SHARJAH: UAE and West Indies will play a three-match ODI series in Sharjah next month as part of their preparations for the upcoming World Cup Qualifier. The matches, all day-night, will be played on June 5, 7 and 9. At the end of the series, both teams will depart for Zimbabwe for the qualifying tournament, which will be played from June 18 to July 9. In all, ten teams will participate in the qualifying tournament, with two progressing to the 2023 ODI World Cup, to be played in India. “In recent months, our team has produced some sensational performances in the ODI format which have helped raise UAE cricket’s profile,” Mubashshir Usmani, the general Secretary of the Emirates Cricket Board, said. “Our qualification for the tournament in Zimbabwe exemplifies our recent achievements. We want to ensure we provide the best possible preparation to our team and this series will most certainly help in achieving the goal.” Jimmy Adams, the director of cricket for CWI, said: “This is our first ever bilateral tour against the UAE and we are pleased to have agreed 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 Qualifier. 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.”