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ZIMBABWE will meet bogey side Afghanistan in the first round of the International Cricket Council World Twenty20 tournament in India in March.
According to a draw conducted yesterday, the Chevrons were drafted in Group B with Afghanistan, Hong Kong and Scotland with only one team expected to pull through to the Super 10.
The format of the tournament is such that the top eight ICC full member countries have an automatic qualification to the Super 10, while the bottom two full members will have to go for play-offs with the associate members.
Zimbabwe and Bangladesh are the two full members that will feature in the qualifying round, the Tigers having been drawn in Group A alongside Ireland, the Netherlands and debutants Oman.
If the Chevrons sail through, then they will join England, South Africa, defending champions Sri Lanka and the West Indies in the Super 10 stage while the winner of Group A will join Australia, India, Pakistan and New Zealand.
Zimbabwe will open the tournament against Hong Kong on March 8. Two days later, captain Elton Chigumbura and his Chevrons face Scotland, before rounding off their first-round campaign against Afghanistan on March 12.
All the matches are in Nagpur.
Zimbabwe will have to top their first round group to qualify for the second round.
At the last edition of the ICC World Twenty20 tournament, which was held in Bangladesh in 2014, Zimbabwe failed to make it to the Super 10 stage after beating the United Arab Emirates and eventual group winners the Netherlands but then losing to Ireland by three wickets and finishing second in the first round qualifying pool.
ICC chief executive David Richardson said they are expecting high level competition by also giving the associates a chance to rub shoulders with the big boys.
“The ICC World Twenty20 is an event which puts the world’s best cricketers in the shortest format of the game against each other in a nation versus nation contest.
“The Twenty20 format provides the perfect vehicle by which the ICC can further globalise the game, providing international exposure and opportunity to our top associate and affiliate members.
“The ICC World Twenty20 event structure is designed to provide highly competitive matches throughout, with eight evenly matched sides fighting it out in the first round and the best two then getting in the mix with the top eight ranked teams in the Super 10 stage where the intensity and competition will be of the very highest level,” said Richardson.
The 2016 ICC World Twenty20 men’s tournament is being held alongside the women’s competition from March 8 to April 3 in India.
However, Zimbabwe’s women side failed to make it at the recent qualifying tournament held in Thailand.
The men’s event will carry a total prize money of $5,6million, which is an 86 percent increase from the 2014 tournament.
First round (group winners to progress to second round)
Group A – Bangladesh, Netherlands, Ireland and Oman
Group B – Zimbabwe, Scotland, Hong Kong and Afghanistan
Second round groups (Super 10)
Super 10 Group 1 – Sri Lanka, South Africa, West Indies, England and winner group B (Q1B)
Super 10 Group 2 – India, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand and winner group A (Q1A)
Online Reporter