Fiji, Japan and Cook Islands meet on road to 2011 World Cup

Sydney, June 26 (UNI) While 16 teams are already preparing for the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup in the West Indies, Fiji, Japan and the Cook Islands are assembling in Brisbane to continue their pursuit of a place in the 2011 tournament.

The three countries, the top teams in the ICC?s East Asia-Pacific (EAP) region, are set to compete for the EAP Cricket Trophy this week with the winner qualifying for the World Cricket League Division 3, to be held in early 2007.

That tournament, in turn, will lead to Division 2 -- to be held in late 2007 -- and then Division 1, also known as the ICC World Cup Qualifier, in 2009, with the top five sides from that event securing places in the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup in the Asian sub-continent.

The EAP Cricket Trophy will be hosted by Queensland Cricket and played at the Redlands Cricket Club in Brisbane.

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