All you need to know as 10 teams battle for two spots...
Monday 5 March 2018 20:44, UK
The field for the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup will be rounded out this month when the last two spots are filled, with Windies, Ireland and Scotland all in contention.
Windies, World Cup winners in 1975 and 1979, have been forced into the World Cup Qualifier after slipping down the ICC rankings and are in danger of missing the main tournament for the first time.
Ireland and Scotland are also aiming to make it to England next year, with Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Nepal, Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, United Arab Emirates and hosts Zimbabwe sharing that hope, too.
Here is all you need to know ahead of a make-or-break few weeks…
WHAT'S THE FORMAT?
The 10 teams are split into two groups of five with the top three from each pool advancing into the 'Super Six'. The results between the progressing teams will carry forward with the sides then playing the qualifiers from the other group. The top two sides will reach the 2019 World Cup, as well as play out a final to determine the winners of the tournament.
WHO'S IN WHICH GROUP?
GROUP A
Ireland, Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, United Arab Emirates, Windies
March 4: Papua New Guinea v UAE; Ireland v Netherlands
March 6: Papua New Guinea v Ireland; Windies v UAE
March 8: Netherlands v UAE; Windies v Papua New Guinea
March 10: Windies v Ireland*; Papua New Guinea v Netherlands
March 12: Windies v Netherlands*; Ireland v UAE
*live on Sky Sports Mix
GROUP B
Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Nepal, Scotland, Zimbabwe
March 4: Zimbabwe v Nepal; Afghanistan v Scotland
March 6: Zimbabwe v Afghanistan; Scotland v Hong Kong
March 8: Scotland v Nepal; Afghanistan v Hong Kong
March 10: Zimbabwe v Hong Kong; Afghanistan v Nepal
March 12: Hong Kong v Nepal; Zimbabwe v Scotland
SUPER SIX
March 15: A1 v B1
March 15: A3 v B3
March 16: A2 v B2
March 18: A2 v B3
March 19: A1 v B2
March 20: A3 v B1
March 22: A1 v B3
March 22: A3 v B2
March 23: A2 v B1
Final on March 25
HOW DID THE TEAMS REACH THIS STAGE?
Windies, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and Ireland filled the bottom four spots (ninth to 12th) in the ICC ODI Championship on September 30 last year, meaning they missed out on automatic qualification for the 2019 World Cup, which has been trimmed to 10 teams.
So those sides will enter this qualification tournament, alongside the top four teams from the 2015-17 ICC World Cricket League Championship - winners Netherlands as well as Scotland, Hong Kong and Papua New Guinea, who finished second, third and fourth respectively.
The final two spots then went to UAE and Nepal after they finished in the top two of the 2018 ICC World Cricket League Division Two, the victorious teams edging Canada and Namibia.
UAE beat Namibia by 19 runs in their final game to secure qualification but the real thrills were in the Nepal-Canada encounter - Nepal stumbled from 127-5 to 144-9 chasing 195 for victory, before Karan KC (42no) and Sandeep Lamichhane (5no) shared an unbeaten, match-winning stand of 51.
Things looked bleak for Nepal when they were left needing eight runs from the final two balls but Karan then smeared a six over cover, saw Canada seamer Cecil Pervez bowl a wide and then clipped a full toss to midwicket to seal a dramatic, last-ball win.
WHICH BIG NAMES WILL BE ON SHOW?
Windies mean business, with Chris "Universe Boss" Gayle, Marlon Samuels, Shai Hope and Carlos Brathwaite among a powerful 15-man squad that will be captained by Jason Holder.
Leg-spinner Rashid Khan - joint-top of the ICC ODI bowling rankings, with India's Jasprit Bumrah, and out in front on his own in the T20 standings - has been Afghanistan's trump card for a while now. The 19-year-old takes his ODI wickets at an average of 13.26.
Essex's County Championship-winning captain Ryan ten Doeschate will be in Netherlands' ranks, while Ireland retain many of the players that helped them defeat England in the 2011 World Cup, including Kevin O'Brien, Ed Joyce and skipper Will Porterfield.
HOW CAN I WATCH IT?
Two of Windies' group games will be live on Sky Sports Mix - versus Ireland on March 10 and Netherlands on March 12 - while the Super Six stage and final will be also be shown live on Sky Sports.
