Afghanistan and West Indies completed the line-up for next year’s World Cup in England by taking the two last spots at the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe. It means fans can look forward to watching the likes of Rashid Khan and Chris Gayle in action on the biggest stage.
But with the World Cup being reduced from 14 to 10 teams, many players will have to wait for another four years for their opportunity to play in the showpiece event.
We look at the top five players who impressed during the World Cup Qualifiers but will be missing in England and Wales next May.
SIKANDAR RAZA, ZIMBABWE
The only consolation the 31-year-old all-rounder can take from the tournament is his Player-of-the-Series award.
During the tournament, he was one of the stars of the show with four three-wicket hauls to finish with 15 scalps while also proving handy with the bat to end the campaign as the second-highest scorer.
SANDEEP LAMICHHANE, NEPAL
The 17-year-old will have to bide his time to play on the world’s biggest stage but left Zimbabwe with another reminder of his bowling potential.
The leg-spinner was one of the players to watch before a ball was bowled and lived up to that tag with 13 wickets to his name. Next stop for the Nepalese sensation – only the IPL!
MOHAMMAD NAVEED, UAE
The 30-year-old is highly regarded by Darren Sammy, having played together in the Hong Kong T20 Blitz and the UAE all-rounder made his presence felt with the ball.
The pacer was a constant threat for the batsmen, taking 14 wickets – three of which against Zimbabwe. He also claimed his first-ever ODI five-wicket haul.
SAFYAAN SHARIF, SCOTLAND
He was a key player in the 2014 edition with 14 scalps and it was no different in Harare. Will fly back to Scotland knowing he took the prized wicket of Chris Gayle and that too for a duck in a crucial group match.
The West Indian was one of his 17 scalps – a tally that saw him end the Qualifier as the joint-highest wicket-taker.
WILLIAM PORTERFIELD, IRELAND
For more than a decade, the opening batsman has become an integral part of the Ireland national team. And as captain, he led from the front with 294 runs including a century.
At 33, he might not have a chance to add to his two World Cups but took a parting shot at the ICC, accusing them of ‘cashing in with a big cheque’ of a 10-team WC.
