The residents of Toronto, Canada may be experiencing below freezing maximums this week, but for the Associate cricketing fraternity, it is a city which is already warmiog the hearts and minds of players and officials around the globe.

For in 134 days it will be the site where the campaigns of 24 of the ICC's Associate members to qualify for non-Test cricket's most coveted prize, a World Cup berth, in South Africa, 2003, will get underway.

Reflecting the increasing professionalism of the approach to cricket of the Associates', this month the national teams of eight countries will take the field in various venues, starting the long trek to Toronto.

The Netherlands, touted by some as the early favourites for ICC Trophy 2001, will play matches in South Africa, following Denmark and Uganda, there already.

The Dutch will shun Toronto prior to the tournament, having been there already last year, to take advantage of superior turf wickets and opposition, and a similar time zone in sunny Barbados.

Meanwhile, in the unlikely setting of Bangkok, Thailand, Hong Kong, soon to announce the signing of a high profile coach, as well as Malaysia and Singapore, are doing battle this week with the host for the annual Tuanku Ja'Afar Trophy.

The Malaysians, favoured to be one of two teams to qualify from the Second Division, for the playoffs against the fourth placed teams in the First Division, hope to cap off their build-up with matches against Pakistan A next month.

Hong Kong and Singapore are not likely to play again prior to their practice matches in Canada in June, the Singaporeans struggling to get more than six to training sessions, in a country where work comes first and everything else a clear second.

Namibia, the other main threat in the Second Division, will complete its Castle Bowl 'B' Division campaign this month, while Argentina is entertaining the Marylebone Cricket Club, no less.

The United States squad will be chosen after selection trials held in Los Angeles in early April.

Around 45-50 players, nominated by each of the directors of the United States Cricket Association's eight zones, will participate in several one day matches.

USCA official, Kamran Khan, said it was likely players not residentially qualified at the time of last year's Americas Cup and tour to England would make their debuts in Toronto.

San Francisco resident and former Indian Test all-rounder of the 1970s, Syed Abid Ali, will coach the US team in Toronto.

There will be keen interest throughout US cricket in the conduct of selection process of the national team as it has been a long term barometer of the integrity and competency of the various USCA administrations.

Fiji is likely to base its ICC Trophy entourage around the 13 who lifted the islanders into the final of last month's Pacifica Cup in Auckland, New Zealand.

FCA officials will leave the selection of the team until close to the mid-May deadline for submissions of final ICC Trophy squads.

This will place added emphasis on the traditional highlight of the Fijian cricket season, the Crompton Cup, which will be the last chance for players to impress on-field before two camps in April and May. The Crompton Cup is 30-over-per-side annual event which attracts club sides from Australia and New Zealand, as well as national teams from the South Pacific.

Around 18 players will be invited to the two camps in April and May in Suva. It is unknown at this stage whether three experienced former national team members excluded from the Pacifica Cup squad for disciplinary reasons will be considered.

Three months out, fracas over the tournament format and the funding of the pitch preparations have ensured interest is already building.

One Second Division country has already promised to forfeit the play-off match against the First Division fourth place getter, should it get that far.

A senior Associate official said there was always going to be angst at the method used to allow Second Division teams the opportunity to qualify for the second stage, but added it was unavoidable.

"It was agreed after the last ICC Trophy to have two divisions for two reasons - to curtail costs - every extra day the tournament is prolonged adds $US100,000 to the cost of running it, and to avoid mismatches between the stronger and weaker Associates."

© 2001 CricInfo Ltd