What: World Cup Qualifier 2018, Zimbabwe
The top two teams qualify for the World Cup in England in 2019.
The top three teams in each group of five countries advance to the Super Six stage. The top two teams in that stage will qualify for the World Cup in England in 2019. The bottom two from each group in the first stage play off to be ranked from seventh to 10th.
UAE opening round fixtures
Sunday March 4, v Papua New Guinea
Tuesday March 6, v West Indies
Thursday March 8, v Netherlands
Monday March 12, v Ireland
UAE squad
Rohan Mustafa (captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Ghulam Shabber, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Boota, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Naveed, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Teams
Group A
Ireland
World Cup appearances: 2007, 2011, 2015
Pedigree: World Cup memories abound for this side, from Niall O'Brien's match-winning knock against Pakistan in 2007 to his brother Kevin's record-breaking century against England four years later.
Netherlands
World Cup appearances: 1996, 2003, 2007, 2011
Pedigree: The Dutch will be the 13th team – and the only Associate nation – in the new one-day international league, having won the World Cricket League Championship.
Papua New Guinea
World Cup appearances: None
Pedigree: The "Barramundis" reached the Qualifier by dint of finishing fourth in the World Cricket League Championship – two places above the UAE.
UAE
World Cup appearances: 1996, 2015
Pedigree: The national team made it to Zimbabwe the hard way, having had to navigate the nerve-jangling repechage Division 2 competition in Namibia last month.
West Indies
World Cup appearances: 11 in total (first in 1975)
Pedigree: The two-time World Cup winners are playing in a Qualifier for the first time because of their lowly ranking in the one-day international cricket standings.
Group B
Afghanistan
World Cup appearances: 2015
Pedigree: Their inexorable rise from refugee camps to international cricket's highest echelons reached a peak when they debuted on 50-over cricket's biggest stage last time out.
Hong Kong
World Cup appearances: None
Pedigree: Yet to play at the 50-over World Cup, but they have twice been to the first round of the T20 version, and twice played against the continent's best in the Asia Cup.
Nepal
World Cup appearances: None
Pedigree: Their finest moment on the inter-nation stage so far came when they beat Afghanistan at the 2014 World T20. They reached Zimbabwe as runners-up in the World Cricket League Division 2.
Scotland
World Cup appearances: 1999, 2007, 2015
Pedigree: Yet to win a World Cup match, despite having had 14 attempts. Had their best chance last time out, when they lost by one wicket to Afghanistan in New Zealand.
Zimbabwe
World Cup appearances: Nine in total (first in 1983)
Pedigree: They reached the Super Six stage of the World Cup in 1999 and 2003, when Zimbabwean cricket was in its pomp. The fall has been appreciable since.
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Read more from Paul Radley:
Nepal thrive on the field despite turmoil off it
Spinner Imran Haider important cog in UAE cricket's wheel
Watch out for the leg-spin cartel at the 2018 World Cup Qualifier
Deja vu for UAE after Nepal loss in rain-marred warm-up game
The lowdown: UAE team at World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe
West Indies challenge awaits UAE at World Cup qualifier
WCL Div 2 shows cup must be inclusive, not exclusive
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