ICC President Congratulates Nepal And Uganda
ICC President Alan Isaac has congratulated Nepal and Uganda for qualifying for the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier that will be staged in New Zealand early next year.
Nepal and Uganda sealed their places after reaching the final of the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 3 in Bermuda on Sunday [May 5]. In the final, Nepal defeated Uganda by five wickets.
After watching the match, Mr Isaac said: “The final was played in the spirit of our great game, and was a wonderful spectacle of cricket for the fans here in Bermuda. The skillful, disciplined and exciting match was a testament to the continuously improving standard and depth of cricket in Associate and Affiliate countries.
“Nepal and Uganda are now just one step away from playing in a World Cup. I’m sure they’ll quickly switch their focus and attention to the New Zealand qualifier, try to build on their successes in Bermuda, work harder and aim to arrive fresh, ready and fully trained so that they can challenge the other eight teams who will be equally focused and committed.”
Nepal and Uganda will go head to head with eight other teams who have qualified from two other events – the six bottom teams of the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Championship, and Papua New Guinea [PNG] and Hong Kong, who finished third and fourth in WCL Division 2 in 2011 – in New Zealand in January 2014. The top two sides from the New Zealand event will progress to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 that will be held in Australia and New Zealand.
Mr Isaac also complimented the other four sides for producing good cricket throughout the week.
“I would also like to congratulate Bermuda, Italy, Oman and the USA, who did not make it to the final but competed superbly throughout the week. With so much to play for, the teams have played cricket of a very high quality that the fans, as well as myself, have enjoyed immensely.
“While these teams will not be progressing to New Zealand in January, they can be very proud of their efforts in representing their countries at such a high level. I wish them all the very best of luck in the next stages of the WCL tournament structure,” he said.
Mr Isaac paid rich tribute to the organisers, the local clubs, the volunteers and the supporters for combining to create a successful tournament.
“I would like to thank Bermuda Cricket Board and the clubs that hosted the teams for doing a terrific job in staging these matches. There is a great deal of work that goes on behind the scenes, and the Board as well as all its volunteers should be congratulated for their efforts.
“Thanks also to the match officials, the dedicated ground staff and all the support staff of the competing teams, who have worked tirelessly to make this event a success. You can all reflect on a job well done,” he concluded.
