Eight Teams Compete in High-Stakes Tournament
Nepal is set to host the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier Final, featuring eight competing teams vying for two coveted spots at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. In a bid to secure their positions at the showpiece event next year, host nation Nepal will be joined by teams from Bahrain, Hong Kong China, Kuwait, Malaysia, Oman, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates.
The Competition Format
The tournament will see the eight participating teams divided into two groups of four for the Asia Qualifier Final. The competition is scheduled to run from October 30 to November 5, with the top two teams from each group earning a place in the crucial semi-finals on November 3. The winners of these semi-finals will subsequently secure their tickets to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, set to take place in the USA and the West Indies.
Contenders with Strong Form
Several teams enter the competition with momentum on their side. Oman, in particular, demonstrated their form by clinching victory in the Gulf Cricket T20I Tournament last month, defeating the United Arab Emirates in the final. Although the UAE had finished at the top of the standings with four impressive victories in five group matches, they were unable to withstand Oman’s Aqib Ilyas and Ayaan Khan during the decisive match.
Kuwait and Malaysia are also arriving at the Asia Qualifier Final with confidence following their recent success at the Asia Sub-Regional Qualifiers, keeping their hopes alive for a shot at the main event next year.
The Road to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024
In the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, a total of 20 teams will compete for the top prize. The top two teams from the Asia Qualifier Final will secure their places among the last teams to earn spots in the event. The United States and the West Indies have already secured their positions as the hosts.
Other participants in the tournament include Australia, England, India, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, and Sri Lanka, who finished among the top eight teams in the 2022 edition. Bangladesh and Afghanistan have also qualified due to their positions in the ICC Men’s T20I Team Ranking at the end of the previous T20 World Cup.
Ireland, Scotland, Papua New Guinea, and Canada secured their spots through their respective T20 World Cup regional qualifiers. The Africa Qualifier Final, taking place in Namibia from November 20 to December 1, will determine two more teams to join the competition. The remaining two spots will go to Asian teams, ensuring an exciting contest for T20 World Cup glory on the grand stage.
Key Fixtures
The Asia Qualifier Final will kick off with a series of matches:
October 30: United Arab Emirates vs. Bahrain and Nepal vs. Singapore
October 30: Oman vs. Malaysia and Hong Kong, China vs. Kuwait
October 31: Singapore vs. Oman and Bahrain vs. Hong Kong, China
October 31: Malaysia vs. Nepal and Kuwait vs. United Arab Emirates
November 2: Nepal vs. Oman and United Arab Emirates vs. Kuwait
November 2: Singapore vs. Malaysia and Bahrain vs. Kuwait
November 3: Semi-final 1: A1 vs. B2 and Semi-final 2: B1 vs. A2
November 5: Final: Winner of Semi-final 1 vs. Winner of Semi-final 2
Competing Squads
Here are the squads for some of the participating teams:
Bahrain
Captain: Umer Iimtiaz
Other Squad Members: Abdul Majid Abbasi, Imran Ali Butt, Sohail Ahmed, Haider Ali, Imran Javed Anwer, Junaid Aziz, Rizwan Butt, Ali Dawood, Ahmer Bin Naser, Sarfraz Ali, Yasser Nazeer, Sathaiyah Veerapathiran, Sachin Kumar, Sai Sarthak
Hong Kong, China
Captain: Nizakat Mohammad Khan
Other Squad Members: Mohammad Aizaz Khan, Babar Hayat, Ehsan Khan, Adit Gorawara, Anshuman Rath, Ayush Shukla, Raag Kapur, Yasim Murtaza, Zeeshan Ali, Mohammad Ghazanfar, Haroon Mohammad Arshad, Nasrulla Rana, Martin Coetzee, Scott Stephen Mckechnie
Kuwait
Captain: Mohamed Aslam
Other Squad Members: Ali Zaheer, Usmangani Ibrahim, Bilal Tahir, Yasin Ishak, Ravija Sandaruwan, Meet Bhavsar, Shiraz Khan, Parvindar Kumar, Mirza Ahmed, Sayed Monib, Nimish Lathief, Clinto Velookkaran Anto, Mohamed Shafeeq Manakkadavath, Ilyas Ahmed
Malaysia
Squad Members: Ahmad Faiz Mohammad Noor, Virandeep Singh, Syed Aziz Syed Mubarak, Vijay Unni Suresh Unni, Muhammad Amir Azim Abd Shukor, Rizwan Haider, Khizar Hayat Durrani, Ainool Hafizs Md Yatim, Pavandeep Singh Jagjit Singh, Ahmad Zubaidi Zulkifle, Syazrul Ezat Idrus, Haiqal Mohd Khair, Sharvin Muniyandy, Muhammad Aiman Zaquan Muhammad Ridzuan, Muhammad Fitri Mohd Sham
Nepal
Squad Members: Rohit Kumar Paudel, Mahamad Asif Sheikh, Kushal Bhurtel, Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi, Kushal Malla, Dipendra Singh Airee, Sandeep Lamichhane, Karan KC, Gulshan Kumar Jha, Sompal Kami, Pratis GC, Sundeep Jora, Binod Bhandari, Bibek Kumar Yadav, Abinash.
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