| Size: | 250px |
| Administrator: | International Cricket Council |
| Cricket Format: | One-Day International List A |
| First: | 2007 |
| Last: | 2019 |
| Tournament Format: | League system |
| Tournament Name: | ICC World Cricket League |
| Participants: | 93 nations |
| Most Runs: | Peter Gough (2006) |
| Most Wickets: | Basanta Regmi (118) |
| Website: | ICC World Cricket League |
The ICC World Cricket League (WCL) was a series of international one-day cricket tournaments for national teams without Test status (i.e., teams of Associate status) administered by the International Cricket Council. All Associate Members of the ICC were eligible to compete in the league system, which featured a promotion and relegation structure between divisions. The league system had two main aims: to provide a qualification system for the Cricket World Cup that could be accessed by all Associate Members and as an opportunity for these sides to play international one-day matches against teams of similar standards.
The league began in 2007, where teams were allocated into divisions based on their performance in the qualification tournaments for the 2007 World Cup; the six initial teams in Division One were the teams that had qualified for the 2007 World Cup. At this stage, there were only five divisions. The WCL expanded to eight divisions at one point.
The WCL was a pathway to the Cricket World Cup until 2019. Following the conclusion of the 2019 Division Two tournament, the WCL was replaced by the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 and the ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League. The final rankings from the WCL were used to place teams into the two new leagues.[1] [2]
The initial league began in 2007 with seven tournaments over five global divisions, based upon previous world rankings.[3] [4] This was expanded into eight separate divisions by 2010. In the first cycle, the number of teams in each tournament varied from six to twelve. With the advent of the second cycle, the number of teams was regularised to six for each tournament, with the exception of the lowest division, Division 8, in which eight teams played. As from 2015, the number of divisions was again reduced to just five.
When most of the divisions are played, two teams will be promoted, two relegated and two remain for the next instalment (normally two years later). At the end of each cycle, a World Cup Qualifier is played. In 2018, this featured the four lowest teams of those holding 'Full' (senior) status, together with six 'Associate' nations namely the four who were still in Division One, plus the top two from Division Two. The two last-placed teams in that World Cup Qualifier lost their ODI status and were relegated into Division Two.
Regional tournaments, which act as qualifiers for the lowest division of the World League, are administered by the five development regions of the International Cricket Council: Africa, Americas, Asia, East Asia-Pacific, and Europe.[5]
| Cycle | Pre-qualification for | Divisions | World Cup qualification tournament(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007–09[6] | 2011 Cricket World Cup | 5 | 2009 Cricket World Cup Qualifier | |
| 2009–14[7] | 2015 Cricket World Cup | 8 | 2011–13 ICC World Cricket League Championship, 2014 Cricket World Cup Qualifier | |
| 2012–18 | 2019 Cricket World Cup | 8 | 2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier | |
| 2017–19 | League 2, Challenge League → 2023 Cricket World Cup | 5 | 2023 Cricket World Cup Qualifier |
| Details | Host nation(s) | Final venue | Final | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | Result | Runner-up | ||||
| 2007–09 ICC World Cricket League – Pathway to the 2011 Cricket World Cup | ||||||
| 2007 Division Three |  Australia | Gardens Oval, Darwin | 241/8 (50 overs) | Uganda won by 91 runs scorecard | 150 all out (46.3 overs) | |
| 2007 Division Two |  Namibia | Wanderers Cricket Ground, Windhoek | 347/8 (50 overs) | United Arab Emirates won by 67 runs scorecard | 280 all out (43.2 overs) | |
| 2007 Division One |  Kenya | Nairobi Gymkhana Club, Nairobi | 158/2 (37.5 overs) | Kenya won by 8 wickets Scorecard | 155 all out (47 overs) | |
| 2008 Division Five | Grainville, St Saviour | 81/8 (37.4 overs) | Afghanistan won by 2 wickets Scorecard | 80 all out (39.5 overs) | ||
| 2008 Division Four | Kinondoni Ground, Dar es Salaam | 179 all out (49.4 overs) | Afghanistan won by 57 runs Scorecard | 122 all out (45.0 overs) | ||
| 2009 Division Three |  Argentina | Belgrano Athletic Club, Buenos Aires | 8 points, +0.971(NRR) | League Table | 8 points, +0.768(NRR) | |
| 2009 WC Qualifier |  South Africa | SuperSport Park, Centurion, Gauteng | 188/1 (42.3 overs) | Ireland won by 9 wickets (scorecard) | 185 all out (48 overs) | |
| 2009–14 ICC World Cricket League – Pathway to the 2015 Cricket World Cup | ||||||
| 2009 Division Seven | King George V Sports Ground, Castel | 207/7 (46.1 overs) | Bahrain won by 3 wickets (scorecard) | 204/9 (50.0 overs) | ||
| 2009 Division Six |  Singapore | Kallang Cricket Ground, Singapore | 242/8 (50.0 overs) | Singapore won by 68 runs (scorecard) | 174 all out (48.4 overs) | |
| 2010 Division Five |  Nepal | TU Cricket Ground, Kathmandu | 173/5 (46.5 overs) | Nepal won by 5 wickets (Match report) | 172 (47.2 overs) | |
| 2010 Division Four |  Italy | Centro Sportivo Dozza, Pianoro | 188/2 (21.4 overs) | United States won by 8 wickets (Match report) | 185/9 (50.0 overs) | |
| 2010 Division Eight |  Kuwait | Kuwait Oil Company Hubara Ground, Ahmadi City | 164/4 (33.1 overs) | Kuwait won by 6 wickets (Match report) | 163/8 (50.0 overs) | |
| 2010 Division One |  Netherlands | VRA Cricket Ground, Amstelveen | 233/4 (44.5 overs) | Ireland won by 6 wickets (scorecard) | 232 (44.5 overs) | |
| 2011 Division Seven |  Botswana | Botswana Cricket Association Oval 1, Gaborone | 219/9 (50 overs) | Kuwait won by 72 runs (Match report) | 147 (36.5 overs) | |
| 2011 Division Six |  Malaysia | Kinrara Academy Oval, Kuala Lumpur | 211/8 (49.3 overs) | Guernsey won by 2 wickets (Match report) | 208/9 (50 overs) | |
| 2011 Division Three |  Hong Kong | Kowloon Cricket Club, Hong Kong | 207/6 (47.1 overs) | Hong Kong won by 4 wickets (Match report) | 202/9 (50 overs) | |
| 2011 Division Two | DSC Cricket Stadium, Dubai | 201/5 (45.3 overs) | United Arab Emirates won by 5 wickets (Match report) | 200 (49.3 overs) | ||
| 2012 Division Five | Singapore | Kallang Ground, Singapore | 164/1 (26.4 overs) | Singapore won by 9 wickets (Match report) | 159 (47 overs) | |
| 2012 Division Four | Malaysia | Kinrara Academy Oval, Kuala Lumpur | 147/2 (28 overs) | Nepal won by 8 wickets (Match Report) | 145 (48.1 overs) | |
| 2013 Division Three |  Bermuda | National Stadium, Hamilton | 153/5 (39.2 overs) | Nepal won by 5 wickets Scorecard | 151/8 (50.0 overs) | |
| 2011–13 Championship | Various | No final | 24 points | League Table | 19 points | |
| 2014 WC Qualifier |  New Zealand | Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln | 285/5 (50 overs) | Scotland won by 41 runs Scorecard | 244/9 (50.0 overs) | |
| 2012–18 ICC World Cricket League – Pathway to the 2019 Cricket World Cup | ||||||
| 2012 Division Eight |  Samoa | 222/9 (50 overs) | Vanuatu won by 39 runs (Match report) | 183 (42.5 overs) | ||
| 2013 Division Seven | Botswana | Botswana Cricket Association Oval 1, Gaborone | 134/4 (32.1 overs) | Nigeria won by 6 wickets Scorecard | 133 (38.4 overs) | |
| 2013 Division Six | — | Playoffs cancelled http://www.icc-cricket.com/news/2013/news/73361/rescheduling-of-wcl-division-6-matches-approved | ||||
| 2014 Division Five | Malaysia | Kinrara Academy Oval, Kuala Lumpur | 247/8 (50 overs) | Jersey won by 71 runs Scorecard | 176 (44.4 overs) | |
| 2014 Division Four | Singapore | Kallang, Singapore | 235/7 (50 overs) | Malaysia won by 57 runs Scorecard | 178 (46.1 overs) | |
| 2014 Division Three | Malaysia | Kinrara Academy Oval, Kuala Lumpur | 223/10 (49.5 overs) | Nepal won by 62 runs Scorecard | 161 (44.1 overs) | |
| 2015 Division Two | Namibia | Wanderers Cricket Ground, Windhoek | 213/2 (41 overs) | Netherlands won by 8 wickets Scorecard | 212 (49.2 overs) | |
| 2015 Division Six | County Cricket Ground, Chelmsford | 239/4 (45.1 overs) | Suriname won by 6 wickets Scorecard | 237 (49.5 overs) | ||
| 2016 Division Five | Grainville Cricket Ground, Saint Savior | 194/7 (50 overs) | Jersey won by 44 runs Scorecard | 150 (45.3 overs) | ||
| 2016 Division Four |  United States | Leo Magnus Cricket Complex, Los Angeles | 208 (49.4 overs) | United States won by 13 runs Scorecard | 195/9 (50 overs) | |
| 2017 Division Three |  Uganda | Entebbe Cricket Oval | 50/2 (4.3 overs) | No result Scorecard (Oman declared winner by virtue of finishing league at top) | 176/3 (38 Overs) | |
| 2015–17 Championship | Various | No final | 22 points | League Points Table | 19 points | |
| 2018 Division Two | Namibia | Wanderers Cricket Ground, Windhoek | 277/4 (50 Overs) | United Arab Emirates won by 7 runs Scorecard | 270/8 (50 Overs) | |
| 2018 WC Qualifier |  Zimbabwe | Harare Sports Club, Harare | 206/3 (40.4 overs) | Afghanistan won by 7 wickets Scorecard | 204 (46.5 overs) | |
| 2017–19 ICC World Cricket League – Pathway to the 2023 Cricket World Cup | ||||||
| 2017 Division Five | South Africa | Willowmoore Park, Benoni | 255 (48 Overs) | Jersey won by 120 runs Scorecard | 135 (36.5 Overs) | |
| 2018 Division Four | Malaysia | No final | 8 points | League Points Table | 6 points | |
| 2018 Division Three |  Oman | No final | 10 points | League Points Table | 8 points | |
| 2019 Division Two | Namibia | Wanderers Cricket Ground, Windhoek | 226/7 (50 overs) | Namibia won by 145 runs Scorecard | 81 (29 overs) | |
In late 2005, the International Cricket Council ranked the top non-Test nations from 11–30 to complement the Test nations' rankings in the ICC ODI Championship. The ICC used the results from the 2005 ICC Trophy and WCQS Division 2 competition (i.e. the primary qualification mechanisms for the 2007 Cricket World Cup) to rank the nations.
These rankings were used to seed the initial stage of the global World Cricket League. Teams ranked 11–16 were placed into Division 1; teams 17–20 were placed into Division 2; teams 21–24 were placed into Division 3; the remaining teams were placed into the upper divisions of their respective regional qualifiers.
In 2005, six associates were assigned One Day International status, based on their performance at the preceding World Cup Qualifier. In 2017, Afghanistan and Ireland were both promoted to "Full" (test-match) status, leaving only four associate nations with ODI-status: after mid-March 2018 these were Scotland, Netherlands, UAE, and Nepal. Netherlands, as winners of the 2015–17 ICC World Cricket League Championship, have qualified for a place in the 2020–22 ICC Cricket World Cup Super League.In May 2009, the ICC added a rankings table for the associate and affiliate members containing both global and regional placings. In 2016 this changed to maintain a global list only for the top teams and a set of regional lists for the remaining teams.
The global rankings of associate teams according to ICC are published in the table below.[8] [9] Teams that have One Day International status are now included on the main ICC ODI Championship and are listed in the order they appear on that table. The other teams are ranked by their finishing position in the most recent qualifying tournament.
The rankings at the end of the WCL (27 April 2019):
| Division | Rank | Nation | Region | Regional rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ODI Status | 13 | Europe | 1 | |
| 14 | Asia | 1 | ||
| 15 | Asia | 2 | ||
| 16 | Europe | 2 | ||
| 17 | Africa | 1 | ||
| 18 | Asia | 3 | ||
| 19 | EAP | 1 | ||
| 20 | Americas | 1 | ||
| Division 2 | 21 | Americas | 2 | |
| 22 | Asia | 4 | ||
| Division 3 | 23 | Asia | 5 | |
| 24 | Africa | 2 | ||
| 25 | Europe | 3 | ||
| 26 | Africa | 3 | ||
| Division 4 | 27 | Asia | 6 | |
| 28 | Europe | 4 | ||
| 29 | EAP | 2 | ||
| 30 | Americas | 3 | ||
| Division 5 | 31 | Asia | 7 | |
| 32 | Europe | 5 | ||
| 33 | Europe | 6 | ||
| 34 | Europe | 7 | ||
| 35 | Africa | 4 | ||
| 36 | Americas | 4 |
Teams that do not participate in (or have been relegated from) the World Cricket League are ranked by their finishing positions in their respective regional leagues:
| Africa | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| width=10% align="center" | Rank | width=90% align="center" | Country |
| 5 | |||
| 6 | |||
| 7 | |||
| 8 | |||
| 9 | |||
| N/A | |||
| Americas | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| width=10% align="center" | Rank | width=90% align="center" | Country |
| 5 | |||
| N/A | |||
| Asia | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| width=10% align="center" | Rank | width=90% align="center" | Country |
| 8 | |||
| 9 | |||
| 10 | |||
| 11 | |||
| 12 | |||
| 13 | |||
| N/A | |||
| ** | |||
| ** |
| East-Asia Pacific | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| width=10% align="center" | Rank | width=90% align="center" | Country |
| 3 | |||
| 4 | |||
| 5 | |||
| 6 | |||
| 7 | |||
| N/A | |||
| Europe | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| width=10% align="center" | Rank | width=90% align="center" | Country |
| 8 | |||
| 9 | |||
| 10 | |||
| 11 | |||
| 12 | |||
| 13 | |||
| 14 | |||
| 15 | |||
| 16 | |||
| N/A | |||
