Cricket head coach Simon Willis says he is aiming to establish ambitious Hong Kong as the most respected associate team in the world.

Next month, Hong Kong go to Uganda for the 50-over Cricket World Cup Challenge League B, which is the first staging post on the path to qualification for the 2027 World Cup, and a pivotal tournament in the city team’s attempts to recapture one-day international (ODI) status.

They kick off their campaign against Bahrain on November 7 and over the subsequent eight days face Italy, Uganda, Tanzania and Singapore.

The six teams reconvene in 2025 and 2026, with the best-performing side across the three years progressing to the Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off, where, among the prizes on offer, is ODI status.

At a World Cup qualifier in 2018, Hong Kong relinquished the ODI standing they had enjoyed for four years after finishing bottom of their five-team group.