The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday has come up with the news that would get all the cricket fans out there in high spirits. An extensively long wait to watch the resumption of the white-ball cricket has finally come to an end as the board has officially instigated the inaugural ICC Cricket World Cup Super League on 27th July 2020. Fans would witness the ICC get the show on the road from 30th July 2020 in Southampton where the debut match of the tournament will be played between the 2019 World Cup champions, England, and the Ireland team.
The league would serve as a qualification criterion for the teams for the ICC World Cup 2023 which would be hosted by India. Thirteen teams, twelve of which are full-time ICC members, and Ireland as the 13th team, which made it to the competition by winning the 2015-17 ICC World Cricket League Championship, will be battling out on the ground to make way for themselves in the 2023 World Cup. Every team would be playing against 8 rival teams out of the 12 teams in the league.
The teams will each be playing four matches on their home ground and four on foreign soil. Eight teams, including the host team of the 2023 World Cup and other Top 7 winning teams would automatically make it to the finals, while the other 5 teams would have to play another qualifying event.
Speaking on the launch of the Super League, Geoff Allardice, ICC General Manager – Cricket Operations said, “We are delighted to get the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League underway with world cup winners England against Ireland. “The league will bring relevance and context to ODI cricket over the next three years, as the qualification for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 is at stake.
The Super League gives cricket fans around the world even more reasons to watch as the drama of league cricket unfolds.”
Both the teams set to play the inaugural match are quite rhapsodic on making a comeback on the cricket ground after such a long pause and to be playing the debut match of the league. A very enthusiastic Eoin Morgan, the England team captain said, “We’re looking forward to playing cricket again and to the ICC Men’s World Cup Super League. 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.”
