West Indies announce historic first as World Cup preparation steps up

Guyana: The West Indies will prepare for the upcoming ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier with a three-game ODI series against the UAE in Sharjah at the start of next month.

It will be the first time the West Indies have taken on the UAE in a bilateral series and will be crucial for the Caribbean side as they attempt to earn a place at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup at the end of the year.

The two-time World Cup champions finished outside the automatic qualification spots for this year’s tournament during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League and will only feature at the 2023 event with a top-two finish at the qualifier during June and July in Zimbabwe.

These key warm-up fixtures will see the West Indies take on another team that will feature at the qualifier, with the UAE winning their place at the event via a well-deserved second-placed finish at

the recent ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier Playoff, the ICC reported.

West Indies legend and current director of cricket Jimmy Adams believes the three-match series will provide excellent preparation for his side ahead of the qualifier tournament and is looking forward to working with the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) in the coming years for future tours.

“This is our first ever bilateral tour against the UAE and we are pleased to have agreed this historic three-match ODI Series as it will provide a good opportunity for our players to get some preparation ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers,” Adams said.

“It will also allow those players not going to Zimbabwe to get some valuable experience at the international level in foreign conditions, which would be hugely beneficial to their growth and development,” he said.

“We are happy to work closely with the ECB to arrange the three matches and we see this as a partnership which can grow in the future,” Adams added.

All three fixtures will take place at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, with both teams then flying to Zimbabwe for the start of the qualifying tournament from June 18.

UNI