Everything you need to know about the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup EAP Qualifier
The winner of the four-team tournament at Amini Park claims an automatic spot for the tournament next year as part of the new qualification pathway - with 20 teams taking part in next year’s edition in the USA and the Caribbean.
Hosts Papua New Guinea come into the tournament as the favourites, though will likely not have everything go their way in the double round robin-formatted event, and with Japan, Vanuatu and the Philippines all set pose a threat to the Barramundis.
While automatic qualifiers for this tournament by virtue of Qualification results in previous T20 World Cup cycles, the Philippines come in a little cold, with their two T20s at the South East Asian Games in Cambodia their only international cricket of note since Qualifier A for the last T20 World Cup back in February 2022. The side were second-best in both their T20 fixtures at the games, falling to Singapore and a shuffled, new-look Cambodian outfit on home soil.
The Filipino side, nicknamed the Carabaos, are led by Daniel Smith, who will more than likely open both the bowling and batting. To this point the fast-bowling all-rounder is the side’s leading run-scorer and wicket-taker in the T20I format.
Vanuatu and Japan qualified for this week’s tournament after winning the Sub-Regional A and B Qualifiers respectively
Patrick Matautaava’s team built up to the tournament by hosting an Australian indigenous side, while Japan hosted a Sri Lankan Emerging Squad in Sano.
Tournament format and qualification
The ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 in West Indies and USA will boast 20 teams for the first time with 12 sides having already secured their place for the showpiece event.
The 20 teams will be divided into four groups of five teams each.
The top two teams in each of the groups will move to a Super Eight phase, where the remaining teams will be split into two groups of four. The top two in each group will then make their way to the semi-finals.
The 20 teams are made up in the following way:
- Two host nations: USA and West Indies.
- Top eight teams at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022: Australia, England, India, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka.
- Top two best-ranked unqualified teams in the MRF Tyres ICC Men's T20I Team Rankings at 14 November 2022: Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
- Eight qualifiers through regional finals
The regional qualifiers include qualifiers from the America, Europe, Africa, Asia and East Asia-Pacific regions.
T20WC 2024 Qualifiers
Free on ICC.tv: Watch 68 Teams Battle for 8 Spots at the T20 World Cup 2024
Regional Qualifier Finals
Europe (2 qualifying teams)
20-28 July 2023 - in Scotland
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Scotland.
East Asia Pacific (1 qualifying team)
21-29 July 2023 - in Papua New Guinea
Japan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Vanuatu.
Americas (1 qualifying team)
30 September-7 October 2023 - in Bermuda
Bermuda, Canada, Cayman Islands, Panama.
Africa (2 qualifying teams)
20 November – 1 December 2023 - in Namibia
Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe.
Asia (2 qualifying teams)
Dates & location TBA
Bahrain, Hong Kong, Nepal, Oman, Singapore, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Winner of Sub Regional Qualifier A & Winner of Sub Regional Qualifier B.
EAP Qualifier Fixtures
Four teams will play 12 matches at Port Moresby over eight days with one spot open for them at the biggest ICC Men’s T20 World Cup ever, in the West Indies and the United States of America (USA) in June 2024.
July 22
Japan v Philippines, 09:30, Port Moresby
PNG v Vanuatu, 13:30 local, Port Moresby
July 23
Japan v Vanuatu, 09:30 local, Port Moresby
PNG v Philippines, 13:30 local, Port Moresby
July 25
Philippines v Vanuatu, 09:30 local, Port Moresby
PNG v Japan, 13:00 local, Port Moresby
July 26
PNG v Vanuatu, 09:30 local, Port Moresby
Philippines v Japan, 13:30 local, Port Moresby
July 28
Vanuatu v Japan, 09:30 local, Port Moresby
PNG v Philippines, 13:30 local, Port Moresby
July 29
Vanuatu v Philippines, 09:30 local, Port Moresby
PNG v Japan, 13:30 local, Port Moresby
Squads
Japan: Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming, Ryan Drake, Kohei Kubota, Piyush Kumbhare, Wataru Miyauchi, Supun Nawarathna, Sabaorish Ravichandran, Reo Sakurano, Alexander Shirai-Patmore, Declan Suzuki-McComb, Mian Muneeb Siddique, Tsuyoshi Takada, Ibrahim Takahashi, Makoto Taniyama, Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake.
Philippines: Hernie Ma Isorena, Surinder Singh, Amanpreet Singh Sirah, Gurbhupinder Singh, Arashdeep Singh Samra, Kapil Kumar, Huzaifa Mohammed Akram, Grant Ronald Russ, Josef Erwin Abayata Doctora, Kepler Dean Lukies, Francis Norman Walsh, Jordan Ethan Henry Alegre, Daniel Christopher Evan Smith, Liam Jacob Myott, Jean Miguel Catapang Podosky.
PNG: Charles Amini, Sese Bau, Kipling Doriga, Jack Gardner, Riley Hekure, Hiri Hiri, Sema Kamea, John Kariko, Alei Nao, Lega Siaka, Tony Ura, Kabua Vagi-Morea, Asodollah Vala, Norman Vanua, Hila Vare.
Vanuatu: Patrick Matautaava, Junior Kaltapau, Ronald Tari, Andrew Mansale, Simpson Obed, Darren Wotu, Apolinaire Stephen, Williamsing Nalisa, Joshua Rasu, Nalin Nipiko, Womejo Wotu, Jarryd Allan, Clement Tommy, Jamal Molidurumahava Vira.
Where to follow the T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier?
All matches available to watch live on FanCode (India) and ICC.tv (UK and the rest of world). All six of Scotland’s fixtures will also be broadcast on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app (UK only).
How to watch on ICC.tv
It is free to Sign Up to ICC.tv.
You can then watch ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 Qualifiers live and FREE on ICC.tv in all regions (other than Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan) on:
* ICC.tv website
* ICC.tv mobile apps (available in the App Store and Google Play)
* Samsung TV and LG TV apps
