Format, fixtures, key players, TV and all the information from the upcoming T20 World Cup qualifying tournament in the United Arab Emirates
A qualifying tournament for the T20 ICC World Cup in 2020, taking place from Friday October 18 to the final on Saturday November 2 held in the Dubai International Cricket Stadium at 3.30pm GMT.
There are 14 teams competing for six T20 World Cup spots at the tournament hosted in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which also has Indian match referee G.S. Lakshmi becoming the first woman to adjudicate as a match referee at an official ICC event.
There will be two groups of seven, with both group winners going through straight away: this is where it gets complicated.
The second-placed team in Group A plays the third-placed team in Group B, and vice versa, with the winners of those two matches going to the World Cup. The losers of those two matches play the fourth-placed teams in Group A and B, with the winners of those matches also qualifying for the World Cup.
The T20 World Cup in 2020 has ten teams already – hosts Australia and then the top nine-ranked ICC members: Pakistan, India, England, South Africa, New Zealand, West Indies, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
Of those, the top eight teams have qualified automatically for the Super 12s, with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh being placed in the first group stage of the tournament.
There, they will play the six teams which progress from this qualifying tournament, with the top four teams continuing on to join the original eight sides in the Super 12s.
Hosts UAE, Scotland, Netherlands, Hong Kong, Oman, Ireland and regional qualifiers Papua New Guinea, Namibia, Kenya, Nigeria, Jersey, Singapore, Canada and Bermuda are the 14 (down from an original 61) sides.
Joint title holders from the last tournament Netherlands and Scotland join Papua New Guinea, Namibia, Singapore, Kenya and Bermuda in a strong-looking Group A, while UAE, Ireland, Oman, Hong Kong, Canada, Jersey and Nigeria comprise Group B.
Afghanistan, who have played in the last four qualifying tournaments, have already made it, while Denmark, Nepal, Uganda and United States didn’t make the cut.
Zimbabwe would have been involved in the tournament but were banned on July 18 this year due to external influence and meddling in the country’s cricketing affairs, meaning Nigeria have the chance to play. Zambia were originally scheduled to compete in the Africa qualifier but later withdrew. Zimbabwe have now been readmitted by the ICC, but not in time to take their place in the qualifying competition.
George Munsey has established himself as a dangerous opening batsman for Scotland
Netherlands have two powerful allrounders in County Championship-winning Essex captain Ryan ten Doeschate, 39, and Somerset’s Roelof van der Merwe, 34, to call upon. They, however, have endured a poor run of form going into the competition.
Kenya veteran Collins Obuya (brother of the country’s coach David), Ireland’s Boyd Rankin (who played in the Ashes for England) and Kevin O’Brien (who became the 14th man to hit a century in all three formats last Monday) are all involved.
Meanwhile, Bermuda have Sussex prodigy Delray Rawlins, Bascome trio Okera, Onais and Oronde, plus a reunion for the Malachi Jones-Leverock pairing which dismissed Robin Uthappa in the first ball of the 2007 World Cup; this time with Dwayne Leverock’s nephew Kamau.
Sky Sports will be showing selected matches at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium and the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi across Sky Sports Cricket (SSC) and Sky Sports Main Event.
Sky schedule for October
Friday 18: Hong Kong v Ireland from 11.10am; Oman v UAE from 4.30pm
Saturday 19: Jersey v Nigeria from 11.10am; Ireland v UAE from 4.30pm
Sunday 20: Hong Kong v Oman from 11.10am
Monday 21: Hong Kong v UAE from 11.10am; Canada v Nigeria from 4.30pm
Wednesday 23: Ireland v Canada from 11.10am; Hong Kong v Jersey from 4.30pm
Thursday 24: Scotland v Bermuda from 4.30pm
Friday 25: Papua New Guinea v Singapore from 6.30am; Namibia v Kenya from 11.10am; Oman v Canada from 4.30pm
Saturday 26: Ireland v Nigeria from 7am; Netherlands v Bermuda from 11.10am; Namibia v Singapore from 4.30pm
Sunday 27: Papua New Guinea v Kenya from 6am; Scotland v Netherlands from 10.10am; UAE v Canada from 3.30pm
Tuesday 29: Play-off 1 from 10.10am; play-off 2 from 3.30pm
Wednesday 30: Play-off 3 from 10.10am; play-off 4 from 3.30pm
Fox Sports and Channel Nine have broadcast rights in Australia, ESPN in the West Indies, Star Cricket in Hong Kong, Fox International Channels in Malaysia, OSN in the Middle East and North Africa, Sky Sport in New Zealand, SuperSport in sub-Saharan and South Africa, Star Sports channels and Doordarshan in India, PTV and Ten Sports in Pakistan, GTV in Bangladesh, SLRC in Sri Lanka, Willow TV in North America and Hotstar in the US on web and mobile.
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