ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier – Asia 2019 set to begin in Bangkok

It is the Asian qualifying tournament for not just one World Cup, but two.

Seven countries – China, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Malaysia, Nepal, Thailand, UAE – will contest a Twenty20 competition which serves not only as part of the pathway for the next ICC Women’s T20 World Cup which is being held in Australia in 2020 but will also help decide the participants in the next 50-over ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup which will be staged in New Zealand in 2021.

The seven teams will play each other in a round robin league format, competing for a single place for the next qualifying round – it is very much a question of winner takes all. At this level, Asia may well be the strongest of the five regions with three teams – Thailand (12th), UAE (14th) and Nepal (16th) – all in the top 16 of the newly expanded MRF Tyres Women’s T20 International Rankings.

Hosts Thailand are the favourites for this competition, having progressed from four successive ICC Asia qualifying tournaments but they will face strong opposition. Several of the teams taking part played in the hotly contested Thailand T20 Smash. Thailand emerged victorious from that competition, with Nepal finishing as losing finalists and UAE and Indonesia each reaching the semi-finals. Those teams are sure to have gained valuable experience of playing on the Terdthai Cricket Ground and at the Asian Institute of Technology where matches in this competition will be held.

The first round of matches will see Thailand facing China at TCG, while Kuwait play Malaysia and UAE face Hong Kong at AIT. Every one of the 21 matches will have great importance as they are all now classed as official Women’s T20 Internationals and all will affect each countries T20 International ranking.

Kuwait will be playing their first ICC women’s event but they have several outstanding players including captain Maryam Omar, while Hong Kong have an experienced side who are desperate to make the next step forward. With Thailand, UAE and Nepal all playing some excellent cricket at the start of 2019, we certainly will see some very exciting clashes in Bangkok.

SQUADS

China

Li Haoyue, Zhang Xiangxue, Zhang Chan, Zhang Yanglin, Wang Meng, Wu Juan, Liu Jie, Zheng Lili, Zhou Caiyun, Chen Yue, Song Fengfeng, Zhang Mei, Han Lili, Huang Zhuo (C)

Hong Kong

Mariko Hill (C), Ka Ying Chan, Jenefer Davies, Yee Shan To, Yasmin Daswani, Bella Bo Yee Poon, Ruchitha Venkatesh, Hung Ying Ho, Ka Man Chan, Jamine Titmuss, Marina Lamplough, Mehreen Yousaf, Mei Wei Siu, Maryam Bibi

Kuwait

Maryam Omar (C), Kadija Khalil, Mariamma Hyder, Amna Sharif Tariq, Sabreen Zaki, Iqra Ishaq, Maryyam Ashraf, Maria Jasvi, Siobhan Gomez, Mofida Banu Ghudu Saheb Kocchargi, Mahmoor Mahmood, Zeefa Jilani, Priyada Murali, Madeeha Zuberi

Malaysia

Winifred Duraisingam (C), Yusrina Yaakob, Wan Julia Wan Mohd Rosli, Nur Nadirah Nasaruddin, Emylia Eliani Md Rahim, Mas Elysa Yasmin, Ainna Hamizah Hashim, Arianna Natasya Benn Rakquidean, Sasha Azmi, Wan Nor Zulaika Sofera Wan Mohd Zulkifi, Intan Jamadihaya Jaafar, Christina Baret, Zumika Azmi, Elsa Siow Tzin Yee

Nepal

Rubina Chhetry Belbashi (C), Sita Rana Magar, Kajal Shrestha, Karuna Bhandari, Nairry Thapa, Indu Barma, Sarita Magar, Sonu Khadka, Kabita Kunwar, Apsari Begam, Aarati Bidari, Bindu Rawal, Mamta Kumari Chaudahry, Roma Thapa

Thailand

Sornnarin Tippoch (C), Nattaya Boochatham, Naruemol Chaiwai, Ratanaporn Padunglerd, Chanida Sutthiruang, Wongpaka Liengprasert, Natthakan Chantham, Suleeporn Laomi, Onnicha Kamchomphu, Sainammin Saenya, Nannapat Khoncharoenkai, Arriya Yenyueak, Soraya Lateh, Rosenanee Kanoh

UAE

Chamani Senevirathne, Chaya Mughal, Esha Oza, Humaira Tasneem (C), Ishani Senevirathne, Kavisha Kumari, Mahika Gaur, Namita Dsouza, Neha Sharma, Samaira Dharnidharka, Subha Venkatraman, Suraksha Kotte, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Vaishnave Mahesh

Schedule:

For results, live scores and information on the ICC Women’s Asia Qualifier 2019 please go to:

https://www.icc-cricket.com/t20-world-cup/womens-qualifiers/asia-fixtures