CRICKET-South Africa, Namibia to host World Cup Qualifiers.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, CMC- The West Indies’ hopes of home advantage in next year’s World Cup Qualifiers have been dashed after the ICC revealed that South Africa and Namibia will co-host the event in February.

According to a report from ESPN Cricinfo, the Qualifiers are slated for February 26 to March 21 and will feature 10 teams vying for the four remaining World Cup spots.

The ICC previously told potential participants earlier this year that the tournament would be played between February 22 and March 23, but confirmed the revised dates at ICC meetings in Dubai last week.

Although venues were not set then, several officials privy to the discussions told Cricinfo the ICC has finalized South Africa and Namibia as hosts.

Along with the West Indies and Ireland, the competition will also feature the top four teams from World Cricket League Division 2 (WCL 2) – currently Scotland, USA, Netherlands and Oman – and four other teams that come through a World Cup qualifier playoff, which is set to be played from December 1 to 22 at an undisclosed venue.

Co-hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe qualified automatically for the World Cup, along with the next eight teams in the rankings. These include India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Australia, England, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh.