CRUCIAL ASIAN WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT SET TO BEGIN IN BANGKOK

The ICC Women’s Qualifier Asia is being held in Bangkok in Thailand from 18^th to 27^th February and this is one of the most significant competitions ever to be held in women’s international cricket as it is the Asian qualifying tournament for not just one Women’s World Cup but two.

Seven countries, Thailand, UAE, Nepal, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Malaysia and China are playing in a 20-over competition which is not only the qualifier for the next T20 Women’s World Cup which is being held in Australia in 2020 but also the qualifier for the next 50-over Women’s World Cup which will be staged in New Zealand in 2021.

The seven teams will play each other once apiece in a league in which the team which finishes in first place on points or even by net run-rate if two teams are level  will move forward into two important global qualifying tournaments while the other six teams will miss out.

It is a critical competition for the future plans for these seven countries, as the Asian Region will only have a single place at the next level of qualifying as the ICC have decided that each of their five regions, Africa, Americas, Asia, East Asia Pacific and Europe will have one place each in both T20 and 50-over World Cup Qualifiers.

It is very much a question of winner takes all as Asia is probably the strongest of the five regions with three teams Thailand (12^th), UAE (14^th) and Nepal (16^th) all in the top 16 of the new Women’s T20 International Rankings.

Hosts Thailand are the favourites for this competition as they have won through from no fewer than four successive ICC Asia qualifying tournaments but they will face strong opposition particularly from UAE and Nepal.

Several of the teams in the Asia Qualifier have recently been taking part in the Thailand Smash tournament which was won by Thailand but Nepal finished as losing finalists and UAE reached the semi-finals along with Indonesia.

Thailand finished as unbeaten champions in the Smash but the other teams also 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 thinking behind only one team qualifying from this Asian competition was to be even-handed to all five of the ICC regions and it was also felt that more countries are able to compete in even contests in T20 cricket rather than in the 50-over version of the game, but it only adds to the significance of the cricket played in the next ten days that it will determine which country will gain the rare opportunity to play in a global 50-over competition.

The first round of matches in the ICC Women’s Qualifier Asia 2019 gets underway on 18^th February with 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 Women’s T20 International 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 cricket In Bangkok before the winners will be decided with the last round of matches being played on 27^th February.

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

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