Canada's journey in cricket has been interesting. They became associate members of the ICC in 1968 and played their first men's ODI World Cup in 1979.
However, they had to wait almost 25 years to play another World Cup in 2003.
Canada also competed in the 2007 and 2011 ODI World Cups, having both ODI and T20I statuses.
However, ICC's introduction of the new World Cricket League divisional structure halted Canada's success. To achieve ODI status, Associate members must finish in the top six of the ICC World Cricket League Division 2 tournament.
Until the next ICC review, teams finishing in the top two positions in this tournament will be granted permanent ODI status.
Canada was one of the lower-ranked teams in the 2014 ODI World Cup Qualifier and the 2015 World Cricket League Division Two tournament. Their 2017 campaign saw them demoted to ICC World Cricket League Division Three.
Their bid to regain ODI status suffered when PNG surpassed them in 2019 during the ICC World Cricket League Division Two tournament. Canada had the opportunity to move up to the top four, but they needed to restrict the USA to under 212 in their run-chase. But in a dramatic final, the USA managed to post 215 for nine to eliminate their rivals.
The North American team had to wait four more years for another chance at the elusive ODI status. In last year's ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off, Canada finished above PNG, beating them by 90 runs in their final match to secure ODI status in style.
Rashpal Bajwa, Cricket Canada President since 2020, stated:
“Regaining the ODI status after nine long years is an outstanding achievement and a game-changing moment for Cricket Canada. Promotion to the Cricket World Cup League 2 system ensures that a significant and high-quality number of international cricket matches will be played in Canada for the next four years. It allows us to plan for the long-term sustainable growth of the sport."