The qualification pathway process

The road to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 was a magic carpet ride across three continents for 82 nations - a dazzling tapestry designed to find the world's top 10 teams.

So, in one sense, the competition begins when host England entertain South Africa in the curtain-raiser at The Oval on 30 May; in another, it is the culmination of a six-year odyssey.

For the first ripples, you have to go all the way back to 2013 when regional qualifiers started nations on the road to one-day cricket's showpiece event.

43 teams competed in the regional qualification process where promotion led to the global qualification structure, the ICC World Cricket League.

Suriname, Saudi Arabia, Fiji, Botswanaand Norway were the first sides to climb the ladder, claiming victory in intercontinental clashes and earning the right to progress.

In September 2015 the World Cricket League began in earnest as eight Division Six teams convened in Essex for six days of sparring which saw Guernseyand Vanuatupromoted.

Guernsey, coached by former Hampshire and South Africa keeper-batsman Nic Pothas, stood out with their ability to defend totals and Matthew Stokes's 241 runs at 60.25 were particularly impressive.

Division Five's tournament took place in May 2016, hosted by Jersey, who thrilled local crowds by securing four wins from five games to qualify, holding off the challenge of Tanzania, Nigeriaand Cayman Islandsin the process.

But the big winners would be Oman, five wins on the bounce on the Channel Island helping them advance to Division Four.

It was a vintage year for the Middle East nation - under Sri Lankan spin king Duleep Mendis, they made a memorable bow in the 2016 ICC World T20.

Zeeshan Maqsood, who shone in making 38 in their first-ever game at an ICC major event against Ireland, compiled 350 runs in their Division Five triumph.

Oman put the seal on back-to-back promotions five months later stateside when, alongside jubilant hosts USA, took Division Four by storm.

The Stars and Stripes made hay on home soil and returned to Division Three at the first attempt after relegation in 2014.

Victory in a competitive division featuring Italy, Bermudaand Denmarksaw them take a step closer to their second global event, having featured at the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy.

“As a coach, when you set up a plan and the whole team is buying into it and doing that thing on the field, that's a fantastic feeling,” said USA coach Pubudu Dassanayake after beating Oman in the final.

It was another North American side celebrating in May 2017 as Canadasecured immediate promotion from Division Three, squeezing through a competitive week of cricket in Uganda.

Wins over Ugandaand Malaysiaset Henry Osinde’s side up superbly and despite defeat to a formidable Singapore, they squeezed into the second qualifying spot on net run-rate.

The Maple Leafers, four-time Cricket World Cup competitors, suffered a single defeat to Oman, who romped to a third successive promotion and reached Division Two for the first time since 2007.

When Division Two action came around in February 2018, national sides were under no illusion they were heading into the final straight with the Cricket World Cup on the horizon.

With all six competing teams having featured at an ICC major event in the past, the intensity and standard of cricket played in Namibia would have graced any such tournament.

UAE, then coached by former South Africa supremo Russell Domingo, laid down a marker with a 218-run victory over Kenya in their opening game.

Kenya, semi-finalists at the 2003 Cricket World Cup, suffered defeat in all five games and finished the week bottom of the table.

Domingo’s side slipped to successive defeats to Canada and then Nepal, but recovered to dispatch in-form Oman and hosts Namibiato qualify in second on net run rate.

Nepal and UAE advanced to the Qualifiers, the final staging post on the road to the World Cup where ten teams would fight it out for two precious places at the showpiece event.

Nepal, who made their global event debut at the World T20 in Bangladesh in 2014, were one of six sides also fighting it out in the ICC World Cricket League Championship.

Running concurrently to the World Cricket League, the Championship offered fast-growing associate nations nearly two years of consistent, high-quality competition in month windows.

While the World Cricket League offered defining days of intense and high-stakes cricket, the Championship rewarded consistency, longevity and the ability to construct a campaign.

And Netherlandswere the outstanding outfit, the veterans of ten Qualifiers showing all of their big-game savvy and tactical nous to seal their spot at an eleventh.

Aside from two no-results on a wet weekend in Amstelveen, they a destructive force with the bat and passed 300 in both games in the Hong Kong leg.

Bowling in-form Nepal out for 94 in Kenya was an example of their parsimonious work in the field, with left-arm spinner Michael Rippon ending the competition with 23 wickets at 16.

Scotland, Hong Kong and Papua New Guineaall claimed eight wins from their fourteen games to earn a spot in the ten-team qualifiers.

They would be joined by the West Indies, Afghanistan, Zimbabweand Ireland, who took the four automatic spots thanks to their standing in the MRF Tyres ICC ODI Team Rankings.

So it all came down to March 2018 in Zimbabwe, where those ten nations fought it out over four weeks to make it to the main event in England.

The sides were split into two groups of five and they played on a round-robin basis, with the top three teams in each progressing to Super Sixes.

Windies topped Group A, winning all four of their preliminary games, including an impressive 52-run win over Ireland and a terrific ton from Rovman Powell.

This was Ireland’s only group-stage defeat and they progressed alongside UAE.

Zimbabwe, Scotland and Afghanistan made it through Group B and safely into the Super Sixes, with the Afghans edging through only on net run-rate.

Yet they claimed a signal victory in the first Sixes contest, restricting two-time World Cup winners Windies to 197 and chasing it down with three wickets to spare.

The destination of the two places would come down to the final breath, with Zimbabwe, Scotland and Ireland all having a pair of victories to their name.

West Indies claimed top spot with a dramatic Duckworth/Lewis win over Scotland, while Afghanistan held their nerve in a winner-takes-all clash with Ireland to qualify.

It was a fitting ending to the six-year odyssey that Nepal’s eighth-place finish guaranteed them ODI status until 2022, their consistency across the qualifying pathway rightly rewarded.

Scotland and UAE, two sides who also showed their mettle when it mattered, also saw their ODI status renewed for another four years, allowing them to continue to show their class.

South Africa, India, Australia, England, New Zealand, Pakistan, Bangladeshand Sri Lanka form the backbone of the 10 sides who will fight for cricket’s biggest prize this summer.

And when 30 May rolls around, the rest of the world will be inspired to do it all over again in the knowledge the road to qualification for India 2023 is laid out in front of them.