With the race for the Qualifier spots wide open, we take you through the state of Cricket World Cup 2023 League 2 as things stand.

What's the pathway to the Cricket World Cup 2023?

A total of 10 teams will play in the Cricket World Cup 2023 that is scheduled to be played in India later this year. Out of the 10 teams, eight will come through the Cricket World Cup Super League with the remaining two decided by the Qualifier.

The top three teams from the Cricket World Cup League 2 get direct entry into the Qualifier alongside the bottom five teams from the Super League. It's not all finished for the teams in the bottom four of League 2, however, as they can still make it to the Qualifier, albeit they will have to go through the Qualifier Play-off pitted against the top two Challenge League teams – Canada and Jersey – in order to reach the Qualifier.

League 2 ODIs

FREE on ICC.tv: Watch Highlights of Every League 2 ODI as 7 Teams Chase a Spot at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023

WATCH LEAGUE 2 ODIS

WATCH LEAGUE 2 ODIS

Who have punched their tickets from League 2 for the Qualifier?

Scotland and Oman can breathe easy as they have already confirmed their spot in the Qualifiers. Scotland, with 50 points in 36 matches, top the league and have already been crowned League 2 champions, and Oman’s tally of 44 points from 36 matches means no other team can pip them from their second spot.

Which teams are out of the race for direct Qualifier spots?

PNG and USA are out of the top-three race, but will get a second bite at the cherry during the Qualifier Playoff. PNG are at the bottom of the league with just seven points from 31 games while the USA are currently fourth in the league. four points behind third-placed Namibia, having played out their quota of 36 games. 

Which teams are still in the race?

Three teams  – Namibia, Nepal and the United Arab Emirates  – are vying for the final top-three spot in the Cricket World Cup League 2. While Nepal and UAE have all to play for, Namibia can only wait, watch and pray for results to go their way as they have completed playing their quota of 36 games. 

Remaining fixtures:

UAE v Papua New Guinea: 5 March
UAE v Nepal: 6 March

Nepal v Papua New Guinea: 9 March
UAE v Papua New Guinea: 10 March
Nepal v UAE: 12 March
Nepal v Papua New Guinea: 13 March
Papua New Guinea v UAE: 15 March
Nepal v UAE: 16 March

League 2 ODIs

FREE on ICC.tv: Watch Highlights of Every League 2 ODI as 7 Teams Chase a Spot at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023

WATCH LEAGUE 2 ODIS

WATCH LEAGUE 2 ODIS

Standings: 

What does each team need to do to reach the top 3?

UAE

Of the three teams, UAE have the most games remaining (six) and have their fate firmly in their hands – win all their games and qualify. They are currently placed fifth on the table with 31 points and have two home fixtures, a game each against PNG and Nepal before they head to Nepal for the final leg.

Four wins in six games will take them level on points with Namibia (39 points), though that won't be enough with tie-breakers decided on the total number of wins in the league. A fifth win will guarantee them a spot in the top three, taking them out of reach of Nepal's best possible total of 40 points and also past Namibia. 

To qualify: Win at least five of the remaining six games

Nepal

When League 2 action returned in February, things looked bleak for Nepal. With only 18 points from 24 matches, the top three looked like a distant dream. Seven matches later, Nepal are now gunning for a Qualifier spot.

The turnaround started with two thrilling run-chases against Namibia and Scotland and that momentum doesn't seem to be halting now. In their last seven league games, they have accumulated 12 points with six wins.

Nepal have five games remaining and the only way they can qualify is by winning all their remaining games, which will take their tally to 40.

To qualify: Win all their remaining five games

Namibia

Namibia can only wait and watch until the conclusion of League 2 on 16 March. As things stand, UAE is their biggest threat to a top-three spot and they will be hoping CP Rizwan's side slip up in at least three of their remaining six fixtures. 

A loss for Nepal in any of their remaining five games will make it a two-horse race between Namibia and UAE.

To qualify: Hope Nepal lose at least one game and UAE lose at least two matches

How to watch the remaining action-packed matches? 

Every ball of the Cricket World Cup League 2 ODIs will be live and FREE on ICC.tv.

League 2 ODIs

FREE on ICC.tv: Watch Highlights of Every League 2 ODI as 7 Teams Chase a Spot at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023

WATCH LEAGUE 2 ODIS

WATCH LEAGUE 2 ODIS

Fans in the ALL regions (other than Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan) can watch League 2 matches LIVE on ICC.tv on:

* ICC.tv website
* ICC.tv mobile apps (available in the App Store and Google Play)
* Samsung TV and LG TV apps

Highlights of League 2 ODIs are also available on-demand for FREE on ICC.tv.

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