Kenneth Kamyuka sends Dawlat Ahmadzai packing as Lawrence Sematimba takes a decent catch to get Uganda's maiden ODI against fellow international debutants Afghanistan at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur underway. Meanwhile, the Denmark team watch on from the pavilion hoping to get their quadrangular series campaign off to a winning start against Bangladesh tomorrow.

At all interested, then? Thought not.

But this may well be the type of scenario the cricket-loving public land up having to put up with if the International Cricket Council's near fixation with dishing out ODI status to world cricket's small fries continues.

The ICC World Cup Qualifier gets going in South Africa later this month and no less than half of the 12 nations - Afghanistan, Bermuda, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Kenya, Namibia, Netherlands, Oman, Scotland, Uganda and the United Arab Emirates - competing will be elevated to play against India, Pakistan and other big guns should they finish in the tourney's top six.

Never mind the startling reality that the top four finishers of those six go through to the 2011 World Cup, the upsetting inconsistency in the game's governing body's bid to spread the cricket love may well see Kenya and Pakistan-beaters Ireland lose their deserved promotion, should they have an isolated bad day against Oman, Namibia or the like.

True, neither the Kenyans nor the Irish have set the world alight since. But as Sri Lanka eventually proved after being knocked out in the first round of four World Cups before winning the thing in 1996 - and Bangladesh - who were elevated in 2000 - improve with every outing, it takes times to get to a level where one is challenging New Zealand, West Indies, et al.

I fully appreciate Bermuda, the United Arab Emirates and the like's opportunity to have their go against fellow minions and perhaps receive due reward - both financial and status-wise - for their triumphant efforts, but for that incentive to potentially come at the expense of a team currently, decently doing the rounds against the world's topflight, then the question begs to be asked: why six(!) ODI qualifications?

Surely keeping Ireland, Kenya and perhaps even Scotland elevated and allowing for two or three qualifiers to join them in One-Day International cricket is a more reasonable notion.

Furthermore, the reality that 50 percent of the sides on show in South Africa receive substantial reward takes away from the tournament's substance, which is supposed to pride itself on producing quality competition between like-for-like units. If sixth place essentially equates to the same as first place, why drive any harder than fourth or fifth gear...?

Uganda skipper Junior Kwebiha's recent statement is testament to this and more so an oblivious, blatant admission that his team has one thing on their mind and it's evidently not to win or even come second.

"One of the things that is very important to us is to get ODI status and if we get in the top six we will achieve that," explained Kwebiha. "I am not saying we won't be trying to get into the top four and qualify for the World Cup, we fully intend to do that, but to get into the top six would be a very big achievement for us and that is where we are putting our focus."

As far as how badly the sextet of qualifiers will flood a calendar already littered with Afro-Asia Cups, two-bit ODI series and other Twenty20 paraphernalia is concerned, well... don't get me started.

*The 10 Test-playing nations have permanent ODI status while some associate nations have enjoyed temporary status over the years, including Hong Kong's two three-day spells for the 2004 and 2008 Asia Cups.

The 21 recipients are listed below with the date of each country's period/s of ODI status shown in brackets.

1. Australia (5 January 1971)
2. England (5 January 1971)
3. New Zealand (11 February 1973)
4. Pakistan (11 February 1973)
5. West Indies (5 September 1973)
6. India (13 July 1974)
7. Sri Lanka (7 June 1975)
8. Zimbabwe (9 June 1983)
9. Bangladesh (31 March 1986)
10. South Africa (10 November 1991)
11. East Africa (7 June to 14 June 1975)
12. UAE (13 April to 17 April 1994, 16 February to 1 March 1996, 16 July to 17 July 2004)
13. Namibia (10 February to 3 March 2003)
14. Hong Kong (16 July to 18 July 2004, 24 June to 26 June 2008)
15. USA (10 September to 13 September 2004)
16. Kenya (18 February 1996 to the 2009 ICC World Cup Qualifier)
17. Bermuda (1 January 2006 to the 2009 ICC World Cup Qualifier)
18. Canada (1 January 2006 to the 2009 ICC World Cup Qualifier)
19. Ireland (1 January 2006 to the 2009 ICC World Cup Qualifier)
20. Netherlands (1 January 2006 to the 2009 ICC World Cup Qualifier)
21. Scotland (1 January 2006 to the 2009 ICC World Cup Qualifier)