Unlike the interminable IPL, the World T20 qualifying tournament in the UAE has quickly reached the knockout stage after 56 round robin fixtures. We're familiar with the likes of Ireland, Canada, Kenya and Holland from the 50-over World Cup but two of the other pre-competition favourites topped their respective groups. Afghanistan and Namibia both claimed 100% records and go onto meet in what is technically known as a preliminary final.
As is the way of modern competitions, you can't simply have two semis and a final between the winners. No, whoever wins out of the group winners will progress to another final, but the second and third placed teams in each group now play off to determine who plays the losers of the other preliminary final, and the winner of that plays the winner of the first preliminary final. Clear as mud?! I suppose it allows six teams a further opportunity to have a chance of being one of the two Associate/Affiliate nations to join this year's World T20 party, so who will it be?
Obviously one of the Group winners will definitely be in Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan must be favourites. Their batting line-up is strong, led by Mohammad Shahzad and Karim Sadiq, and boast a good mix of seam and spin. However, Namibia's Raymond van Schoor is the leading run scorer so far and his team-mate Louis van der Westhuizen blasted a 56-ball century against Scotland. Ireland came within five runs of beating them a few weeks ago and Will Porterfield's side must fancy their chances of reaching the final two. First they have to see off a weak Canada and then the winners of Netherlands v Scotland. The former have missed star man Ryan Ten Doeschate, who opted for another lucrative franchise payday rather than represent his country. However, Peter Borren's team have a reasonable chance of beating the other European challengers, although I fancy Scotland and Ireland meeting in the deciding 'semi'.
Of course, this is Twenty20 so anything could happen. However, over seven matches the chances of the Affiliate minnows progressing were always going to be slim and so we won't see the likes of Nepal, Papua New Guinea or Oman playing Australia or India later this year. What about some of the familiar names representing unfamiliar cricketing nations this month? Michael di Venuto may be one of the most prolific Aussie first-class batsmen in history but T20 has never been his bag, and he failed to lift Italy. Ex-England 'keeper Geraint Jones contributed almost 200 runs to his native PNG, who finished fourth in Group A. Veteran David Hemp, ex-Glamorgan, has played more than 20 ODIs for Bermuda but they managed just a solitary victory in this competition.
They won't be at the ICC's finals but I shall plump for Afghanistan and Ireland being the two qualifiers. Frankly either of them could win the final in Dubai but the main prize would be achieved by merely getting there at the weekend. How they might cope with Malinga, Warner, Sehwag and co I dread to think but I'm glad they at least have the opportunity to test themselves against the best. Cricket should never be a closed shop for the rich.
