A total of 10 teams will be participating in ICC World Cup 2023. Eight teams have qualified directly on the basis of their performance in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League standings. Each team played 24 matches in their qualifying journey. The remaining two teams are decided after the Qualifiers in Zimbabwe.
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The format in 2023 will be the same as it was in 2019. All the 10 teams will play against each other once in a round-robin format. The Top 4 teams at the end of the league stage will then qualify for the semi-finals.
In 2015, 14 teams had taken part in the tournament and the format was completely different as well. Back then, teams were divided into two groups of seven each and the Top 4 teams from each group had qualified for the quarter-finals.
The format changed in 2019 because some of the top teams (England in 2015) were eliminated in the group stage itself previously. It was said that a fair result would be achieved if each team played against one another.
Not considered commercial with respect to viewing numbers, it also avoided matches between associate nations. It was due to the same reason that this decision of neglecting teams resulted in a fair bit of criticism. Rightly so, associate teams had publicly expressed disappointment with the move. However, it is to be noted the teams will be increased from 10 to 14 again in ICC Cricket World Cup 2027.
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India, England, New Zealand, Australia, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, South Africa and Pakistan have already qualified for the mega event slated to be held in India later this year. Sri Lanka and the Netherlands have joined the eight teams after World Cup qualfiers. Let’s have a look at the respective qualifying journeys of these eight teams.
New Zealand
New Zealand topped the Super League standings where they won 16 out of 24 matches and earned 175 points in the process. They lost just five matches throughout the tournament. Having lost a World Cup final four years ago, the Black Caps will have a point to prove this time around.
England
Defending champions England also secured an easy qualification and finished second on the table. They won 15 and lost eight out of their 24 games gaining 155 points. Their NRR of +0.976 was the best among all the teams. They will again be one of the favourites to win the tournament.
Bangladesh
Quite surprisingly, Bangladesh finished at third place and managed to earn same points as England. That said, England’s superior NRR (Net Run Rate) gave them an edge over Bangladesh. They also won 15 and lost eight matches in the Super League.
Australia
Australia managed to win one more game than England and Bangladesh but they finished at the fourth spot with 150 points. After winning the World Test Championship, the record ICC-title holder nation is a strong force in a World Cup year again. This will be Pat Cummins‘ first World Cup as a captain.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan continued their impressive run in international cricket and finished at the sixth position ahead of teams like India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, etc. They won 14 matches to collect 145 points with an impressive NRR of +0.573. Afghanistan will enjoy the conditions in India and can unequivocally play the role of a dark horse.
India
India’s performance was disappointing as they managed to grab just 139 points and finished at the sixth position. As India is hosting the tournament, they were always slated to get a direct entry. The position on the table mattered nothing to them. Needless to say, India will again be a very big contender for a home World Cup.
Pakistan
Even though Pakistan has managed to seal a place in the tournament, they would have hoped for a better performance. Finishing at the seventh position was not an ideal campaign. Pakistan qualified for the final of ICC T20 World Cup 2022 and they will be aiming to utilize the subcontinent conditions in their favour.
South Africa
After a lot of difficulties, South Africa managed to qualify for the tournament. They cancelled an ODI series against Australia to ensure the success of SA20 League. While the same was done successfully, it hampered their chances of qualifying directly for the world event.
As a result, the Proteas finished with just 98 points at the eighth spot. However, they are one of the strongest teams in the division and their place in the Super League don’t really define them.
Sri Lanka
It was not a usual sight watching Sri Lanka in the qualfiers, but they dominated all the teams in the competitions. Sri Lanka won all of their matches in the tournament in Harare and sealed their place in the tournament. They can be a tough team to beat in the Indian conditons.
Netherlands
The Netherlands surprised everyone in the World Cup Qualfiers. Their brilliant win over Scotland earned them a place in the mega tournament. They were playing without their County stars but punched above their weights to cement their place for the World Cup in India.
