League system |
| Host(s) | Various |
The 2017–22 ICC World Cricket League (WCL) is the fourth season of ICC World Cricket League, an international cricket tournament composed of five divisions. [1] It serves as a qualification route for the 2023 Cricket World Cup. [2] The divisions will be played in roughly consecutive order, with the lower divisions played first. The top two from each division will gain promotion to the following, higher division, meaning that some teams will play in more than one division during the tournament. [3]
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a 20-metre (22-yard) pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striking the ball bowled at the wicket with the bat, while the bowling and fielding side tries to prevent this and dismiss each player. Means of dismissal include being bowled, when the ball hits the stumps and dislodges the bails, and by the fielding side catching the ball after it is hit by the bat, but before it hits the ground. When ten players have been dismissed, the innings ends and the teams swap roles. The game is adjudicated by two umpires, aided by a third umpire and match referee in international matches. They communicate with two off-field scorers who record the match's statistical information.
The 2023 Cricket World Cup will be the 13th edition of the Cricket World Cup, scheduled to be hosted by India, from 9 February to 26 March 2023. This will be the first time the competition is held completely in India.
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The first tournament, in September 2017, was the 2017 ICC World Cricket League Division Five in South Africa. [4] Jersey beat Vanuatu by 120 runs in the final to win the tournament. [5] The second tournament, the 2018 ICC World Cricket League Division Four, was held during April and May 2018. [6] There was no final for this tournament, after two of the final three matches finished as a no result. [7]
The 2017 ICC World Cricket League Division Five was an international cricket tournament that took place in Benoni, South Africa during September 2017. It formed part of the 2017–19 cycle of the World Cricket League (WCL) which determines the qualification for the 2023 Cricket World Cup. Jersey and the Netherlands were interested in hosting the tournament, but the International Cricket Council (ICC) awarded it to South Africa, due to the ease of securing visas for the teams involved.
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by 2,798 kilometres (1,739 mi) of coastline of Southern Africa stretching along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countries of Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe; and to the east and northeast by Mozambique and Eswatini (Swaziland); and it surrounds the enclaved country of Lesotho. South Africa is the largest country in Southern Africa and the 25th-largest country in the world by land area and, with over 57 million people, is the world's 24th-most populous nation. It is the southernmost country on the mainland of the Old World or the Eastern Hemisphere. About 80 percent of South Africans are of Sub-Saharan African ancestry, divided among a variety of ethnic groups speaking different African languages, nine of which have official status. The remaining population consists of Africa's largest communities of European (White), Asian (Indian), and multiracial (Coloured) ancestry.
The 2018 ICC World Cricket League Division Four was an international cricket tournament that took place during April and May 2018 in Malaysia. It formed part of the 2017–19 cycle of the World Cricket League (WCL) which determined the qualification for the 2023 Cricket World Cup. The top two teams were promoted to the 2018 ICC World Cricket League Division Three tournament and the bottom two teams were relegated to Division Five.
Following the conclusion of the 2019 Division Two tournament, the World Cricket League will be replaced by the ICC Cricket World Cup League and the ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League. [8] [9]
The 2019 ICC World Cricket League Division Two is an international cricket tournament that is scheduled to take place in April 2019 in Namibia. It will form part of the 2017–19 cycle of the World Cricket League (WCL) which determines the qualification for the 2023 Cricket World Cup. Hong Kong and Papua New Guinea finished in the bottom two places in the 2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier, therefore relegating them to the Division Two tournament and losing their One Day International (ODI) status in the process.
The 2019–21 ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 is scheduled to be the inaugural edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2, a cricket tournament which forms part of the qualification pathway to the 2023 Cricket World Cup. It is scheduled to start in July 2019, with all matches played as One Day Internationals (ODIs). Each set of fixtures will take part as a tri-series.
The 2019–21 ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League is scheduled to be the inaugural edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League, a cricket tournament which forms part of the qualification pathway to the 2023 Cricket World Cup. It is scheduled to start in August 2019, with all matches having List A status.
