Teams convene in Buenos Aires for Americas T20 WC Qualifying
Qualification for the 2024 T20 World Cup resumes in Buenos Aires on Saturday (February 25) as six teams gather in the Argentine capital to contest the Americas Sub-Regional Qualifier T20. Hosts Argentina are joined by Bermuda, The Bahamas, Belize, Cayman Islands and Panama to vie for three qualifier berths alongside Canada at the Americas regional finals, one step away from the T20 World Cup.
With the United States automatically qualifying for the 2024 World Cup as co-hosts with the West Indies, combined with the replacement of the Global Qualifier with direct regional qualification, the path to the ICC’s pinnacle T20 event is less arduous than usual for lower-ranked Americas Associates.
For the three teams winning through this tournament, a turn on the global stage will be just one step away as they head to the Regional Final in Bermuda at the end of September. Though there will be only one qualification spot on offer at the regional final and Canada remain firm favourites to take it, for the six teams in Buenos Aires this cycle represents a rare opportunity to make a bid for World Cup qualification should they secure a podium finish this week.
The Format
In the absence of Brazil and Suriname, both of whom pulled out of the tournament, the six teams will compete in a single group, playing a simple round robin with the top three sides on the table progressing to join Canada at the four-team regional final.
The Teams
The only team at the tournament with a World Cup pedigree, Bermuda have slipped back into the pack somewhat since their heyday, but remain overwhelming favourites to win the tournament.
Convincing wins over the hosts in two warm-up matches ahead of the tournament underlined their status, with Delray Rawlins and Kamau Leverock especially looking a cut above the grade. Argentina will fancy their chances of a top-three finish, with home conditions in their favour and a recent winning record over most of the rest of the field.
An exception there is the returning Cayman Islands side however, Raymon Sealy’s team having a strong claim to the title of “best of the rest” in the region behind the USA, Canada and Bermuda. A five-nothing whitewash at the hands of the Caymans in their most recent competitive outing last year suggests that the Bahamas will be outsiders to progress, though if skipper Marc Taylor or Kervon Hinds fire they may have the next best shot at a podium finish.
Belize and Panama both start as underdogs, despite boasting potentially match-winners in the likes of Bernan Stephenson or Irfan Hafejee respectively, neither have yet been able to consistently compete at regional level.
Squads Argentina:
Hernan Fennell (c), Bruno Angeletti, Pedro Arrighi, Pedro Baron, Ramiro Escobar, Alejandro Ferguson, Agustin Husain, Alan Kirschbaum, David Mauro, Lautaro Musiani, Augusto Mustafa, Agustin Rivero, Santiago Rossi, Tomas Rossi
Bahamas:
Marc Taylor (c), Jonathan Barry, Festus Benn, Turan Brown, Keith Burrows, Narendra Ekanayake, Sandeep Goud, Everette Haven, Kervon Hinds, Julio Jemison, Ashok Nair, Junior Scott, Gregory Taylor, Dwight Wheatley
Belize:
Kenton Young (c), Andrew Banner, Garret Banner, Glenford Banner, Nathan Banner, Lebron Broaster, Ordell Casasola, Maurice Castillo, A Dominguez, Terrel Flowers, Tayshawn Moses, Glenroy Reynolds, Bernan Stephenson, JJ Wade
Bermuda:
Delray Rawlins (c), Jacob Albertze, Derrick Brangman, Zeko Burgess, Jabari Darrell, Terryn Fray, Malachi Jones, Kamau Leverock, Tre Manders, Justin Pitcher, Jarryd Richardson, Dominic Sabir, Sinclair Smith, Charles Trott, Matthew Watson
Cayman Islands:
Ramon Sealy (c), Jahmeal Buchanan, Paul Chin, Brian Corbin, Sacha De Alwis, Patrick Heron, Thilina Hewa, Alistair Ifill, Demar Johnson, Paul Manning, Troy Taylor, Omar Willis, Adrian Wright, Conroy Wright
Panama
: Irfan Hafejee (c), Anilkumar Natubhai Ahir, Khengar Bhai Ahir, Nikunj Ahir, Rahul Ahir, Vishal Ahir, Abdullah Jasat, Mahmud Jasat, Ahmed Patel, Faizan Patel, Huzaifa Patel, Sohel Patel, Mohmad Sohel Patel, Ahmadi Ravat.
