 Bangladesh had, by then, been promoted to full Test and ODI status, and so did not take part in this competition, and Kenya had gained full ODI status also didn't take part, and as a result both countries qualified for the 2003 Cricket World Cup automatically.The first round group stage saw a unique two division format, designed to eliminate the mismatches that had blighted previous ICC Trophy tournaments.Each division had two groups of six teams, making 24 teams in total.