T20 World Cup: Scotland and Ireland eye Super 12s with England potential second-round rivals

The 2022 T20 World Cup gets under way on Sunday.

Those tipped to push for the title, including hosts and defending champions Australia as well as England and India, are not in action until round two having qualified directly for the Super 12s.

The first week is all about the battle to join the big boys in the next phase - although there are still a couple of heavyweights in the opening round in the shape of former champions West Indies and Sri Lanka.

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Scotland and Ireland are also hoping to push for the Super 12s, so what are their chances? We look at the eight teams in the running for four spots…

Group A: Namibia, Netherlands, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates
Group B: Ireland, Scotland, West Indies, Zimbabwe
(Top two sides in each pool advance to the Super 12s)

Live ICC Men's T20 World Cup

Live ICC Men's T20 World Cup

Live ICC Men's T20 World Cup

Live ICC Men's T20 World Cup

Ireland

Best result: Super 8s (2009)
Coach: Heinrich Malan

Squad: Andrew Balbirnie (captain), Paul Stirling, Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Stephen Doheny, Fionn Hand, Josh Little, Barry McCarthy, Conor Olphert, Simi Singh, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Craig Young

Prospects: Ireland missed out on the Super 12s in the UAE last year, finishing third in their group behind Sri Lanka and Namibia after losing to both of those sides. Andrew Balbirnie's men enter this tournament having been beaten in 10 of their last 13 T20Is, with the caveat that they have come up against the might of India, South Africa and New Zealand in seven of those defeats. They also lost to Namibia in their sole warm-up match for this tournament. The oft-destructive opener Paul Stirling has gone 19 T20I innings without a half-century and floundered in the recent Caribbean Premier League so Ireland will need him to rediscover his touch, too.

There are fewer concerns in the bowling department with seamers Mark Adair and Josh Little hoovering up wickets in T20 international cricket in 2022 and Little also impressing in The Hundred after joining Manchester Originals mid-season. However, Ireland have been dealt a late blow with another wicket-taking seamer Craig Young ruled out through injury.

It will be interesting to see how keenly Ireland feel the absence of now-retired all-rounder Kevin O'Brien, a man at the heart of some of the team's highlight victories over the years, but now is the time for the youngsters to lead the charge, including talented batters Harry Tector and Gareth Delany and all-rounder Curtis Campher, the latter bagging four wickets in four balls against Netherlands in the 2021 T20 World Cup.

Scotland

Best result: Super 12s (2021)
Coach: Shane Burger

Squad: Richie Berrington (captain), Matthew Cross, George Munsey, Michael Leask, Brad Wheal, Chris Sole, Chris Greaves, Safyaan Sharif, Josh Davey, Calum MacLeod, Hamza Tahir, Mark Watt, Brandon McMullen, Michael Jones, Craig Wallace

Prospects: Scotland will be aiming for back-to-back Super 12 appearances after making that stage for the first time in 2021. Focussing on the cricket will be a welcome relief for the side after a year in which governing body Cricket Scotland was found to be institutionally racist by an independent review. On the field, there has been a change at the top with Richie Berrington now captain after Kyle Coetzer stepped down from the role before going on to announce his retirement from T20I cricket.

Scotland have played only two official T20Is since the 2021 World Cup, both ending in heavy defeats to New Zealand, but they have been successful in ODIs with Calum MacLeod firing two tons, five fifties and 736 runs this calendar year. George Munsey and Berrington are also destructive batters. Spinners Mark Watt and Hamza Tahir could be key as could seamer Brad Wheal, who bagged 22 wickets to help Hampshire win the Vitality Blast.

With West Indies favourites to top Group B, Scotland and Ireland could be competing with each other as well as Zimbabwe for second spot - the team that finishes in that position will qualify for England's Super 12 pool. The potentially crunch clash between Scotland and Ireland is on October 19.

West Indies

Best result: Winners (2012, 2016)
Coach: Phil Simmons

Squad: Nicholas Pooran (captain), Shamarh Brooks, Yannic Cariah, Johnson Charles, Sheldon Cottrell, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Kyle Mayers, Obed McCoy, Rovman Powell, Raymon Reifer, Odean Smith

Prospects: West Indies' T20 stock has dwindled since they won the tournament for the second time in Kolkata in 2016 thanks to those Carlos Brathwaite sixes - the Caribbean clan winning just one of their five Super 12 matches last year and being forced to enter at the earliest stage this term after slipping down the rankings. Gone is the tag of one of the title favourites and gone are some of the world-renowned names in Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, former skipper Kieron Pollard and Andre Russell - retired in Pollard and Bravo's case, not selected in Gayle and Russell's.

Nicholas Pooran is captain now and has a decent amount of talent at his disposal, with the skipper alongside Rovman Powell - who thumped a 51-ball ton against England in January - Evin Lewis and Johnson Charles in a powerful batting line-up. Shimron Hetmyer would have been in that too, but was dropped from the squad after missing a flight. Jason Holder and Alzarri Joseph helm the seam attack and left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein is also a canny operator with the ball - but without some of the stardust of yesteryear, Ireland, Scotland and Zimbabwe may fancy upsetting them.

Zimbabwe

Best result: First round (2007, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016)
Coach: David Houghton

Squad: Craig Ervine (captain), Ryan Burl, Regis Chakabva, Tendai Chatara, Bradley Evans, Luke Jongwe, Clive Madande, Wesley Madhevere, Wellington Masakadza, Tony Munyonga, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Sikandar Raza, Milton Shumba, Sean Williams. Reserves: Tanaka Chivanga, Innocent Kaia, Kevin Kasuza, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Victor Nyauchi

Prospects: Zimbabwe are making their first appearance at either the T20 or 50-over World Cup since 2016, with that six-year absence due to a combination of non-qualification and being suspended by the ICC for political intervention. They are back now and will have designs on the Super 12 after going unbeaten at the T20 World Cup Qualifier earlier this year - winning five from five - beating Bangladesh in a three-match series and then recording a notable ODI victory over Australia in Queensland.

Sikandar Raza has been in tremendous form with the bat across the white-ball formats in 2022, with three ODI hundreds and four T20 international fifties, while he also provides a handy option with his off-spin. Spinner Ryan Burl and seamers Blessing Muzarabani and Luke Jongwe are other wicket-takers and if skipper Craig Ervine and Sean Williams can back up Raza in the batting department, then Zimbabwe should make a strong push. Ireland and Scotland may have their work cut out to finish above them.

Sri Lanka

Best result: Champions (2014)
Coach: Chris Silverwood

Squad: Dasun Shanaka (captain), Danushka Gunathilaka, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dhananjaya de Silva, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Lahiru Kumara, Dilshan Madushanka, Pramod Madushan. Standby: Ashen Bandara, Praveen Jayawickrema, Dinesh Chandimal, Binura Fernando, Nuwanidu Fernando

Prospects: Chris Silverwood's reputation as a coach took a bit of a battering as he presided over England's 4-0 Ashes debacle last winter, with the Yorkshireman sacked post-series as part of sweeping changes to the set-up. He was subsequently given another go at international cricket with Sri Lanka and things have started rather well. The team are unbeaten in Test and ODI series under his stewardship and also won the T20-format Asia Cup last month in a real pre-World Cup fillip, with that triumph including one win over India and two victories against Pakistan.

As a result, Sri Lanka will hope to not only breeze into the Super 12s but also take some big scalps if they get there. Opponents will not fancy coming up against speedy seamers Lahiru Kumara and Dushmantha Chameera, while Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis and skipper Dasun Shanaka are regular run-scores. Wanindu Hasaranga, meanwhile, has x-factor. He can bamboozle you with leg-spin and belt the ball out of the park. With all that ammunition, it would be a surprise if Sri Lanka failed to top their round-one group. If they do win it, England will await in round two.

Namibia

Best result: Super 12s (2021)
Coach: Pierre de Bruyn

Squad: Gerhard Erasmus (captain), JJ Smit, Divan la Cock, Stephan Baard, Nicol Loftie Eaton, Jan Frylinck, David Wiese, Ruben Trumpelmann, Zane Green, Bernard Scholtz, Tangeni Lungameni, Michael van Lingen, Ben Shikongo, Karl Birkenstock, Lohan Louwrens, Helao Ya France

Prospects: Namibia marked their maiden T20 World Cup appearance with progression to the Super 12s last year and will fancy their chances of a repeat with skipper Gerhard Erasmus in fine fettle, the 27-year-old with hundreds in both white-ball forms in 2022 as well as six half-centuries. Veteran all-rounder David Wiese will also be a vital man with bat and ball for a side who achieved a notable 3-2 T20I series win over Zimbabwe in May.

If you like great names and fast bowling, then also look out for left-arm quick Ruben Trumpelmann. He trampled Scotland's top order in last year's tournament with three wickets in the first over of the game between the sides in Abu Dhabi. Namibia have plenty of left-arm options in their squad, including JJ Smit and Jan Frylinck, and after last year's breakout tournament they are no longer a leftfield pick to make the second round.

Netherlands

Best result: Super 10s (2014)
Coach: Ryan Campbell

Squad: Scott Edwards (captain), Colin Ackermann, Shariz Ahmad, Logan van Beek, Tom Cooper, Brandon Glover, Timm van der Gugten, Fred Klaassen, Bas de Leede, Paul van Meekeren, Roelof van der Merwe, Stephan Myburgh, Teja Nidamanuru, Max O'Dowd, Tim Pringle, Vikram Singh

Prospects: Netherlands are competing at their fourth successive T20 World Cup and are hoping to reach round two for the first time since 2014 - a tournament which included a 45-run win over England. Four players who featured in that match remain in the Dutch squad, in batters Stephan Myburgh and Tom Cooper and seamers Logan van Beek and Timm van der Gugten - although one of their key men this year could be New Zealand-born batter Max O'Dowd. The right-hander hit two fifties in last year's tournament, proving one of the bright spots as his team lost three from three, and is the only Dutch player to score a T20 century.

Skipper Scott Edwards has struck eight fifties in 15 ODI innings so far in 2022 - including three in as many matches against England in June - while all-rounder Bas de Leede has grown his reputation with white-ball fifties against New Zealand and Pakistan and a number of wickets, too. With experienced bowlers in Van Beek, Van der Gugten and Roelof van der Merwe also in their ranks, Netherlands look like being Sri Lanka's biggest challengers in this group and a strong bet to reach the Super 12s.

United Arab Emirates

Best result: First round (2014)
Coach: Robin Singh

Squad: C P Rizwan (captain), Vriitya Aravind, Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, Basil Hameed, Aryan Lakra, Zawar Farid, Kashif Daud, Karthik Meiyappan, Ahmed Raza, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Sabir Ali, Alishan Sharafu, Aayan Khan. Standby players: Sultan Ahmed, Fahad Nawaz, Vishnu Sukumaran, Adithya Shetty, Sanchit Sharma

Prospects: UAE qualified in style for their first T20 World Cup since 2014 and second in their history, winning T20 World Cup Global Qualifier A with a seven-wicket victory over Ireland in the final. Opening batter Muhammad Waseem plundered 112 from 66 balls in that game, including eight sixes, to end as second-leading run-scorer in the tournament, behind only team-mate Vriitya Aravind, a real precocious talent at just 20 years of age.

Rohan Mustafa, UAE's most-capped player across all formats, scored the winning run against Ireland but has been unceremoniously axed from the squad for the World Cup. Bowling-wise, pace bowler Junaid Siddique picked up 5-13 from four overs in a warm-up game against West Indies, with skipper CP Rizwan describing the bowler as "unplayable". He may have to be again in the World Cup if UAE are to contend for the Super 12 phase.

Watch the 2022 ICC Men's T20 World Cup live on Sky Sports from Sunday.