Namibia and Nigeria take suspended Zimbabwe’s spot at men’s and women’s T20 World Cup Qualifiers

On Tuesday evening from Dubai the ICC confirmed that Namibia will compete in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier 2019, replacing Zimbabwe which has had its membership of the global body suspended. The event which gets underway in Scotland later this month will see Namibia join hosts Scotland, Bangladesh, Ireland, Netherlands, Papa New Guinea, Thailand and USA to compete for the two remaining spots at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020.

The ICC have decided to maintain “the balance of regional representation in the global qualifying events” and as such Namibia step into the frame by virtue of their finishing spot in the Africa regional pathway having lost the final of the women’s African Qualifier to Zimbabwe.

In the men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier, and applying the same regional quota rationale, Nigeria will take the 14th and final spot in place of suspended Zimbabwe when the event gets underway in the UAE in October. Nigeria will join hosts UAE, Hong Kong, Ireland, Jersey, Kenya, Namibia, Netherlands, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Scotland, Singapore and two teams from the Americas Final due to be held later this month, with USA and Canada heavy favourites for these berths.

Nigeria came third in the Africa Men’s Final and will join Kenya and Namibia to represent the region at the global qualifier.

This decision reduces the number of Full members at the men’s T20 World Cup to eleven which will mean the ‘Super 12’ – aka the main round – is now guaranteed to have at least one Associate.

The first round will feature the top six sides from the global qualifier, split in to two groups, where they will join either Sri Lanka or Bangladesh for a single round robin format.

Unlike 2016 where only the top team from each pool qualified to the main ‘Super 10’ round, the 2020 event will see two from each first round group of four guaranteed five matches in prime time when they proceed to one of the two main groups of six.