|| Desk Report ||

Japan, the country of the rising sun has taken its first stride in the arena of World cricket, having qualified for the ICC Under-19 World Cup in South Africa. This is the first time they have qualified for a Cricket World Cup at any level.

But their qualification has come under peculiar circumstances. They ensured their place in the final after their opponent Papua New Guinea forfeited the final match.  Papua New Guinea abandoned the match because they could not field a team for the final day's play. Cricket PNG suspended 11 of its 14 squad members "for internal disciplinary reasons and failing to adhere to our strict codes of conduct," according to the official statement of Cricket PNG.

Japanese cricket team has diversity in their squad. This year's squad is composed of Japanese players, along with several players of other ethnicities.

Japan and PNG both were undefeated in the tournament with three victories each. Japan partook in the East Asia-Pacific Regional Under-19 Qualifier after eight years of absence. In their three previous appearances - 2007, 2009 and 2011 they won only 11 matches out of 24.

Japan became an ICC Associate Member in 1995 and Japan Cricket Association was established in 1984 the closest the Japan men's team came to reaching the World Cup was their participation in the 2008 WCL Division. This is a great opportunity for them to announce their presence in the cricketing world.