Desk Report

The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Monday they will launch a new international tournament of ‘Super League’ over one day format this week to determine the qualification for the 50-over World Cup in 2023.

It will be  a 13-nation league which will get underway with the one-day international between world champions England and Ireland in Southampton on Thursday. World Cup hosts India and the next seven highest-placed teams will automatically qualify for the 2023 edition.

“The decision last week to move the (50-over) World Cup back to late 2023 gives us more time to schedule any games lost due to COVID-19 and preserve the integrity of the qualification process, meaning it will be decided on the field of play, which is important,” said ICC general manager Geoff Allardice.

Under the previous qualifying system for last year's World Cup in England, the top eight teams in the ICC rankings were joined by the top two sides from a qualifying tournament to make up the 10-team event.

“We’re looking forward to playing cricket again and to the ICC men's World Cup Super League,” said England’s limited-over captain Eoin Morgan.

“Given the situation, it will be quite different to the last time we played at home, when we lifted the World Cup at Lord's, but it’s nice to be starting our journey for the next edition of the tournament,” Morgan told the media.

However, Ireland’s captain Andrew Balbirnie said: “It is obviously going to be a huge challenge taking on the team that won the World Cup just a year ago, but we have prepared well and have taken confidence from our form over the early months of 2020.”

“What is important is that we are getting back on the field. I hope international cricket’s return is steady during these challenging times,” Balbirirnie added.

The later qualifying tournament will feature five of the 13 sides that fail to get through directly against five associate nations.