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ICC arranges World Cup prep for Qualifiers

The ICC has arranged a familiarisation tour in Australia for the four qualifying teams to aid their preparation for the 2015 World Cup

Afghanistan will feature in the ODI World Cup for the first time  •  ICC/Helge Schutz

Afghanistan will feature in the ODI World Cup for the first time  •  ICC/Helge Schutz

The ICC has arranged a familiarisation tour in Australia for the four qualifying teams to aid their preparation for the 2015 World Cup. Afghanistan, Ireland, UAE and Scotland will play a series of matches against local sides in September and October. The teams will also be able to access specialists and former players from Australia to help in their training. The tours are part of ICC's High Performance Programme.
"Helping cricket's top emerging nations to perform on the global stage is a key part of the ICC's High Performance Programme, and these tours will provide a great opportunity for the four teams to gain valuable knowledge and experience of the conditions they will face during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015," Dave Richardson, the ICC chief executive, said.
UAE will be the first team to arrive in Australia and will play six matches in Perth and Darwin between September 12 and 25. Afghanistan are scheduled to play four matches - two in Perth and two in Canberra. Scotland and Ireland will arrive towards the end of September to play three and four matches respectively.
"Not only will we be able to familiarise ourselves with the conditions that we will face during the tournament, but we will also be able to seek guidance from former legends of the game and utilise world class facilities on offer in Australia and New Zealand," Mohammad Nabi, the Afghanistan captain, said.