The winner of the qualifier competition will join the five full members of the ICC to take part in the 2022 Asia Cup of cricket in the United Arab Emirates. The Asia Cup Qualifier 2022 is currently taking place in Oman, where Hong Kong, Kuwait, Singapore, and the UAE are battling it out against each other for the quest of a main event berth. Let’s take a look at which team has a good chance to advance to the fifteenth edition of the competition.

A short overview of the 15th Asia Cup cricket qualifier

The qualifier tournament was originally scheduled to take place in Kuala Lumpur in August 2020. But it was later postponed to the following year due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The competition didn’t take place last year either, due to the postponement of the Asia Cup.

Sri Lanka was awarded the hosting rights for both the qualifier and the second edition of the Asia Cup Twenty20 cricket tournament in 2022. However, Sri Lanka later told the ACC that they are unable to host the event because of the nation's political and economic turmoil. The highest governing body of the Asian Cricket Council then confirmed that the United Arab Emirates will host the Asia Cup main event and Oman will organize the qualifier competition.

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The scenario of the Asia Cup Qualifier 2022

To enter the qualification event, the ACC divided the country into two regions: East and Western. The top two teams from each region advanced to the main qualification event. Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates qualified from the Western region, while Singapore and Hong Kong qualified from the Eastern region.

The qualifying competition in Oman started on August 20 and will continue till August 24. Each of the four participating nations will play against each other for a berth in the Asia Cup cricket 2022, which will start on August 27 (Saturday) in the UAE. The top team in the qualifier will be eligible to compete in Group A of the Twenty20 format Asia Cup cricket 2022 tournament. They will meet two heavyweights, India and Pakistan, in the group phase.

Among the four teams in the qualifier, the UAE are the highest ranked side and arguably the toughest to beat. The United Arab Emirates is currently ranked 12th with 192 rating points by the ICC. They are just 2 rating points shy of 11th-ranked Zimbabwe.

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The other participating teams are close to each other in terms of T20 rankings. Singapore are in the 23rd position, while Hong Kong and Kuwait are in the 26th and 27th positions, respectively.

Three matches have already been completed out of six. Singapore has already been eliminated from contention for a spot in the Asia Cup 2022 after losing two straight games. The United Arab Emirates are currently in the top spot with two points. Hong Kong and Kuwait also have two points each, but the UAE are holding the first position thanks to a better run rate.

Current Asia Cup Qualifier 2022 standings (as on August 22) 

   Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/men-s-t20-asia-cup-qualifier-2022-1328843/points-table-standings

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Verdict

The remaining three matches of the Asia Cup Qualifier 2022 will decide the eventual winner of the competition. The Kuwait men’s T20 team will secure a place in the fifteenth edition of the Asia Cup if they win their remaining fixtures. Therefore, Kuwait have a better chance to advance to the main event. However, if Kuwait lose their scheduled match on Tuesday, the last fixture of the Qualifier between the UAE and Hong Kong on Wednesday could be the decider.