ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier 2019 Group B Preview, Key Players, Prediction

Even with just two pools in play, Group B has every claim to being the dreaded Group of Death in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier 2019. They may not have the highest-ranked T20I side in the tournament – Scotland, at No. 11 in the ICC rankings – but they do have the second-highest ranked in UAE (No. 12), and the fourth-highest ranked in Ireland (No. 14).

The likes of Oman, Hong Kong, Jersey and Canada are more than capable of upsetting them, and while Nigeria, in the tournament after finishing third in the Africa qualifiers, in itself thanks to Zimbabwe’s suspension by the ICC, could be the fairytale story of the season if they manage to upset even one of the sides here.

All the Group B games will be played in Abu Dhabi, at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium and the Tolerance Oval. However, the home side, UAE, are lacking some sheen after recent happenings. They have lost three significant players to suspension on spot-fixing charges – Mohammed Naveed, the captain, along with Shaiman Anwar, the 40-year-old veteran, and Qadeer Ahmed – and how that affects the side remains to be seen.

Oman are much better placed, having swept all five matches in the Pentagular series at home before the tournament, and winning both their warm-up matches. Jersey were involved in a hard-fought tussle against Germany in the European qualifiers, and came out top on net run-rate. Nobody is writing them off after that heist. The likes of Ireland will always be a threat, and while UAE are wounded, they still have enough knowhow, in home conditions, to realistically hope for qualification to the main tournament.

All in all, this is the group to watch out for.

Key players

Chirag Suri (UAE): UAE might not have their captain Naveed or their trusted veteran Anwar, but that only raises the importance of Chirag Suri. The batsman isn’t one to dent the fences too much, but he is more than capable of working the gaps and keeping the innings together. He has IPL experience with Gujarat Lions too in the past, and UAE will be relying on him to come good here, and leave behind the negativity.

Nick Ferraby (Jersey): The interesting thing about Ferraby isn’t that he’s a reliable opener or that he roomed with Stuart Broad when he was young. It’s that he is more or less a priest. Ferraby, however, is crucial to Jersey’s hopes for his cricketing skills. He opens the innings, and despite being the oldest member of the squad at 36, he is still quite handy at the top of the order.

Kevin O’Brien (Ireland): One of 14 players to score a century in all formats, O’Brien is being experimented with at the top of the order by Ireland. He didn’t really fire in the warm-ups, but his immense experience, and incredible skills that don’t seem to fade make him a mainstay in the side. If he fires, expect Ireland to have a supreme tournament.

Jatinder Singh (Oman): Jatinder is known for duplicating Shikhar Dhawan’s celebration, but he is also quite capable with the bat. Oman has been in fine form in the lead-up to the tournament, and Jatinder has been in the thick of it. In Oman’s second warm-up against Netherlands, he scored a 64, even as the rest of the side struggled, and more of the same is expected from the opener.

Isaac Okpe (Nigeria): Isaac is one half of Nigeria’s Okpe brothers, the other being Sylvester. But he is already considered vastly more talented than his brother. He is captain of the U19 side that made history when it qualified for the ICC Under 19 World Cup – a first for a Nigerian side – and he is easily one to watch out for in the tournament.

Prediction

There is plenty of scope for upsets in the tournament. However, with six places up for grabs in next year’s tournament, expect the biggies in this group to make it through. The question is who will win it. UAE are distracted and is, probably, derailed. That leaves the field open for the likes of Ireland and Oman. The Irish are now an experienced unit when it comes to these tournaments – expect them to make it count.