ICC recently announced the schedule for the upcoming T20 world cup qualifiers, which will see 14 teams battling to secure a spot in the ICC T20 World Cup 2019 to be held in Australia in 2020.
The qualifying round began in February 2018, with 61 out of 62 associate teams participating and finally 7 of them making it to the qualifier round this year. These teams will be joined by the top six teams from the 2015 qualifier that were outside the top ten places in the ICC T20I Championship by the cut-off date of 31 December 2018 and the tournament host.
ICC T20 World Cup
Thing to Know
Before we dwell into the ICC T20 World Cup Qualifiers format, here are some few quick things you should know:
- The first-ever T20 World Cup Qualifier for T20 World Cup 2009 was played in August 2008 in Ireland with only six teams.
- Ireland, with three titles, has been the most successful team in the tournament and has qualified for the T20 World Cup every time it is played.
- Zimbabwe was banned from taking part in the tournament and has been replaced by Nigeria this year.
Tournament Format
14 teams have been divided into two groups of 7 each.
Group A- Scotland, Netherlands, Kenya, Namibia, Papua New Guinea, Bermuda, and Singapore.
Group B- UAE, Oman, Ireland, Canada, Hong Kong, Nigeria, and Jersey.
The tournament kicks off in a round-robin format, with each team playing against every team in their respective group. Post completion, playoffs begin with the second positioned team in group A playing against the third in group B. Similarly, the second-placed team in B group will play against the third positioned team in group A.
Winners of the respective matches will play in semi-finals against the first positioned team (automatically qualified for T20 World Cup 2020) of each group. The losing teams in the semi-final will play in the 5th playoff against the teams positioned at the 4th place in each group. With just 6 slots available, the playoffs between defeated teams will determine the final two teams qualifying for next year’s T20 World Cup
A total of 51 matches are going to be held in three stadiums of the United Arab Emirates. Matches of Group A will be held at ICC Academy Ground & Dubai International Stadium, while Group B will play at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi.
Group A- Scotland, Netherlands, Kenya, Namibia, Papua New Guinea, Bermuda, and Singapore.
Group B- UAE, Oman, Ireland, Canada, Hong Kong, Nigeria, and Jersey.
The tournament kicks off in a round-robin format, with each team playing against every team in their respective group. Post completion, playoffs begin with the second positioned team in group A playing against the third in group B. Similarly, the second-placed team in B group will play against the third positioned team in group A.
Winners of the respective matches will play in semi-finals against the first positioned team (automatically qualified for T20 World Cup 2020) of each group. The losing teams in the semi-final will play in the 5th playoff against the teams positioned at the 4th place in each group. With just 6 slots available, the playoffs between defeated teams will determine the final two teams qualifying for next year’s T20 World Cup
A total of 51 matches are going to be held in three stadiums of the United Arab Emirates. Matches of Group A will be held at ICC Academy Ground & Dubai International Stadium, while Group B will play at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi.
Get On Top of the Action
While the teams are battling for a spot in the T20 World Cup 2020, you can also be part of the excitement and entertainment with FanMojo Fantasy Cricket. Download the app now, and create your team of best XI from each match and stand a chance to win millions. Hurry, download the app now!