Dubai: UAE, who were expecting to clinch the official One Day International team status after their win against Kenya on Tuesday, will have to wait for the nod from International Cricket Council (ICC).
The UAE players assumed they had clinched ODI status following their victory in the ICC Cricket World Cup qualifier match in Hagley Oval in Christchurch when they learnt the ICC approval is necessary. When Gulf News contacted ICC over this issue, an ICC spokesperson said: “It has not yet been determined how many teams will be given One Day International status in the next cycle.”
The UAE camp was under the impression that four top teams will get ODI status and in the ongoing World Cup qualifier, they are among the top four in points table. “As you might remember from previous tournaments, particularly the World Cricket League Championship (WCLC), the ICC does a review of the competition at the end of the tournament. As such, we are currently undergoing that review for the whole WCL structure, including the WCLC and qualification structures, and ODI status is part of that review,” added the spokesperson.
During the ongoing World Cup qualifiers, UAE has stunned even teams with ODI status. In fact, the victory over Kenya which had played in the World Cup is considered among the most creditable victories.
Speaking to Gulf News, Mohammad Redha Abbas, the UAE team selector and Emirates Cricket Board executive council member, said: “UAE players deserve all the credit for a great show in the qualifiers. If not for the players the world would not have known that such a team exists. All credit to the boys.”
