On Sunday, the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier will have new winners, when number one seeds the West Indies and second-seeded Afghanistan face each other in the final at the Harare Sports Club. This is the West Indies' maiden appearance in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier after they failed to qualify directly for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 by finishing outside the top eight on the ICC ODI Team Rankings at the September 30, 2017 cut-off.

Afghanistan played in the qualifiers in 2009 in South Africa and finished fifth, but did not compete in the 2014 qualifier after having progressed to the 2015 World Cup by virtue of finishing second to Ireland in the ICC World Cricket League Championship. Winners of Sunday game will join Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh, Netherlands, Scotland and Ireland to lift the silverware of one of the most competitive and keenly-contested tournaments on the cricket calendar.

Both the West Indies and Afghanistan have already qualified for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, to be staged in England and Wales from May 30 to July 14, but tomorrow's final is expected to be another cut-throat match for a number of reasons.

Rashid Khan, the world number-one ranked bowler, is just one wicket away from becoming the fastest to 100 wickets. He presently has 99 wickets from 43 ODIs, while Mitchell Starc achieved the 100-wicket milestone in his 52nd ODI. On a head to head, Afghanistan lead the West Indies 2-1, while their one match in St Lucia was a no-result.