Group B preview: Three full members and Scotland battle for Super 12 spots

Two-time champions the West Indies headline Group B of the first round of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022, with Ireland, Scotland and Zimbabwe also battling for a Super 12 spot.

The Bellerive Oval in Hobart will host all the first round fixtures of this group.

The West Indies find themselves in the first round as they finished ninth at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021, their lowest finish since 2007.

Scotland are the only other side in the group who made the main round last time around. Ireland have not progressed to the knockout phase in any of their last five tournaments and Zimbabwe are making their first tournament appearance since 2016.  

West Indies 

A new-look West Indies head to Australia hoping that there will be a change of fortune.

Gone are many of the "usual suspects" - Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard have retired, Andre Russell was left out and Shimron Hetmyer didn't make the trip.

Nicholas Pooran is leading the side and how he performs both with the bat, and as captain may determine how well they can do in the World Cup.

Yannic Cariah is a surprise inclusion in the squad, returning to the T20 fold after a hiatus of six years. Whether he and left-arm option Akeal Hosein have enough in them to trouble the world's best batters remains to be seen but there is no shortage of all-rounders in the team.

Jason Holder is a man to watch out for, while the uncapped Raymon Reifer could spring a surprise as the Men in Maroon look to kickstart what they hope will be a bright start.

Ireland 

Not since 2009 have Ireland reached the knockout stage of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup and they will hope that this is finally the year they break the group stage barrier to rest.

They looked on course to end their barren run in the UAE after beating the Netherlands in their opening fixture but were humbled by Sri Lanka before losing to Namibia in a winner-takes-all encounter.

Their opening fixture, against Zimbabwe, could well determine their fate with the pair just a place apart in the ICC Men's T20I Team Rankings.

Ireland have played a lot of cricket over the summer against the world's best sides in both T20 and ODI formats and will now hope that their prolonged preparation pays off in the form of a place in the Super 12.

Scotland

Scotland have played just two matches since the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup, prior to a warm-up fixture against the Netherlands.

Two T20Is against New Zealand in July ended in heavy defeats, though they have fared better in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2, with five wins in their last six in the 50-over competition.

This year's squad is almost similar to the one which claimed three group stage wins in 2021, including George Munsey, who looks set to impress with the bat once more - the opener strikes at 144 in T20I cricket.

He and Richie Berrington, who has not missed a T20 international since February 2010, will be key to their hopes of a second consecutive Super 12 spot.

Mark Watt has a T20I five-for to his name and is often entrusted to bowl at the death due to his tight line and ability to bowl yorkers.

Zimbabwe

With a new head coach and an impressive recent run in T20Is, expectations are high for Zimbabwe as they journey down under.

Dave Houghton will lead his country at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup nearly 40 years after his international debut as a player.

Houghton masterminded a shock 50-over victory over Australia in Queensland in September, with leg-spinner Ryan Burl finishing with figures of five-for-ten. But the man of the moment is undoubtedly 36-year-old all-rounder Sikandar Raza, whose strike rate currently hovers around 150 in the T20 format.

And with captain Craig Ervine back from a hamstring injury at the top of the order, Zimbabwe will fancy their chances of securing a Super 12 stage spot for the first time in their history.