T20 World Cup Qualifier B: All you need to know
The Global Qualifier B of the 2022 ICC Men's T20 World Cup is all set to commence on July 11 in Zimbabwe. Eight nations shall compete in the event with the top two teams making their way to the global T20 tournament to be played in Australia. Hosts Zimbabwe are among the favorites to bag a berth from Qualifier B. Here's more.
Why does this story matter?
The eight participating sides in tournaments Qualifier A and B have advanced from their Regional Finals. They were either ousted in the first round of the 2021 T20 World Cup or were the highest-ranked sides not already qualified for this stage. The winners of the Qualifiers will participate in the First Round involving 9-12th ranked teams from the 2021 edition of the tourney.
UAE, Ireland emerge from Global Qualifier A
The Global Qualifier A was held in Oman earlier this year. Group A constituted Ireland, UAE, Bahrain, and Germany. Meanwhile, Group B comprised Nepal, Oman, Canada, and the Philippines. UAE were crowned the winner in the Global Qualifier A. They beat Ireland by seven wickets in the 160-run chase. Finalists UAE and Ireland have received a ticket for the 2022 T20 World Cup.
Presenting the teams in Qualifier B
The eight teams for Qualifier B are divided in two groups of four. Group A: Jersey, Singapore, USA, and Zimbabwe. Group B: Hong Kong, The Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, and Uganda. The top two teams from each group will reach the semi-finals. And as stated earlier, the finalists of the Global Qualifier B will compete in the 2022 T20 World Cup.
Zimbabwe, Netherlands have a solid chance on offer
Zimbabwe, ranked 12th in the ICC T20I Rankings, are arguably the strongest side in Qualifier B. Led by Craig Ervine, the hosts boast a talented squad comprising talented batters, namely Wesley Madhevere, Innocent Kaia, and Sean Williams. The Netherlands, ranked 18th in the T20I Rankings, could pose some challenges in Group B. Vikramjit Singh and Max O'Dowd could emerge as the trump cards.
Schedule of the group stage in Global Qualifier B
July 11: Zimbabwe v Singapore; Jersey v USA, Netherlands v PNG, Hong Kong v Uganda. July 12: Zimbabwe v Jersey; Singapore v USA; Netherlands v Hong Kong; PNG v Uganda. July 14: Netherlands v Uganda; PNG v Hong Kong; Zimbabwe v USA; Singapore v Jersey.
Schedule for the play-off in Global Qualifier B
Here's the schedule for playoffs in Qualifier B. July 15: Fifth-place semi-finals - A3 v B4, B3 v A4; Semi-final 1 (A1 v B2); Semi-final 2 (B1 v A2). July 17: 5th/6th place play-off; 7th/8th place play-off; 3rd/4th place play-off; Final.
