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Harare, June 17 (IANS) Just like in 2018, two-time ODI World Cup winners West Indies must take the route of the Qualifiers in 2023 for securing a ticket to the showpiece event, to be held later this year in India. Captain Shai Hope believes the presence of impact players in the side can help them breeze through the qualifiers anytime.
"Preparation has been going well. As a team, we are focusing on mindset and consistent execution. We have a number of impact players, so any one of them can win us a game at any stage of the tournament," said Hope to ICC, ahead of West Indies opening their Group A campaign against USA on Sunday.
According to captain Monank Patel, it is a chance for USA to take their cricket to the next level in what is their first appearance in the Qualifiers since 2005.
"It's a huge 12 months for cricket in the USA starting with this Qualifier and leading into the T20 World Cup that we will co-host next year. We are all feeling positive about our chances here in Zimbabwe and look forward to showing what we are capable of on the world stage. We can feel something special growing in this group and this event is the perfect springboard for us to take our cricket to the next level," Patel said.
Two teams will qualify at the end of the ten-team Qualifiers event in Zimbabwe, and captain Craig Ervine thinks it will be a great tournament for his team to play at home.
"Preparations have been excellent leading up to the tournament. There is some really exciting cricket coming up and exciting players to watch in Sikandar Raza, Blessing Muzarabani and Sean Williams. It's going to be a great tournament," he said.
Nepal, Zimbabwe's opponents for Sunday's game, are cherishing the chance to play against other strong teams.
"For the past couple of years we have been really working hard for this tournament and finally we have got this opportunity. We respect this opportunity and we want to make the most of it. We all are very excited to play against some good cricketing nations and are looking forward to the tournament," said skipper Rohit Paudel.
Despite the Netherlands missing many of their first-choice players due to county cricket commitments in England, skipper Scott Edwards expressed confidence in current team members to be crowned winners of the tournament and secure their ticket to India.
"I am confident with the squad we have brought to Zimbabwe. We have prepared for these conditions and had success in our practice matches heading into the tournament. These World Cup Qualifiers are always tough but we believe the brand of cricket we are playing is capable of winning this tournament," Edwards said.
--IANS
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