Come October 2023, the world will again witness the epic battle for the ultimate title of World Champions in cricket. The sport is a global phenomenon that is coming back to India after 12 years. A total of eight teams have made it to the top eight. Now, two spots are left, which will be decided through a month-long qualifier tournament in Zimbabwe.
It begins on June 18, 2023, and teams are gearing up by playing pre-qualifiers.
The first day was on June 13, 2023. Five matches were played, with the final results as follows:
| Team 1 | Team 2 | Result |
| West Indies | Scotland | WI Win by 91 runs |
| Zimbabwe | Oman | ZIM win by 28 runs |
| Nepal | UAE | UAE win by 3 wickets & 1 ball |
| Netherlands | Sri Lanka | SL win by 3 wickets & 77 balls |
| USA | Ireland | IRE win by 5 wickets & 29 balls |
The second warm-up day is June 15, 2023, after which the qualifier tournament will commence. Only two teams will make it to the list and experience India’s brilliant hospitality during the ICC World Cup 2023.
WI vs. SCOT
Scotland could not give a tough fight to the two-time ODI World Cup winner. Shai Hope scored 57 runs off 65 balls and set the stage for the disaster. He held onto the fort after the top three batters collapsed unexpectedly for 16 runs combined. The series ended only when Romario Shepherd scored 53 runs off 34 balls.
Matthew Cross and Brandon McMullen formed a crucial partnership for Scotland’s second wicket. What happened next was a pack of cards falling miserably within 33.5 overs.
ZIM vs. OMA
Zimbabwe has the potential to deliver upsets, and Pakistan is well-versed in this fact. They lost by 1 run in the ICC T20 World Cup on October 27, 2022. In other words, they had little difficulty facing Oman, particularly in a qualifying warm-up match. With the loss of six wickets, ZIM chased a target of 367.
The next inning was restricted to 49.4 overs, with the opponents falling short by 28 runs. Sikandar Raza was the Player of the Match versus Pakistan, and he replicated those efforts against Oman by bringing up 110 runs off 67 balls.
Nepal vs. UAE
Nepal’s participation in the qualifier has gotten off to a rocky start. The UAE secured victory with one remaining delivery and three wickets remaining. They were tasked with pursuing only 276. Prior to returning to the dugout, Aryansh Sharma accomplished his half-century. In addition, Rohan Mustafa scored 77 runs off 56 balls.
Nepal’s efforts have to be appreciated. Their openers and middle-order batters gave it their best shot. Aasif Sheikh registered the top score with 76 runs off 104 balls. While that came at a slower strike rate of 73.07, the innings were much-needed to post a good score on the board.
NED vs. SL
The only disappointing thing in the match was the Netherlands losing its top four batters quickly. Only 27 runs could be ignited. It was after Teja Nidamanuru and Scott Edwards’s entries that the team gained momentum.
SL did not go easy and began shooting fire right from the start. Dimuth Karunarante missed his 50-run mark by 3 runs, but Dasun Shanaka’s 67 runs later brought that up off 52 balls. Wins like these prompt the legal cricket betting sites to incline toward SL, no matter the conditions they are playing under.
USA vs. IRE
Ireland has a rising star, and he goes by the name Harry Tector. The number 4 batter scored an unbeaten 149 runs off 123 balls while chasing 313 runs. The side registered the target in just 45.1 overs.
The USA has a lot to think about when it comes to how they want to play batters below the number 5 position. That is precisely where they lost the warm-up to the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 qualifier.
Conclusion
Action for the ICC ODI World Cup qualifier warm-up comes back on June 15, 2023, with another set of five matches. Look out for players who stand out since they will surely have the capacity to deliver upsets in the tournament.