The ICC has finally announced the ICC World Cup ODI Super League post the global pandemic. This new announcement has brought some important changes in the One-day international tournaments.
What is ODI Super League Exactly?
On July 27, the ICC (International Cricket Council) announced that the ICC Cricket World Cup Super League will be conducted for this year. These latest changes introduced in the ODI cricket format will revolutionize the game for good. Currently, the Super League will have a total of 13 teams, among which, there will be 12 teams that are full members of ICC along with the Netherlands. These members are the ones that won the ICC World Cricket Super League 2015-2017.
The terms and conditions of ICC state that the top 7 teams in the series are going to qualify for the 2023 World Cup tournament. The teams that do not make it to the top 7 list will have to qualify for the World Cup by playing qualifier matches. ODI World Cup qualifiers will be played between the remaining 5 teams along with the rest of the 5 associate teams. Basically, 10 teams will get a chance to play the 2023 World Cup. The two teams that’ll play the final match of the ODI World Cup qualifiers will qualify for the World Cup. These teams will secure the last two positions.
There is no denying that the One-day International League is balanced as compared to the World Test Championship. Each team gets an opportunity to play four matches at their home ground and four matches in the international countries. Each nation can organize 3 and more ODI series. However, qualification will be done on the basis of the first three series. The ICC World Cup Super League is going to start on 30th July with the first ODI series of Ireland and England. The three-match series is going to be conducted in Southampton.
ODI Super League Structure
- The 13 teams selected for the ICC Super League will get a chance to play against 8 teams.
- As mentioned before, 4 three-match series will be conducted at home for each team, while they are supposed to play the remaining four three-match series on the international cricket ground.
- Every time a team wins the match, they get 10 points. If there is a tie, each team gets 5 points.
- The 7 teams that perform the best in this Super League will directly qualify for the World Cup tournament scheduled to begin in 2023 (which will be conducted in India this time).
- Since India is the host of the 2023 World Cup, it automatically qualifies for the big match.
- The rest of the team i.e. 5 teams that do not make it to the list will have to participate in the qualifier round, which will be played against the 5 associate teams.
- The team that wins this qualifier match as well as the team that secures the runner-up spot will be qualified for the 2023 world cup.
Predicted Winner of ODI Super League
Considering the new structure of the game and the past performances of the teams, India, Australia, and England have the potential to make it to the top three teams in the finals. England has one of the best line-ups. It seems like they can win any challenge, except for winning against India in the Indian cricket ground. Virat Kohli is going to lead the Indian team and is also expected to win all the four matches.
The major challenge for India is to win the series in Australia. The India-Australia series will be conducted in Australia, while England-India will be conducted in India. These series are going to have a great impact on the positions each team secures in the final leagues.
What is the Total Number of Teams Participating in the ODI Super League?
13 teams are going to participate in the tournament. One team will win the championship and declared as the winner, while seven teams will get qualified for the 2023 world cup automatically. India is hosting the 2023 world cup, which means India has qualified for the match already. The names of the teams that will be seen in the tournament are Netherlands, South Africa, Ireland, Australia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, England, Afghanistan, West Indies, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Zimbabwe.
What about the teams that secure the last spots?
The five teams that are going to get the last positions can still qualify for the world cup 2023. The five teams that secure the last positions will play the ODI World Cup qualifiers. The winner and the runner up of this qualifiers series will give us the 2 remaining teams for the 2023 world cup.
What is the point distribution system in the ODI Super League?
This time the point system is super simple. For each win, a team earns 10 points. If the team loses the match, they get 0 points. If there is a tie between the teams or the match has to abandon due to certain reasons, then each team will get 5 points.
Which teams will play against each other in the ODI Super League?
Just like the Test Championship. Not each team will get a chance to play against all the 13 teams in this tournament. In this three-match series, each team will get a chance to play against 8 countries. This means that 24 matches will be conducted for each team, among which four three-match series is to be played at home ground and the rest will be played in the international cricket ground.
For example, the current structure suggests that India will not get an opportunity to play against Pakistan.
Below is the list of teams that won’t be facing each other during the course of the ODI Super League.
