Cricket lovers rejoice! The five-year wait for the T20 World Cup is finally over with the tournament set to get underway on 17th October. Originally scheduled for 2020, the tournament had to be postponed by a year due to the difficulties posed by the coronavirus pandemic.
Also on Emerging Cricket: Five players to watch at the T20 World Cup
Nonetheless, the delay has served as a blessing in disguise in many respects; namely the forced change of hosts. It allows the Associate nations of Oman and UAE to get their first taste of staging an ICC World Cup event. And for those sick of seeing the Big 3 boards of India, Australia and England host everything, a tournament in the Middle East represents a welcome change of scenery and an overdue hastening towards realising cricket’s global ambitions.
With three Full Members and five Associate teams squaring off in the First Round, there are plenty of mouth-watering fixtures to look forward to, and plenty of young talent to keep an eye on. In this article, we profile 5 of the most talented associate youngsters taking part.
With the tournament further expanding to 20 teams from 2024, these young guns will receive plenty of opportunities to make their mark on the global stage for years to come.
Unfortunately, with an ageing team and an average squad age of 32.2 years (oldest in the tournament), no Omani player makes the cut. Also, honourable mention to 20-year-old Dutch leg spinner Phillipe Boissevain who just missed out on the list below.
