According to London Evening Standard, Tottenham have been given an extra 48 hours to decide where they’ll play their Premier League home games next season.

Premier League rules state that no club can play their home games at two venues in the same season, but the project to rebuild White Hart Lane after a season-long stay at Wembley has fallen behind schedule and may not be completed for the start of the coming campaign.

Daniel Levy and the club’s other paymasters were supposed to make a decision by the end of May but the Premier League initially extended the deadline until this Wednesday. Per London Evening Standard though, they’ve now been given until Friday with three options seemingly on the table: either play the whole of next season at Wembley, convince Richard Scudamore and his colleagues to make an exception to Premier League rules or reverse the early fixtures of 2018/19 likely resulting in their first three top flight outings being away from home.

The latter scenario may initially seem superficial change, but to what extent could it affect Tottenham’s campaign and their chances of holding onto a Champions League qualification slot for another season? Three clubs have been in exactly the same situation before at Premier League level, so here’s a quick look at what history tells us about Tottenham’s predicament…

Blackpool – 2010/11

What happened? Due to rebuilding at Bloomfield Road Blackpool started their first and to date only Premier League campaign by playing four of their first five fixtures away from home. Two of them proved disastrous – battered by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium to incur a ten-goal deficit – but the other two produced surprising wins as Ian Holloway’s boys beat relegation rivals Wigan and Newcastle.

Did it make a difference? Not as much as it could have done, simply because Blackpool carried huge momentum with them from the Championship and proved to be something of an unknown proposition for many of the clubs they faced in the early stages of the campaign. In fact, the Seasiders ended up finishing 10th in the Premier League’s away table, compared to a mere 19th in the home one.

How did the season end? Relegation by a single point, although that was predominantly caused by a run of just two wins from Blackpool’s last 18 games. That being said, they did beat Liverpool and Tottenham at Bloomfield Road that season, so perhaps those early visits to Chelsea and Arsenal would have panned out incredibly differently if they’d been played at home when Blackpool clearly had momentum on their side.

Liverpool – 2016/17

What happened? Jurgen Klopp’s first full season in charge at Anfield was somewhat curtailed by the rebuilding of the Main Stand, obliging Liverpool to play their first three fixtures of the campaign on the road and producing three different results in the process – a dramatic 4-3 win over Arsenal, a shock 2-0 defeat to Burnley and a 1-1 draw with Tottenham.

Did it make a difference? On the surface, not a huge one. Liverpool grabbed two important results against big six rivals away from home that eventually lead them to finishing in the top four, and in some ways it was probably an unforeseen benefit to play those games so early in the campaign when a lack of true match sharpness acted as something of a leveller. Later in the season, Liverpool won the reverse fixtures at Anfield as well.

How did the season end? Liverpool finished above Arsenal to make the top four but also fell one win short of beating Manchester City to third place. That difference could well have been the defeat at Turf Moor; although the Reds have made a habit of losing on the road under Klopp to lesser teams built upon organised, deep-sitting defences, Sean Dyche’s side seemed to catch them cold that day – scoring two incisive breakaways. At another point in the campaign, perhaps Liverpool would have done enough to win.

West Ham – 2017/18

What happened? Due to the World Championships being held in the capital that summer, West Ham were forced to play their first three games on the road as the club converted the much-maligned London Stadium back into a footballing venue, swapping the running track for extra seats.

And although there were other factors, it had a huge impact on West Ham’s results, dropping to 20th place on the opening day after a 4-0 defeat at Old Trafford while also losing to eventual relegation rivals Southampton and Newcastle.

Did it make a difference? A massive one. The Hammers started the season on the back foot and would spend all but seven of the Premier League’s first 19 matchdays in the relegation zone.

Furthermore, the results – and the angered response to them – inevitably influenced the club’s decision to sack Slaven Bilic in early November and replace him with David Moyes. That instantly changed the mentality of West Ham’s season; they were meant to be masterminding a break into the top seven, but spent the remainder of it fighting off relegation to the Championship instead.

How did the season end? The Irons eventually finished up nine points clear of the drop line but it was only during the latter stages of the campaign in which they truly pulled away from relegation bother. And even that wasn’t enough to keep Moyes in the job, having since been replaced by Manuel Pellegrini due to a negative style of football that was no doubt caused by the mess he inherited just eight games on from West Ham’s away-game stretch.

It would be wrong to describe it as the most determining factor, but those early results went a long way to defining West Ham’s season, which was so disastrous it almost manifested into a full-scale riot at the London Stadium during a 3-0 loss to Burnley.

Tottenham – 2018/19

Which games would change? The fixtures are officially announced on Thursday, meaning Tottenham will still have around 24 hours to make their decision, and the quality of the opposition could well be a decisive factor in this.

Tottenham’s biggest struggles away from home last season were against top six rivals, a 3-1 victory at Stamford Bridge being the only exception in four defeats and one draw at Old Trafford, so a batch of heavyweight contests during the early weeks of the campaign could cost them dearly.

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How will it affect them? History aside, the big concern for the Lilywhites is how every season to date under Mauricio Pochettino has started half-paced. In fact, from the first 48 games of the last three seasons (16 per term), Tottenham have won less than half, 22, and lost eight to average just 1.75 points per game.

To give some context, Tottenham required an average of more than two points per game last season to finish fourth. Add in the extra disadvantage of beginning the season with three away games and Spurs could really end up in a compromising position before the campaign truly gets going.

Missing out on top four? It’s certainly a possibility considering the competitiveness at Tottenham’s end of the Premier League looks set to jump up another gear in 2018/19. Starting the season with three modest results could well be decisive come the close of the campaign, although the counter-argument is how the power of the new White Hart Lane – which will far more like home than Wembley ever has for Spurs fans – will help Tottenham over the line for those rescheduled home clashes.

The overriding message though, is not to downplay the psychological importance those first three games could have.

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As reported by The Daily Mail, Steven Gerrard believes Alfredo Morelos has a key role to play at Rangers next season, despite recent speculation that clubs around the world are interested in his services.

What’s the story?

Gerrard is currently preparing his side for crucial UEFA Europa League qualifiers next month, on a pre-season training camp in Spain. Having already made a number of signings ahead of the new season, his squad has quickly been assembled ahead of the competitive action.

Just as important this summer though is retaining the players that can still play a big part at Ibrox, despite the club’s failed season last term.

It appears that one of those players Gerrard has decided he wants to keep is Alfredo Morelos, despite reported interest from France, Turkey and China.

As quoted by The Daily Mail, Gerrard said of Morelos:

We love the player. The fans love the player. He’s a goal scorer. We know what he can add to this team and squad.

If you’re asking me if his head has been turned that’s a question you’d have to ask the player himself. But where we stand right now he’s a Rangers player and I’m delighted to have him.

I take it is a positive, in terms of the interest that is coming his way. It shows we have a good player here. A player capable of scoring heavy numbers, which is what we need.

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Can Morelos shine under Gerrard?

Morelos’ reputation at Rangers took a massive hit towards the end of the season after he missed a number of golden chances against rivals Celtic, but his return of 18 goals was actually very decent for a debut campaign at Ibrox.

If he stays at the Light Blues and keeps himself fit, he should be aiming to score at least 20 goals next term, which would be a vital goal contribution for Steven Gerrard’s side. The fact the new boss has so much faith in the Colombian youngster could be huge for the player and bring his game onto new heights.

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There’s no doubt that Morelos isn’t the finished product, but Rangers shouldn’t be considering offers for him this summer, unless the money involved would be trans-formative to Gerrard’s squad budget.

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The role of the co-commentator is pretty straightforward when broken down to its nuts and bolts. While the anchor describes the action taking place before our very eyes their companion’s obligation is to chime in from time to time, providing snippets of insight where possible; insight usually garnered from years of playing experience.

In America they’re called ‘color commentators’ and that’s bang on the money because without them a singular commentary would be as black and white as reading aloud from a phone book. Elsewhere the role is sometimes known as a ‘summariser’. In more optimistic climes they’re referred to as ‘analysts’.

I have a question though: if the role is so prosaic – and it is: it really, really is – then how come former British footballers are so thoroughly terrible at doing it?

Take Glenn Hoddle as a case in point. Better yet, just take Glenn Hoddle. Please. Anywhere will do. Anywhere that doesn’t have a microphone and a gantry that is.

The ex-England boss is widely regarded as being a shrewd and astute tactician, or at least that’s what we’re commonly informed. How strange then that an hour and a half in his company is less a masterclass in footballing nuance and more akin to a wittering drone sidling up next to you in the pub to make your afternoon a complete misery.

With his estuary colloquialisms and compulsion to finish every banal observation with ‘if you like’ Hoddle regularly drives a nation to the mute button and the sane sanctuary of Radio 5 live so as to listen to grown up, interesting input from the likes of Pat Nevin and Chris Sutton.

Acknowledging this throws up another query. Are Nevin and Sutton naturally better suited to the role than the creepily detached Hoddle? Unquestionably yes; a thousand times yes. But is the difference in format also to blame?

Perhaps, and not just for the obvious reason that with radio the absence of pictures requires the ‘color commentator’ to come into their own and swish around some paint-strokes. Radio stations, by and large, are not constantly petrified of you switching over to a rival. If you tune in, great, welcome aboard. If you tune out, we’ll see you again real soon. This security lends itself to a more relaxed affair and so listening to Nevin in particular feels like you’re settling in to enjoy a game with a better informed mate.

There’s more too. Radio has a higher opinion of its listeners. After all, you’re unlikely to be some kid with twitchy fingers and a five second attention span because you’ve not only tuned into the adult medium of the wireless but you’ve eschewed the shouting and juvenility of Radio 1.

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Whereas with television it’s open house policy curtails this thinking. Even when showing a national sport that is the sole draw in luring you to its channel they require chatter to fix you to the sofa and away from the remote. And chatter is a funny thing. Firstly it needs charisma and a large dollop of personality injected into it to make it engaging but more so it needs to appeal to millions of very different people across very different demographics. That requires an everyman.

Glenn Hoddle isn’t an everyman. He was simply an extremely talented midfielder. In ‘real life’ he’s a bit odd: the kind of guy you encounter through circumstance and walk away feeling as if there is a veneer of strangeness on your skin that needs shaking off. Martin Keown isn’t an everyman either. Five minutes of enduring his intensity down the pub and you’d be wondering where the hell your wife is so you can get away from the lunatic with the penetrating stare.

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Add Mark Lawrenson’s pantomime miserablism into the mix, along with Danny Murphy’s chippy hostility, and a poor schmuck in Philip Neville who desperately needs a professional counsellor to tell him that he doesn’t need to try so hard at everything in life just because his older brother is a superior human being, and you have a compendium of oddballs if fame was taken from them.

It’s hardly a surprise then that we recoil with twisted spleens whenever they pipe up during a game we’d otherwise be enjoying (and in Keown’s case piping up a LOT – honestly Martin, you really don’t need to make a judgement call on a throw-in). It’s hardly a surprise that social media goes into meltdown any time these individuals pollute our ear-drums with their scrambled vernacular and stupid opinions, individuals chosen for their stature rather than the human qualities they profoundly lack.

We were all so much looking forward to this World Cup. We deserve better than this.

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According to reports in The Guardian, West Ham United and Everton are two of the Premier League clubs that would be interested in signing Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who earns £60,000-a-week according to The Telegraph, on loan this summer.

What’s the word, then?

Well, The Guardian says that the Blues won’t entertain any permanent offers for the 22-year-old before the window slams shut on August 9, but they would be willing to let him join another top flight team on a 12-month loan deal – as they did last term when the England international joined Crystal Palace.

The 6ft 3in midfielder has certainly made a big impression for his country at the 2018 World Cup following an impressive cameo from the substitutes’ bench in the 2-1 win against Tunisia, before he started ahead of the injured Dele Alli in the 6-1 success against Panama on Sunday.

The Guardian says that Loftus-Cheek has no intention of playing a bit-part role at Stamford Bridge having featured regularly for the Eagles and helped them recover from the worst-ever Premier League start to secure an impressive 11th-place finish.

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Why should he choose West Ham over Everton?

Firstly, a move to the London Stadium would allow the 22-year-old to stay in the capital, but a move makes sense for footballing reasons in particular.

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The England man could effectively fill the void left by the injured Manuel Lanzini – who is expected to be out for the entirety of the 2018/19 campaign – which should mean that he would be a regular Irons starter under Manuel Pellegrini, who should be looking to bring these three former Hammers stars back to the club this summer.

The chance to link up with Marko Arnautovic and Javier Hernandez would surely be tempting, and the presence of Yannick Bolasie, Ademola Lookman and Gylfi Sigurdsson at Everton make it difficult to see where Loftus-Cheek would fit in either in a central attacking midfield role, or even on the left flank where he often featured in for Palace.

Everton are interested in signing Rennes defender Ramy Bensebaini, according to French football magazine L’Equipe, but they will have to see off strong interest from Stuttgart.

The 23-year-old, who is valued at £7.2million on Transfermarkt, made 29 appearances in Ligue 1 for Rennes last season and impressed for the French side, averaging over five clearances and nearly two tackles per game.

Bensebaini is comfortable playing across the back line and has made 11 appearances for the Algeria national team.

According to L’Equipe, Bensebaini is under contract until 2020 at Rennes but Stuttgart are keen on signing the defender this summer and they are the favourites to do so.

How far do you think England will go in Russia? Let us know here and win any World Cup shirt of your choice.

However, Marco Silva has also reportedly declared interest and appears to be monitoring the situation with Stuttgart to see if the Toffees can scupper any deal.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”255857″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch Everton’s opening fixtures for the 201819 Premier League season”]

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Everton are in need of defensive reinforcements, with Phil Jagielka and Ashley Williams entering the later stages of their careers, and Michael Keane not quite reaching the performances expected of him.

Here’s a selection of what some Everton fans are saying about the potential transfer on social media.

Ryan Harris, the former one-day international, will play his first match of the season for Queensland

Cricinfo staff07-Dec-2009Ryan Harris, the former one-day international, will play his first match of the season for Queensland in Wednesday’s FR Cup game against New South Wales at the Gabba. Harris had knee surgery before the season and will join Chris Swan, who is back after a nagging groin problem, as the Bulls attempt to increase their competition lead.The return of the fast bowlers is a boost for the side, which is on a run of five consecutive wins and sits eight points ahead of Victoria. Ben Laughlin has been ruled out with a side strain while Wade Townsend has been dropped. “It’s in a different place to the last injury and not as painful so hopefully the scans will deliver positive news,” Laughlin said. “I can look at being back in time for the Twenty20 Big Bash after Christmas.”New South Wales have a couple of changes to the side that lost to Tasmania on Saturday. Mitchell Starc, the left-arm fast bowler, has come in for the spinner Stephen O’Keefe while Simon Keen was left out after his late call-up for a debut against the Tigers. The Blues are desperate to find form after three losses in their four games this summerMatthew Hayden, the retired opener, will host a session at the Gabba on Tuesday with his old Queensland team-mates on Twenty20 batting techniques as they prepare for the domestic tournament that starts on December 28. Andrew Symonds is playing for the Bulls in that event and will warm-up for it by being one of Queensland’s three over-23 players in the Cricket Australia Futures League T20 series in Melbourne next week.Queensland squad Chris Hartley (wk), James Hopes, Lee Carseldine, Nathan Reardon, Nick Kruger, Craig Philipson, Chris Simpson (capt), Ryan Harris, Ben Cutting, Nathan Rimmington, Chris Swan, Scott Walter.New South Wales squad Phillip Hughes, David Warner, Phil Jaques, Moises Henriques, Ben Rohrer, Steven Smith, Usman Khawaja, Daniel Smith (wk), Stuart Clark (capt), Josh Hazlewood, Grant Lambert, Mitchell Starc.

A round-up of the fourth day’s action of the 11th round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

Cricinfo staff18-Dec-2009

Group A

Khalid Latif made an aggressive 75 but Karachi had little chance of winning•Associated Press

Karachi Whites completed the formalities of a seven-wicket victory over Sui Southern Gas Corporation at the Southend Cricket Club. They started the day needing 48 runs to wrap up the win, a task they finished in 15 overs. The one disappointment for them was that opener Mohtashim Ali didn’t go on to complete his century, falling five short.National Bank of Pakistan also needed very little time to seal a nine-wicket win over Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited at the Iqbal Stadium. The overnight pair of Rashid Riaz and Umar Amin polished off the 108 they required in 25.3 overs. Riaz was extremely cautious, needing more than four hours for his 67, while Amin was a touch more cavalier, hitting ten fours and a six in a 137-ball 74.In the group’s only match that didn’t end with a decisive outcome, Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited played out a dull draw against Pakistan International Airlines at the Diamond Club Ground. PIA opener Kamran Sajid, starting the day on 79, stretched his score to 133 and half-centuries from Shehzar Mohammad and Tahir Khan took their side to 379, an overall lead of 279. PIA then declared, giving ZTBL eight inconsequential overs to bat; ZTBL had a bit of fun during that spell, smashing the first over for 21 runs on their way to a whirlwind 76 for 1.

Group B

Lahore Ravi duly completed a comfortable 10-wicket win against Islamabad at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground. Kamran Hussain continued his lower-order heroics to go past a fifty before Junaid Zia brought a swift end to the innings, picking two wickets in two balls. Requiring a paltry 24 runs to pick up their third win, Lahore Ravi got home easily without losing a wicket.Faisalabad secured a draw against Abbottabad at the Sports Stadium in Sargodha. Zeeshan Asif who had crossed 200 yesterday was the last wicket to fall in Faisalabad’s first dig, with the score on 510. With victory out of the question, Abbottabad adopted a safety-first approach to ensure that they conceded only first-innings honours to the opponents. In the process, openers Waqar Orakzai and Ehteshamuddin helped themselves to half-centuries and Mohammad Kashif was unbeaten on 48.A lower-order collapse from Hyderabad, followed by a pulsating chase from Quetta meant that a thrilling draw was played out in Mirpur Khas. Starting the final day with six wickets in hand, Hyderabad could manage only 44 runs before being bowled out. Chasing a gettable 268 with sufficient time left in the game, Hyderabad’s top order didn’t put up much resistance. No. 3 batsman Lal Kumar, though, boosted his team from 78 for 4 being dismissed three short of a hundred. A rush of wickets in the dying moments of the game raised Quetta’s hopes of a victory, but they couldn’t prise out the final two.A string of 70s from Karachi Blues’ batsmen took them to 378 for 4, but that was well short of the massive 546 they needed to win against Sialkot at the National Stadium. Opener Ali Asad, No. 3 Asad Shafiq and No. 4 Wajihuddin all made measured 70s, while Khalid Latif made a more aggressive unbeaten 75 but Karachi were never in the hunt for a win.Group A

Teams	Mat	Won	Lost	Tied	Draw	Aban	Pts
Habib Bank Limited	10	8	1	0	1	0	66
National Bank of Pakistan	10	5	3	0	2	0	48
Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited	10	6	2	0	2	0	48
Pakistan International Airlines	10	4	2	0	4	0	45
Water and Power Development Authority	10	4	1	0	5	0	42
Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited	10	4	2	0	4	0	42
Karachi Whites	10	4	5	0	1	0	36
Khan Research Laboratories	10	2	3	0	5	0	21
Sui Southern Gas Corporation	10	1	4	0	5	0	12
Pakistan Customs	10	1	9	0	0	0	9
Lahore Shalimar	10	0	7	0	3	0	0

Group B

Teams	Mat	Won	Lost	Tied	Draw	Aban	Pts
Karachi Blues	10	6	1	0	3	0	60
Sialkot	10	5	1	0	4	0	51
Rawalpindi	10	5	2	0	3	0	48
Islamabad	10	4	3	0	3	0	39
Multan	10	4	3	0	3	0	36
Faisalabad	10	2	2	0	6	0	30
Lahore Ravi	10	3	3	0	4	0	30
Hyderabad (Pakistan)	10	1	5	0	4	0	18
Peshawar	10	2	5	0	3	0	18
Abbottabad	10	1	5	0	4	0	15
Quetta	10	2	5	0	3	0	15

As Pakistan look ahead to the third Test in Hobart, contradictory noises are being made over the future of under-fire wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal

Cricinfo staff10-Jan-2010In the aftermath of Sydney, confusion. As Pakistan look ahead to the third Test in Hobart, contradictory noises are being made over the future of under-fire wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal.After the loss at the SCG, in which Akmal dropped four catches, an incensed PCB sent Sarfraz Ahmed as a replacement from Pakistan, insisting in a strongly-worded statement that he “will participate” in the Hobart Test.Akmal, however, has said that he is expecting to keep his place, as reports emerge that he has the backing of a number of players within the side, including possibly the captain, Mohammad Yousuf. “I was very successful with my batting and wicketkeeping on the New Zealand tour and
before the New Zealand tour. So I was very happy,” Akmal was quoted as saying in Hobart by AAP.”But I think the third day of the Sydney Test match was not good for me – this happens. I’m very keen. My confidence is very high. Management is very confident for me and coaches, Intikhab Alam, Waqar Younis, Aqib Javed, and my team-mates also. I will play the third Test match and more matches for my country.”During and after the loss in Sydney Yousuf resisted talk of dropping Akmal, maintaining that a player of his record cannot so easily be dropped from the side. Akmal is vice-captain of the side and a popular member within the team. If there is even talk of retaining him – let alone if he
is eventually retained – it seems to place the touring team management on a direct crash course with the board back home.The situation between the two sides has anyway been poor on this tour; persistent calls by Yousuf for Younis Khan to be sent to strengthen the batting almost from the moment the tour started fell on deaf ears, the selection committee in Pakistan first delaying and finally turning down the request.But at least two members of the on-tour selection committee say that Akmal will not play in Hobart. “They have sent Sarfraz all the way here for what if not to play?” one told Cricinfo. “Akmal will not play the third Test.” As ever with Pakistan and its many power centres that is unlikely to be the last word on the matter.Akmal’s younger brother Umar, who has impressed and infuriated in equal doses so far on the tour, pulled up at training with a stiff back. Management remain confident that he will be fine for the Test, due to begin on January 14. Mohammad Aamer, who missed the second Test with a
groin complaint, has also been training and is said to be progressing well, making it likelier still that Pakistan may finally be able to field their first-choice attack in Hobart at the third time of asking.

USA will face Afghanistan for the World Twenty20 Qualifier tournament, which begins February 9 in the UAE

Cricinfo staff03-Feb-2010As the Associate nations prepare for the World Twenty20 Qualifier tournament, which begins February 9 in the UAE, there is one fixture in Group A that jumps out at you. In perhaps the most intriguing sporting match-up of recent times, USA will face Afghanistan.It’s a match that will reverberate beyond the cricketing world as people try to imbue it with a progressive significance. Amidst all kinds of domestic turmoil Afghanistan have risen rapidly to become one of the best Associate nations and they will be desperate to secure a berth in the main World Twenty20, which takes place in West Indies in April.They were within a whisker of qualifying for the 50-over World Cup last year and have impressed in the Intercontinental Cup, beating defending champions Ireland and the Netherlands.”The match against the USA will be an interesting and exciting one,” said Afghanistan captain Nawroz Mangal. “But it will just be another game of cricket in which both the sides will try as hard as possible hard to emerge winner. Like any other opponent, we respect the USA and know we cannot afford to be complacent against them.”Initially, we started off with a reputation of being a good Twenty20 side because this is the format that is played and popular in Afghanistan. But in the last 18 months, we have shown that we can adopt and excel in any format. Personally, I believe we are a better Twenty20 side simply because we have more experience in the shortest version of the game.”Our group is a tough one with Ireland and Scotland having loads of international experience. But I am quite optimistic that after narrowly missing out on next year’s 50-over World Cup, we’ll be able to qualify for the World Twenty20. We just need a good start in the tournament and our big boys need to fire throughout the next week.”For their part, the USA comes to this event plenty to prove. Having fallen down the rankings in recent years they only made it to the qualifiers as a wildcard entry, along with hosts United Arab Emirates.”We are feeling very positive and very confident,” said USA captain Steve Massiah. “Judging from the way we played in the last tournament, which was the Americas Cup, we feel good. We want to make the most of the opportunity to play in this event and we are all looking forward to it.”Keen observers will notice the name of Lennox Cush in the USA team, he was in the Stanford Superstars squad that defeated England in 2008, and Massiah wants to draw on his experience. “Lennox is very important as he has had the opportunity to play a lot of Twenty20 cricket and was part of that Stanford squad. He is very experienced and hopefully this will rub off on the other players.”

Two places are up for grabs the ICC World Twenty20 in West Indies when the qualifying tournaments gets underway in UAE on Tuesday.

Andrew McGlashan and Sahil Dutta08-Feb-2010Ireland start another tournament as favourites but aren’t guaranteed to have things all their own way•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Group A

Ireland

As the leading Associate nation, Ireland start the qualifying tournament as clear favourites and such has been their success in recent years that it would class as a shock if they didn’t reach West Indies. At the last World Twenty20 in England they secured a Super Eight berth to follow their similar success at the 50-over World Cup two years previously. However, their production line of impressive players has come at a cost and they are suffering a drain towards county cricket and, ultimately, the England side which is a major hindrance to their future development. They have big plans for the future with an ambitious plan to become a Test nation, but that is a long way away and the Twenty20 arena (coupled with increasing exposure in one-day internationals) as their best route to firmly establishing themselves as the next-best outside the top nations.One to watch Niall O’Brien – the hard-hitting wicketkeeper will open the batting and has the ability to launch the innings in style.

Scotland

As one of the most experienced sides in the tournament Scotland will be hoping they can challenge fellow frontrunners Afghanistan and Ireland for the trophy and secure a third consecutive place at the World Twenty20. After a tough year in 2009 where they missed out on qualification to the 50-over World Cup, they have been in good form in the four-day Intercontinental Cup competition, where they top the table. They can draw on a wealth of experience in the squad and memories of last year’s World Twent20 in England where they smashed 89 in seven overs to give New Zealand a scare in a rain-reduced fixture at The Oval. Led by Gavin Hamilton, who played a Test for England, they have a host of full-time professionals on their books who need to prove to a football-mad nation they are worth every penny.One to watch Kyle Coetzer – He showed his potential when he butchered 33 off 15 balls against New Zealand and followed it up with 42 off 32 balls against South Africa a game later in the World Twenty20 last year. He has developed his game with County Champions Durham and will be key to Scotland’s hopes of posting big totals.Rising star: Mohammad Nabi is a key man for Afghanistan as they aim to continue their rapid development•International Cricket Council

Afghanistan

Afghanistan are the romantics choice for the tournament and, after a sterling rise in international cricket over the last year, start with a strong chance of qualifying for the World Twenty20 which would continue their extraordinary story. Despite being mired in domestic turmoil the country has developed an insatiable taste for cricket and have enjoyed a superb start in the Intercontinental Cup, beating both the Netherlands and defending champions Ireland. They will take on USA on February 11, in an intriguing fixture that will reverberate throughout and beyond the cricketing world. They will start as favourites for that game but are placed in the difficult Group A and will also need to beat one of Scotland or Ireland to keep their dreams of playing in an international tournament alive.One to watch Mohammad Nabi – His allround ability will be key to Afghanistan’s chances. His hard-hitting approach in the middle order usually lifts the total and momentum for his side and his miserly, clever offspin bowling can strangles opposition line-ups.

USA

USA remains one of the great untapped markets for cricket and Twenty20 offers the best route for the game to take hold, but the national team needs to play their part by performing which it hasn’t often done. The ICC clearly see the potential if the game can spread in the USA and fast-tracked the team in the qualifying tournament when on purely cricketing terms they barely deserved to be involved. Their one appearance on the global stage was at the 2004 Champions Trophy when an ageing team was humbled and since them the game has gone backwards in the states largely due to poor administration, but Don Lockerbie, the new chief executive, has bold plans for Twenty20 tournaments, international matches in the States and even professionalism. To be taken seriously, though, they need to qualify for a major tournament and that is unlikely this time.One to watch Lennox Cush – A former first-class cricketer with Guyana, Cush has come to fore in the world of Twenty20 and earned a place in the Stanford Superstar team and is now an important cog with bat and ball for USA.

Group B

Netherlands

The Dutch produced the shock result of 2009 – and one of the biggest upsets of all time – when they beat England in the opening match if the ICC World Twenty20 at Lord’s. When Stuart Broad missed his final-ball run-out chance Netherlands secured the most famous victory in their history. With qualification secured for the 2011 World Cup, success in this tournament would make it a notable double for Netherlands and keep them firmly on the world stage. They probably find themselves in the slightly easier group and have the experience to keep themselves in contention. Following the retirement of Jeroen Smit the side will led by Peter Borren.One to watch Ryan ten Doeschate – Netherlands’ key player in both disciplines he brings with him a wealth of county experience and one of finest Associate cricketers in the world.Netherlands’ victory over England last year gives them confidence as they aim to reach West Indies•Associated Press

Kenya

The previous powerhouse of Associate cricket, Kenya have slipped down the pack in recent years with off-field political issues coupled with a declining team on it. From their peak in 2003 when they reached the semi-final of the World Cup in South Africa, and had a chance to become the second-best side in Africa, it has been a steady decline. They failed to qualify for last year’s World Twenty20 and controversy never seems to far away. However, they remain a talented team and have shown impressive form during the warm-up period with convincing victories against Scotland and Uganda during the recent tournament in Nairobi. The short nature of the qualifying event could suit Kenya as they only have to sustain their skills for a brief period. Expect them to be in the mix.One to watch David Obuya – Kenya aren’t short of shot-makers and Obuya leads the charge at the top. His recent form has been strong with two fifties in the tri-nations tournament and he averages 42.50 in T20 internationals.

Canada

Having secured a spot in the 50-over World Cup with an impressive display in the qualifiers last year, Canada will be hoping to continue their good form in the shortest format, and qualify for a tournament they are yet to compete in. They had a surprise win against tournament favourites Ireland in the Sri Lanka Associates T20 series, when 18-year-old debutant Hiral Patel clubbed an unbeaten 88 off 61 balls to set up victory. The side has a good blend of old heads and youngsters and could spring a surprise in Group B.One to watch Ashish Bagai – Captain and wicketkeeper, Bagai was the player of the tournament in ICC World Cricket League Division One in 2007 and has two one-day international centuries to his name, against Scotland and Ireland.

UAE

Hosts and wildcard entrants United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be praying home advantage and an enthusiasm for the game can help them cause the odd upset or two when things get underway. They have been competitive in the 50-over game, reaching the super-eight stage of the World Cup qualifying tournament. Their most notable appearance in a global event came at the 1996 World Cup, but they also faced Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup.One to watch Saqib Ali – He was named in 2007-08 Intercontinental Cup Team of the Year, and was the only player to score a century for his country at the ACC Trophy Elite event in 2008. With 326 runs, he was also the top run-scorer for the UAE at the Cricket World Cup Qualifiers in 2009 and will be the man UAE’s batting will pivot on.