2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup: Decoding the qualification scenarios
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has released the qualification pathway for the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup slated to take place in the USA and West Indies. A record 20 teams will be participating in the tournament. The qualifying events for the same will commence in June. Europe will play host to the initial set of qualifiers. Here are more details.
Here's the breakdown of the 20 participating teams
As per ICC, 12 spots are available for automatic qualification. That includes eight top-performing teams in this year's T20 World Cup along with the hosts USA and West Indies. The following highest-ranked teams in the ICC Men's T20I Rankings (as of November 14, 2022) will fill the next two spots. Meanwhile, eight teams shall be picked from the regional qualifiers.
Why does this story matter?
The ICC Men's T20 World Cup is one of the most prestigious cricketing tournaments. It is an excellent move by ICC to promote the growth and awareness of the sport across the globe. The qualification scenarios and later, the main event, pose as the perfect platform for the regional teams and players to showcase their mettle in front of the cricketing world.
Here's what the ICC Head of Events said
"The T20 format continues to drive the growth of the game and over the next two years we will see new teams competing in ICC events for the first time," said Chris Tetley, ICC Head of Events, as per a statement issued by ICC.
66 nations to compete for eight spots in the Qualifiers
66 nations will compete in the Qualifiers, including debutants Hungary, Romania, and Serbia. The breakdown reads as: 14 teams from Africa, eight teams from the Americas, nine teams from Asia, seven teams from EAP, and 28 teams from Europe. Two teams each from Africa, Asia, and Europe will make the cut. Meanwhile, one team from EAP and Americas will get the nod.
Here are the competing teams in Europe, EAP Qualifiers
Europe C Qualifiers: Belgium, Denmark, Gibraltar, Hungary, Israel, Portugal, Malta, and Spain (eight). Europe A Qualifiers: Croatia, Cyprus, Finland, Greece, Isle of Man, Italy, Romania, Serbia, Sweden, and Turkey (10). Europe B Qualifiers: Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Guernsey, Luxembourg, Norway, Slovenia, Switzerland (10). EAP A Qualifiers: Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa, and Vanuatu (four). EAP B Qualifiers: Indonesia, Japan, and South Korea (three).
A look at the competing teams in Africa Qualifers
Africa A Qualifiers: Cameroon, Estwani, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, and Malawi (seven). Africa B Qualifiers: Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, St. Helena, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Tanzania (seven).
Schedule for ICC Men's T20 World Cup Sub Regional Qualifiers
June 29-July 4: Europe C Qualifier in Belgium. July 12-19: Europe A Qualifier in Finland. July 24-31: Europe B Qualifier in Finland. September 9-15: EAP A Qualifier in Vanuatu. October 15-18: EAP B Qualifier in Japan. November 15-24: Africa A Qualifier in Rwanda. November 30-December 6: Africa B Qualifier in Rwanda.
