aurora
Sport Writer
Zimbabwe was this week chosen to host the 2023 men’s cricket world cup qualifiers in what some have described as a “big win” for the country.
The 2023 cricket men’s world cup is set to be played in India, and the top seven teams in the World Super League will qualify directly to the final event while the bottom five teams from the Super League will play in the 2023 Cricket World Cup qualifier, joining the best three teams from League 2.
“When we rescheduled the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 to October and November 2023 it enabled us to extend the window for qualification events to take place and thereby ensure we maximise the opportunity for qualification to be decided on the field of play,” Chris Tetley, ICC head of events, said in a statement on Wednesday.
It is these qualifiers that Zimbabwe will host from June 18 to July 9, 2023.
Hosting the event can have both social and economic impact on the country.
Apart from boosting tourism and national pride, hosting the event might result in infrastructure development. Zimbabwe will definitely need to upgrade its sporting facilities.
Hotels would want to position themselves on the hospitality side. Hopefully other tourism players can work on offering packages prior or post the event.
When Zimbabwe hosted the International Cricket Council Women Twenty20 World Cup Africa Qualifier last year, Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) highlighted some benefits of hosting an international event of this magnitude.
The platform provides invaluable marketing and promotional opportunities that will have ongoing benefits, strengthening Zimbabwe’s reputation as a tourist and business-friendly destination and further encouraging travel to the region, ZC said then in an interview with this publication.
The 2023 qualifiers will be the third time the country has hosted such a high profile event in recent times.
In 2018, the country hosted the 2019 Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier. In 2019 it hosted the International Cricket Council Women Twenty20 World Cup Africa Qualifier.
Bongani Ndlovu