A limited overs tournament featuring 2003 Cricket World Cup qualifiers Netherlands, Namibia and Canada will be staged in Windhoek in April next year as part of vital team preparations for cricket's global showpiece in South Africa.

Dr Ali Bacher, executive director of 2003 CWC, announced in Toronto today a proposal that Kenya join the three qualifiers - along with the national A teams from South Africa and Zimbabwe - to complete a six-nation lineup.

The tournament will be used to give the teams good competitive cricket in southern African conditions ahead of the World Cup.

The development came as Canada qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1979 with a five-wicket win over Scotland in the third place playoff at the ICC Trophy qualifying tournament in Toronto.

Dr Bacher said that cricket in Canada enjoyed a surprisingly big following in its multi-cultural society. "Of the 30 million people in Canada, five million are avid cricket fans, and one out of four million people in Toronto are supporters of the game."

The Canadian team was traditionally made up of expatriates but the current one had five players born in Canada.

Dr Bacher added: "Canada's participation in the 2003 World Cup gives their cricketing authority and the International Cricket Council (ICC) a unique opportunity to exploit this fertile cricket base - and develop a national team that could aspire to official one-day international status after the 2003 World Cup."

At a meeting of ICC officials in Toronto this week it was agreed that the teams from Netherlands, Namibia and Canada should be given as much assistance as possible to ensure their readiness for the World Cup in just over 18 months' time.

The officials unanimously supported a proposal that top young players from these countries attend cricket academies in countries like South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and England.

The tournament in Windhoek next April would also provide the ideal environment to ready the players for the world's biggest cricket tournament. It is also planned to invite top coaches, physiotherapists, exercise trainers and sports psychologists to Windhoek to share their expertise with the competing teams.

"Top coaches from South Africa, say, would help to enhance the skills and discipline of these teams," said Dr Bacher. "South Africa has always been proactive in terms of cricket development and this tournament should get SA cricket's support.

"It is also in our interests to help these teams become as competitive as possible for the 2003 Cricket World Cup."

Dr Bacher praised the Canadian Cricket Association for their hosting of the ICC Trophy for associate member countries of the ICC. "I have spoken to people who attended all five of these tournaments to date, and they say this was the best-run ever."

© 2003 CWC