WI men to take on UAE in 3 ODIs to prepare for World Cup Qualifier

ST. JOHN'S: The West Indies will prepare for the upcoming ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifier with a three-game ODI series against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Sharjah at the start of next month.

The matches will be played on June 5, June 7 and June 9. All three fixtures will take place at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, with both teams then flying to Zimbabwe for the start of the qualifying tournament on June 18.

It will be the first time the West Indies will take on the UAE in a bilateral series and it will be crucial for the Caribbean side as they attempt to earn a place at the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, to be held in India in October-November.

The two-time World Cup champions finished outside the automatic qualification spots for this year's tournament during the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Super League and will only feature at the 2023 event with a top-two finish at the qualifier during June and July in Zimbabwe.

These key warm-up fixtures will see the West Indies take on another team that will feature at the qualifier, with the UAE winning their place at the event via a well-deserved second-placed finish at the recent ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifier Playoff, the ICC said in a report on its website on Thursday.

West Indies legend and current director of cricket Jimmy Adams believes the three-match series will provide excellent preparation for his side ahead of the qualifier tournament and is looking forward to working with the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) in the coming years for future tours.

"This is our first ever bilateral tour against the UAE and we are pleased to have agreed on this historic three-match ODI Series as it will provide a good opportunity for our players to get some preparation ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers," Adams was quoted as saying by Cricket West Indies in a release.

"It will also allow those players not going to Zimbabwe to get some valuable experience at the international level in foreign conditions, which would be hugely beneficial to their growth and development.

"We are happy to work closely with the ECB to arrange the three matches and we see this as a partnership which can grow in the future."

Schedule:

June 5: UAE vs West Indies, Sharjah

June 7: UAE vs West Indies, Sharjah

June 9: UAE vs West Indies, Sharjah