Luxembourg will be on the hunt for rating points on the MRF Tyres ICC Men's T20I Rankings when they host their first officially recognised international cricket tournament between 28 and 30 August.
The three-nation tournament, which will be held behind closed doors at the Walferdange ground, marks an important milestone in the history of Luxembourg cricket as the country has never hosted an officially recognised international match in the past. The competition, featuring Czech Republic and Belgium, will make Luxembourg the 41st cricket nation to host men's T20I cricket.
The Luxembourg men’s team was due to take part in the now-postponed 2022 ICC T20 World Cup qualifying tournament this summer. To make up for the lack of international cricket this year, the Luxembourg Cricket Federation organised the tri-nation series.
Luxembourg are currently ranked 58th in the MRF ICC T20I team rankings, right behind Czech Republic (54th) and ahead of Belgium (63rd).
With the cooperation of the Luxembourg Ministry of Sport and Walferdange commune, club cricket had resumed in July in Luxembourg. Players and officials are the only ones present at the ground, with social distancing and other norms followed.
"This is an important event for our players, as we build towards the world cup qualifying tournament which we hope can be held next year. We hope that home advantage can really help us against the strong opponents," said Joost Mees, the national team captain.
"Our thanks go to the Ministry of Sport, Walferdange commune and the ICC for working with us to allow this ground-breaking tournament to go ahead. This will enable our players to maintain their performance levels as we build for the future," said the chairman of the federation, Steve Evans.
John Stephenson
john@cricketinvestor.co.uk
#Cricketnews #Luxembourg
