ICC World T20 2014 qualifiers begins on 25 April

The ICC Executive Board at its recent meeting in Dubai on 15 April had agreed to increase, from 2014 onwards, the number of teams participating in the ICC World T20 from 12 to 16 men's teams.

Essentially four more spots are at stake for men's teams to take part in ICC World T20, the race from the 2014 edition

The first tournament in that bid gets started on Tuesday, 25 April, with the ICC Africa Division 3. The tournament is scheduled to be held at the Willomore Park, Benoni and will run from 25 to 30 April.

The tournament features sides from Cameroon, Gambia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Morocco, Rwanda, Seychelles and St Helena. The winner of the tournament will be promoted to ICC Africa Division 2 to be held from 19-25 May, also at Benoni.

The ICC Africa Division 2 tournament features apart from the winner of Division 3, sides from Tanzania, Ghana, Mozambique, Rwanda, Swaziland.

The Europe leg of the qualifiers starts on 14 June with the ICC Europe Division 3 Championship. This tournament, scheduled to run from 14-16 June, will feature Estonia, Slovenia and Bulgaria. The winner of this competition will be promoted to ICC Europe Division 2.

Israel, Croatia, Isle of Man, Portugal, Spain, Hellas, Finland, Luxembourg, Malta, Cyprus, Sweden and the winner of Division 3 will feature at Europe Division 2.

The final qualifying tournament in Africa, ICC Africa Division 1, will be held from 25-31 August. Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria. Uganda, Sierra Leone and the winner of Division 2 will feature in the competition.

Americas, Asia and East-Asia Pacific (EAP) tournaments will be held in 2013. The final round of the qualifying round in Europe is also scheduled to be held next year.