T20 World Cup Qualifier Team of the Tournament announced
After a brilliant two weeks of competition, the Netherlands retained their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier crown with victory over PNG in the final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
The final brought to an end a fantastic tournament that played host to a huge number of brilliant individual performances.
The official team of the tournament below celebrates the top performers from the competition which includes the likes of Paul Stirling, Ryan ten Doeschate, Norman Vanua and Player of the Tournament Gerhard Erasmus.
A panel of four selected both the player of the tournament and team of the tournament, consisting of television commentators Preston Mommsen and Natalie Germanos alongside ESPN Cricinfo Correspondent Peter Della Penna and ICC representative Ben Leaver.
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier 2019 team of the tournament (in batting order):
- Jatinder Singh - Oman
- Paul Stirling - Ireland
- Asad Vala – PNG – (Captain)
- Gerhard Erasmus – Namibia – (Vice-Captain)
- Ryan ten Doeschate - Netherlands
- Matt Cross – Scotland (WK)
- JJ Smit - Namibia
- Roelef van der Merwe - Netherlands
- Norman Vanua - PNG
- Paul van Meekeren - Netherlands
- Bilal Khan - Oman
- 12th man: Bernard Scholtz - Namibia
About their performances during the tournament:
Jatinder Singh (Oman) Oman batsman Jatinder Singh was the tournament’s third-highest run scorer with 267 runs at an average of 38.14 including two fifties as he helped his side take the final ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2020 qualifying spot. Singh was a devastating presence at the top of the order, something he outlined in two brilliant unbeaten knocks of 68 and 67 against Canada and Hong Kong respectively, while he also starred in an Oman record 126-run second-wicket stand with Aqib Ilyas against the Canadians.
Paul Stirling (Ireland) The competition’s top scorer, Paul Stirling lived up to his billing as one of the players to watch in the tournament. 291 runs came at an average of 41.57 in typically brutal, muscular fashion with his 360-degree range of shots proving too much for opposition bowlers.
Asad Vala (PNG, Captain) PNG may have come out on the losing side in the final but their captain was a revelation with both bat and ball throughout the tournament, as well as serving as a dignified and calming presence for his teammates on the field and infront of the camera. Vala claimed ten wickets and scored 197 runs, in particular starring with 48 and three for 19 against Namibia, PNG’s brilliance stemmed from an outstanding Vala at the heart of it all.
Gerhard Erasmus (Namibia, Vice-Captain) Player of the tournament Gerhard Erasmus was the competition’s second top scorer with 268 runs at an average of 38.28 alongside three fifties. Captain Erasmus was, also, at the heart of everything Namibia did as they brilliantly qualified for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2020 and his brutal innings in the middle order were just the tonic for either a rebuild or a frantic finish to set up a score throughout the tournament.
Ryan ten Doeschate (Netherlands) Ryan ten Doeschate has seen it all before and his experience was a crucial part of Netherlands highly successful engine room as they went on to claim ultimate glory. His 233 runs in the tournament came at an average of 46.60 and he expertly guided his side to victories with four consecutive classy unbeaten knocks in a row which culminated in his heroics in the final.
Matt Cross (Scotland) (WK) Scotland’s Matt Cross makes it into the side as the wicketkeeper after his glovework proved exceptional throughout the competition. Cross, with 189 runs, also provided some useful cameos with the bat – nowhere illustrated more than in the fifth-place play-off where his 61 not out provided the backbone to the victorious chase.
JJ Smit (Namibia) Namibia’s JJ Smit was an all-round sensation, starring with both bat and ball. His left-arm medium-fast claimed 16 wickets at an average of 13, the third most in the tournament, while he also scored a more than handy 190 runs with the bat and hit the most sixes of anyone (14). Smit claimed wickets in every match bar one and was a constant threat no matter what he aspect of the game he was involved in.
Roelef van der Merwe (Netherlands) Left-arm spinner Roelef Van Der Merwe was a vital cog in Netherlands’ bowling attack as he claimed 14 runs at an average of 12.71. He, also, only went wicketless in one match in the competition and his light shined brightest against Singapore when he took three for 22 and also 19 not out to steer his side home.
Norman Vanua (PNG) Norman Vanua, or “SuperVan” with his growing reputation preceding him, produced several match-defining rescue acts with the bat throughout including, and none more so important, in the semi-final against Namibia. If his batting often claimed the headlines then that undersells his bowling where ten wickets came at an average of 14.50. Simply put, Vanua was a star in a PNG team full of leading lights.
Paul van Meekeren (Netherlands) Another medium pacer, van Meekeren starred in the Netherlands bowling unit alongside van der Merwe and fast bowler Brandon Glover. Van Meekeren claimed 15 wickets at an average of 14 and his consistent brilliance led to captain Sielaar hailing his big game influence – he wasn’t wrong either.
Bilal Khan (Oman) The leading wicket taker in the competition, Bilal Khan claimed 18 wickets at an average of 12 and also took two four-wicket hauls in consecutive games. With blistering pace and the ability to produce yorkers that would bamboozle even the most experienced batsmen, Khan was Oman’s x-factor and the 31-year-old will be one to watch in Australia next year.
Bernard Scholtz (Namibia) Namibia had several key players but Scholtz’s brilliance with the ball could not fail to standout, his 15 wickets coming at an average of 12. Scholtz’s slow spin undid batsmen time and time again with his canny variations and changes of pace a constant feature and a testament to his reliability comes in his extremely low economy rate, 5.34, and in the fact his 35 overs was the most bowled by any bowler to take at least seven wickets.