The Cricket World Cup Qualifier begins in Zimbabwe on Sunday.
The 10-team competition carries with it the final two places for the main event in India, which is set to take place in October and November.
How does it work?
There are two pools of five teams. Each side plays each other once, and the top three teams in the group advance to the Super Six.
That is a six-team group in which teams play a match each against the sides who have advanced from the other first-round pool to theirs.
They carry forward the points from the first round from the matches against the other teams that went through with them.
The sides who fail to qualify for the second round will stay on to play play-offs for consolation places.
What is UAE’s form?
The UAE are the lowest seeded side in the event as they were last to seal their place, as runners up in the Qualifier Play-off in Namibia.
Their form at that event was a vast improvement on what had gone before, after a miserable run during the final days of Robin Singh’s spell as coach.
They had a chastening preparatory series ahead of flying to Zimbabwe, as they were swept 3-0 in Sharjah by West Indies.
They won their first official warm-up match in Harare, against Nepal, but were then trounced again by West Indies in the second.
UAE fixtures
Monday, June 19, v Sri Lanka at Queen’s Sports Club.
Wednesday, June 21, v Oman at Bulawayo Athletic Club.
Friday, June 23, v Scotland at Bulawayo Athletic Club.
Tuesday, June 27, v Ireland at Bulawayo Athletic Club.
UAE squad
Muhammad Waseem (captain), Ethan D'Souza, Ali Naseer, Vriitya Aravind, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Jawadullah, Asif Khan, Rohan Mustafa, Aayan Khan, Junaid Siddique, Zahoor Khan, Sanchit Sharma, Aryansh Sharma, Karthik Meiyappan, Basil Hameed
The teams
GROUP A
1 WEST INDIES
How they qualified: Ninth in the ODI Super League
Captain: Shai Hope
One to watch: Rovman Powell
Smashed a window during a six blitz the last time this competition was played, four years ago in Harare. He returns as the Windies vice-captain.
2 ZIMBABWE
How they qualified: 12th in the ODI Super League
Captain: Craig Ervine
One to watch: Sikandar Raza
One of three nominees for the ICC’s Garry Sobers award for leading international cricketer last year, and his form has scarcely dropped off since.
3 NETHERLANDS
How they qualified: Last in the ODI Super League
Captain: Scott Edwards
One to watch: Bas de Leede
Not all the Netherlands’ leading lights are available for this tournament, but their standout all-rounder has got time off from UK county cricket to play.
4 NEPAL
How they qualified: Third in CWC League 2
Captain: Rohit Paudel
One to watch: Kushal Malla
The left-handed all-rounder has been revived in a side that has sparkled under the coaching of Monty Desai this year.
5 UNITED STATES
How they qualified: Qualifier Play-off winners
Captain: Monank Patel
One to watch: Ali Khan
The fast bowler is suspended for the first two matches due to disciplinary offences, but one of the most eye-catching players in the tournament.
GROUP B
1 SRI LANKA
How they qualified: 10th in the ODI Super League
Captain: Dasun Shanaka
One to watch: Matheesha Pathirana
The 20-year-old quick has played just a lone ODI so far but has already earned himself the nickname “Baby Malinga” based on the resemblance of his style to the great Lasith.
2 IRELAND
How they qualified: 11th in the ODI Super League
Captain: Andrew Balbirnie
One to watch: Harry Tector
The ICC’s player of the month for May, having beaten Pakistan’s Babar Azam and Bangladesh’s Najmal Hossain Shanto to the award.
3 SCOTLAND
How they qualified: CWC League 2 winners
Captain: Richie Berrington
One to watch: Chris Sole
The fast bowler took 4-50 against West Indies in the first warm-up match, including the powerful top three of Johnson Charles, Kyle Mayers and Shamarh Brooks.
4 OMAN
How they qualified: Second in CWC League 2
Captain: Zeeshan Maqsood
One to watch: Aqib Ilyas
A top order batter who also bowls off- or leg-spin depending on what suits the situation. Has had a wretched run with injuries but made a century in the warm-up game against Zimbabwe.
5 UAE
How they qualified: Qualifier Play-off runner up
Captain: Muhammad Waseem
One to watch: Ali Naseer
Shone with back-to-back half-centuries against West Indies in his debut series for the senior team. The 19-year-old student punched his ticket to the Qualifier in the process.
