ICC World Cup Qualifiers 2018: 10 players to watch out for

​

The 2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifiers start on March 3rd, 2018 in Zimbabwe. This tournament will decide which teams occupy the final two spots in 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup.

10 teams are competing in the tournament, divided into 2 groups of five. West Indies, Ireland, the Netherlands, Papua New Guinea and the United Arab Emirates are in Group A. Group B comprises hosts Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, Scotland, Hong Kong and Nepal. The two finalists of the tournament will qualify for the World Cup next year.

Aside from the World Cup spots, the Netherlands plus the three highest-finishing Associate sides will be granted ODI & T20I status until 2022. So, the five associates will be looking to do well in the tournament.

Let us look at the 10 players who would be crucial for their respective teams in the tournament:

#10 Assad Vala – Papua New Guinea

PNG are the least popular team in this tournament. They have never played against a full-member team yet. So, this tournament will be a significant one for them.

PNG’s best player is their captain, Assad Vala. Assad is an off-spinning all-rounder. His first-class average of 63 is a reflection of how good a player he is. He scored 399 runs in the WCL championship, the second highest for PNG. He also took 14 wickets at an average of 19.00, the best for a PNG bowler.

It may be difficult for PNG to qualify for the World Cup, but they would look to retain the ODI status which they had earned in the last edition of the Qualifiers. Assad has played an integral role in the team’s success in the past. The captain’s contribution would be crucial for the Barramundis here.

​