The effects of a severely reduced ICC Europe competitive system will be in evidence when the 2014 season begins with the Division 3 Twenty20 tournament at La Manga later this month.

With more than a dozen countries now excluded from ICC Europe tournaments Belgium – who less than a year ago were playing in Division 1 – find themselves in the lowest of the three smaller, restructured divisions.

Six members of the 2013 squad return this time, including the seam attack of Shahid Muhammad, Waqas Shafiq and Faisal Khaliq, but the spearhead will no doubt be 36-year-old former Zimbabwean international Brighton Watambwa, who played six Tests for his native country between 2000 and 2002 and who now takes over as Belgian captain.

The batting will be strengthened by the return of hard-hitting Abdul Rehman, who will have fond memories of La Manga following his 48-ball 102 against Austria in a 50-over tournament there in 2012.

Apart from Watambwa, other new faces in the Belgian squad are Nofil Aziz, Reyhan Faiz; Gregg Hawson, Syed Jamil, Mahesh Krishnamoorthy and Mamoon Latif;

Belgium's challengers will include hosts Spain, who finished third in Division 2 when that competition was last held, in Corfu in 2012.

The outstanding batting feats of that tournament were performed by Tariq Ali Awan, whose 476 runs at a strike rate of more than 200 included two massive centuries. But La Manga's boundaries will be more of a challenge than those at Messonghi's tiny ground, and he will do well to repeat that effort.

Eleven of Spain's 2012 squad return this time, with the newcomers including former youth international Ravi Panchal, Atif Mehmood and Munib Ranjha. Tanveer Iqbal takes over as captain.

Wicketkeeper Eshkol Solomon assumes the captaincy of Israel, who lost out to the Spanish in the third-place play-off in Corfu. The most interesting selection, however, is the return of 44-year-old all-rounder Isaac Massil, who last played for his country eight years ago but who has been in good form in local competition.

Other returnees are Eitemar Kahamker and Eliezer Samson, both of whom played in Israel's Division 1 side in Jersey and Guernsey in 2011, while the newcomers include Matan Razpurker, a graduate of the country's youth teams, Matthew Hoffman and Srinath Arichichige.

Fifth and sixth respectively in Corfu eighteen months ago, the remaining teams in La Manga will be Greece and Finland.

Opening batsman Anastasios Manousis will be the Hellenes' new captain, but the side will be without South African-born former county player Nick Pothas, who is now coaching Guernsey. They will also miss aggressive batsman Mohammad Aslam and spinner Mehmood Ahmed.

Spiridon Bogdos and Spiridon Gasteratos, on the other hand, have come through from their youth ranks, while other newcomers are Athanasios Karakantas, Alexandros Lagos and Alexis Grammenos.

Finland's most successful batsman in the Corfu tournament, Ekhpelwak Kuchey, is again in the side, as are the leading wicket-takers, Tariq Sarfraz and Madhu Bhandari. Zahidullah Kamal is rejoined in the squad by his brother Zakiullah, while those who will be appearing for the first time are Ghulam Abbas Butt, Saiful Islan, Manoj Achchige and Karthik Vurubandhi.

Matches will be played between 30 April and 3 May, with the winners proceeding to the Division 2 tournament in Essex in June, where their opponents will be Austria, Germany, Gibraltar, the Isle of Man and Norway.