2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier

2018 ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier
Dates4 – 25 March 2018
Administrator(s)International Cricket Council
Cricket formatOne Day International
List A cricket
Tournament format(s)Round-robin and Knockout
Host(s)Zimbabwe Zimbabwe
Champions Afghanistan (1st title)
Runners-up West Indies
Participants10
Matches34
Player of the seriesZimbabwe Sikander Raza
Most runsZimbabwe Brendan Taylor (457)
Most wicketsAfghanistan Mujeeb Ur Rahman (16)
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The 2018 ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier was a cricket tournament that took place during March 2018 in Zimbabwe.[1] It formed the final part of the Cricket World Cup qualification process for the 2019 World Cup in England and Wales.[2] The top two teams, Afghanistan national cricket team and the West Indies, qualified for the World Cup, joining the hosts and the seven teams who had already qualified through their ranking in the ICC ODI Championship.[3] Afghanistan won the tournament, beating the West Indies by 7 wickets in the final.[4] Afghanistan’s Mohommad Shahzad was named the player of the match[5] and Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza was named the player of the tournament.[6]

The tournament was initially scheduled to take place in Bangladesh,[7] but in May 2017 it was reported that the event would instead be hosted elsewhere as Bangladesh were close to automatic qualification, and thus would not need to participate in this tournament. Three bids were under consideration: one from Zimbabwe, one from Nepal and a joint-bid from Ireland and Scotland, who were the winners of the previous qualifier tournament.[8][9][10]

In October 2017, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced that Zimbabwe would host the event.[11] In January 2018, the ICC confirmed all the fixtures and venues for the tournament.[12] At the end of the tournament, the Netherlands (who won the ICC World Cricket League Championship) and the top three Associate Member teams earned One Day International (ODI) status until 2023.[13]

  1. ^ "The Netherlands win the ICC World Cricket League Championship". International Cricket Council. 6 December 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  2. ^ "Zimbabwe to host World Cup qualifier in March 2018". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
  3. ^ "Opportunity for India to move ahead of Australia into second place". ICC. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  4. ^ "Afghanistan win ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  5. ^ "Mujeeb, Shahzad complete fairytale Afghan comeback with title win". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  6. ^ "CWCQ Player of the Tournament: Sikandar Raza". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  7. ^ "West Indies to host Pakistan in March–May 2017". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
  8. ^ "Qualifying tournament for the 2019 Cricket World Cup to be moved from Bangladesh to Ireland and Scotland". The Independent. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  9. ^ "Zimbabwe likely to host WCQ". Cricket Europe. Archived from the original on 12 July 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  10. ^ "Zimbabwe in talks with ICC to host World Cup qualifiers". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  11. ^ "New international Test and ODI leagues agreed in principle by ICC members". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
  12. ^ "ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018 schedule announced". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  13. ^ "ODI status denied to some World Cup Qualifier games". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 15 January 2018.