ICC set to move World Cup Qualifiers

A little more than a week after the postponement of the Champions Trophy, Cricinfo can reveal that the ICC will have to either move or postpone its next high-profile event, the World Cup Qualifiers.

The tournament, which involves the leading Associates, is due to be staged in the UAE next April, with the top four countries winning a place at the 2011 World Cup. The event will also be used to establish which six Associates will be granted one-day status for the next four years.

The competition had been arranged to mark the opening of the multi-million dollar Dubai Sports City, but it appears that the facility will not be ready until later in the year.

The option to delay staging the Qualifiers has not found favour among the Associates as it will reduce the time available to them to prepare for the World Cup itself.

That leaves the ICC looking for an alternative venue. Almost all Associate countries are ruled out by the time of year, with March and April being out of season for many. Malaysia has emerged as the only Associate with the facilities and climate which make hosting the tournament possible.

The other option is for the event to be held in Bangladesh, which has the infrastructure in place and where interest is likely to be much higher than elsewhere. However, several countries are believed to have expressed concerns that the conditions will be too unfamiliar for their players at that time of year. The counter argument is that some games in the World Cup itself will be held in Bangladesh so it will give the Associates good experience of the conditions facing them.