Five Associate Nation players to watch out for in the World T20

The World T20 that commences from the 8th of March will be nothing short of a celebration. The pre-qualifiers to the World Cup will see the associate nations face each other with just a single spot left in each group to fill. Of the eight teams contesting, two will secure progression to the group stages of the World T20. While full members Zimbabwe and Bangladesh will be favorites, the associate nations will certainly be fancying their chances. With over 100 players competing in the competition, we take a look at 5 players from associate nations who could make a mark for their countries. 1. Shapoor Zadran (Afghanistan) Afghanistan. (© Getty Images) All coaching manuals around the world state that a left handed bowler has the edge over batsmen. Thus, it is no surprise that Shapoor Zadran has a stern dominance over the batsmen who face him. The 31-year-old Zadran has been the spearhead of the Afghanistan attack since the inception of Afghan cricket. He remains Afghanistan’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is with 47 scalps in 45 matches. He also boasts of a decent economy rate of 6.39. 2. Ryan Campbell (Hong Kong) (Photo Source: Getty Images) The 44-year old former Australian wicket-keeper batsman now has his second chance at World T20 glory. Realistically, Hong-Kong’s chances of qualification are little or none. However, that will be of less concern to Campbell as he chases perhaps his personal satisfaction of having featured in the World T20 tournament. Campbell has been in good form for the Kowloon Cricket club, thus justifying his selection. He is also widely regarded as the inventor of the scoop shot. 3. Roelof van der Merwe (Netherlands) Roelof van der Merwe. (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images) Similar to Ryan Campbell, Roelof van der Merwe also has received a second chance with the Netherlands. A fiery left-arm spinner during the inception of the T20 international format, van der Merwe is known to give the ball a proper whack. He has been promoted on numerous occasions by both the Royal Challengers Bangalore and South Africa. He disappeared, almost overnight after being dropped from the side. He obtained permission to play for the Netherlands in 2015 and will be key as they scrap with the rest of the associates in a bid to secure qualification to the tournament they have been marginally successful. 4. Kevin O’Brien (Ireland) Ireland cricketer Kevin O’Brien. (Photo by INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP/Getty Images) The red-hair, brash and abrasive Irishman will always be remembered for his exploits against neighbors England in 2011. A batting paradise at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore set the stage for an O’Brien special. He not only smashed the century that drilled the final nail into the England team coffin, but also went about his innings with a swagger never seen from an Irishman before. The ball landed in the stands with monotonous regularity as he eventually broke the record for fastest century in World Cups set by Matthew Hayden. Now, he is back in full capacity as the Irish are drawn in the group of death in the pre-tournament qualifiers. All eyes will certainly be on him while he will be key in securing qualification for Ireland. 5. Asghar Stanikzai (Afghanistan) Asghar Stanikzai. (Photo Source: AFP) The charismatic Afghanistan captain has had a lot to cheer for in the past year. He is also among the only players within the Afghan lineup to play for the war-torn country in all the junior levels. He is often compared to Pakistan Test skipper Misbah-ul-Haq. He is a tuk-tuk boom-boom batsman who knows when to strike and how to pick a bad delivery. The 30-year old has 715 runs in 37 T20Is for his country.

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Five Associate Nation players to watch out for in the World T20

5. Asghar Stanikzai (Afghanistan)

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