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Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE Cricket chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani is confident of hosting a flawless event when 10 countries converge in Zimbabwe for the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier in two months’ time.

Two-time world champions, the West Indies, will be the star attraction as the nations battle it out for the two remaining places in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 to be hosted by England and Wales.

Queen’s Sports Club and Bulawayo Athletic Club in Bulawayo, Harare Sports Club and Old Hararians Sports Club in Harare and Kwekwe Sports Club will share 34 matches between them from March 4, with Harare Sports Club staging the final on March 25.

Renovations have been taking place at the venues since last year.

“We are tremendously excited to be hosting the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018 event, which will bring some of the world’s most talented and gifted cricketers to our beautiful country.

“As the very proud hosts, we are very passionate about what we do on and off the field and we are leaving no stone unturned to ensure we deliver an extraordinarily memorable tournament,” said Mukuhlani.

The Windies, along with Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe, had missed out on automatic qualification for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 by finishing outside the top eight on the MRF Tyres ICC ODI Team Rankings at the September 30, 2017 cut-off date.

These four sides have been joined by Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Scotland and Papua New Guinea, who finished in the top four of the ICC World Cricket League Championship.

The remaining two sides for the Zimbabwe tournament will be confirmed in Namibia from February 8-15, when Canada, Kenya, Namibia, Nepal, Oman and the United Arab Emirates will fight it out in the ICC World Cricket League Division 2, with the finalists getting a step closer to cherishing their dreams of playing in the ICC Cricket World Cup.

“While the ultimate goal for the teams involved will be to secure one of the two remaining berths at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 in England and Wales, tournaments such as the qualifier event always provide the platform for raw talent and unheralded players to emerge and this can only put the game of cricket in good stead,” said Mukuhlani.

The 10 teams are split into two groups of five. The Windies, Ireland, the Netherlands, Papua New Guinea and winners of the ICC World Cricket League Division 2 make up Group A, while Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, Scotland, Hong Kong and runners-up of the ICC World Cricket League Division 2 form Group B. Each side will play the other teams in their group once, with the top three from the groups progressing to the Super Six stage. The teams each play three Super Six matches against the sides they did not meet in the group stage.

All points won in the groups will be carried over to the Super Six stage apart from those gained against the bottom two from each group.

The finalists will both progress to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, whilst the Netherlands (ICC World Cricket League Championship winners) and the three highest finishing Associate Members will earn ODI status until 2022 upon the conclusion of the event.

Hosts Zimbabwe will feature on the opening day of the tournament on March 4, when they will take on the runners-up from the Namibia tournament at the Queen’s Sports Club, Bulawayo, while the Windies will square-off against the winners of the Namibia tournament on March 6 at Old Hararians Cricket Club in Harare.

The ICC yesterday confirmed the schedule, including the dates for the warm-up games, which take place on February 27 and March 1. Zimbabwe play Ireland and Papua New Guinea in the practice games.

Groups

Group A: Windies (A1); Ireland (A2); Netherlands (A3); Papua New Guinea (A4); ICC World Cricket League Division 2 (WCL Div 2) winner (A5)

Group B: Afghanistan (B1); Zimbabwe (B2); Scotland (B3); Hong Kong (B4); ICC World Cricket League Division 2 (WCL Div 2) runners-up (B5)

Fixtures

Tournament Proper (first round)

Sunday, March 4 – PNG v WCL Div 2 winner, HSC; Ireland v Netherlands, OH; Zimbabwe v WCL Div 2 (runners-up), Queens Sports Club (QSC); Afghanistan v Scotland, BAC

Tuesday, March 6 – PNG v Ireland, HSC; Windies v WCL Div.2 (winner), OH; Zimbabwe v Afghanistan, QSC; Scotland v Hong Kong, BAC

Thursday, March 8 – Netherlands v WCL Div.2 (winner), HSC; Windies v PNG, OH; Scotland v WCL Div.2 (runners-up), QSC; Afghanistan v Hong Kong, BAC

Saturday, March 10 – Windies v Ireland, HSC; PNG v Netherlands, OH; Zimbabwe v Hong Kong, QSC; Afghanistan v WCL Div 2 (runners-up), BAC

Monday, March 12 – Windies v Netherlands, HSC; Ireland v WCL Div 2 (winners), OH; Hong Kong v WCL Div 2 (runners-up), QSC; Zimbabwe v Scotland, BAC

Super Sixes

Thursday, March 15 – A1 v B1, HSC; A3 v B3, QSC; A5 v B4 (play-off), OH; A4 v B5 (play-off), KK

Friday, March 16 – A2 v B2, HSC

Saturday, March 17 – 9th/10th position play-off, OH; 7th/8th position play-off, KK

Sunday, March 18– A2 v B3, HSC

Monday, March 19 – A1 v B2, HSC

Tuesday, March 20 – A3 v B1, HSC

Thursday, March 22 – A1 v B3, HSC; A3 v B2, OH

Friday, March 23 – A2 v B1, HSC

Sunday, March 25 – FINAL, HSC