Saturday, May 16, 2009

What do Bahrain, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Japan, Nigeria and Suriname have in common?

The answer, surprisingly, is that they will all be competing at cricket next week. Qualification for the next ICC World Cup has just concluded, with Canada, Ireland, Kenya and the Netherlands joining the big boys in 2011. So, what are Bahrain et al playing for? World Cricket League 7, the lowest tier of the international cricket pyramid. But they're not just playing for promotion to the next level, they're all kicking off the qualifying phase for the 2015 ICC World Cup.

It is entirely possible for a team to rise up through the divisions, as Afghanistan's romantic journey from League 5 to the edge of qualification for the World Cup demonstrated. So, good luck to the six teams, who can look forward to games against the likes of Botswana, Germany and Vanuatu in the next stage if they're successful...

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