India - 🇮🇳
Kohli (C), Rohit Sharma (VC), KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Rahul Chahar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohd Shami.
Twenty20 World Cup begins next month and to prepare for this we are breaking down the Top 8 automatic qualifiers. First up India! The TAB makes them the favourites to win the tournament at $3.50.
Players to Watch: Virat Kohli - It's hard to go past King Kohli as he seems to be the HEARTBEAT of this Indian team in all formats. If he has a good tournament this team could be well on their way to claiming another T20 title. His confidence gained from good performances will definitely rub off on the rest of the members of the squad. However could the opposite hold true as well?
Unlucky to not be Travelling: Yuzvendra Chahal - When first hearing that Chahal had been left out of India's squad I presumed the reason was due to injury. However this seems not to be the case, India has selected five spinners with Chahal being out of favour. In our humble opinion he is the #2 spinner in the world, never mind in the top five in his country!
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Point of Difference: The revised IPL is set to be completed in The United Arab Emirates. Coincidentally this is where the World Cup is hosted as well, no coincidence for the BCCI though. This enables ALL members of the Indian squad to get plenty of match and condition practice before the big dance.
Area of Concern: Will they burn out? Tour of England, the IPL then the T20 World Cup, it has been a while since many members of the Indian team have been home. Will this play a factor in their mental side? As the fatigue of MIQ and non-stop cricket may hinder them especially the further they get in the tournament. In particular, you have to worry about not only Bumrah's mental state but also his physical after the lengthy tour and many overs. This team is full of seasoned professionals so it shouldn't be a problem but it will be up to their staff to manage.
Pakistan - 🇵🇰
Babar Azam (capt), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Asif Ali, Sohaib Maqsood, Azam Khan (wicket-keeper), Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Junior, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Hasnain Reserves: Usman Qadir, Shanawaz Dahani, Fakhar Zaman
India's rivals are next up on our team by team breakdown, Pakistan. Totally Agree with the TAB that they are outside favourites at $11 to lift the trophy. However, they may be a good gamble with this being their 'home' of sorts...
Player to Watch: Very hard to go past Babar Azam as he has an amazing T20i record! Rizwan and Azam are both PURE CLASS to watch in all formats. However, if Pakistan is going to succeed in this tournament then Mohammed Rizwan will be the man that needs to step up. Pakistan needs more than just one batsman to shine and Rizwan has the ability to be that batter. Trent Boult has expressed the difficulty of bowling to Rizwan in a pre-tournament interview and Pakistan will be hoping that post-tournament it is not only Boult saying this.
Unlucky to not be Travelling: Sharjeel Khan - In his last Twenty20 match Khan scored 141 off 63 balls, including 12 maximums! Whilst this was only in his domestic league it surely would have given the selectors something to consider but it seems his international form is the only thing that crossed their mind. An average of 22.25 runs at 133.11 has proven to not be enough and one can only feel that this was his last crack at a T20 World Cup.
Point of Difference: A home tournament for Pakistan? No other team in the top 8 is more experienced than Pakistan in playing in the UAE. Pakistans deadly seam attack will be looking to exploit others inexperience in these conditions and get on top of teams early. Afridi is running on red hot form, albeit in other formats, the 21-year-old will be looking to spearhead this attack.
Area of Concern: Is there enough batting depth in this team to go the distance? Azam and Rizwan are pure class but that is not enough and unfortunately, I can't see anyone else scoring big runs. Also, there is a lack of power in the middle order, this is going to affect their ability to close games or set big totals. Something may come out of the woodwork but I can't see them reaching the semi-finals.
New Zealand - 🇳🇿
Kane Williamson (c), Todd Astle, Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert (wk), Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Adam Milne* (injury cover)
Can New Zealand claim their first World Cup title? TAB has them as contenders at $7.00 which might be the lowest odds they have entered a tournament at... If it wasn't in Asia I would give them more of a chance but this presents a massive obstacle.
Player to Watch: Glenn Phillips - GAME CHANGER. He is one of the best fielders in the world, he is destructive with the bat and has now developed himself into a spin option. If New Zealand is to progress in this tournament they will need him at his best in the middle order, which may be the most difficult time to bat in UAE conditions.
Unlucky to not be Travelling: Finn Allen - Has been unreal in 2021, dominated in New Zealand's domestic league averaging 56.89 with a S/R of 193.94 which lead to his call up to play for New Zealand and his appearances in the various leagues around the world notably the 100 and IPL. The timing did not help Allen as if this squad was chosen after 'The Vitality Blast' maybe he would have been on the plane. He is also capable with the gloves which does beg the question, would he not have been a perfect squad member or injury cover?
Point of Difference: Calm heads in the big situations, led by none other than 'Steady the Ship' Williamson it is hard to feel anything but calm in big situations. That has aided New Zealand in recent times in the biggest of occasions, The World Test Championship and the last two World Cups are proof of this. Unlike those, it will be difficult for New Zealand to fly under the radar anymore as form shows no one should treat them as the perennial underdogs that they have been in yesteryear.
Area of Concern: The tournament being held in UAE does not bode well for New Zealand as their historic ability to play quality spin leaves the team and support base wanting. That being said Williamson, Chapman, Conway and Phillips are some of the better players of spin New Zealand has seen.
Australia - 🇦🇺
Aaron Finch (C), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins (VC), Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa. Travelling reserves: Dan Christian, Nathan Ellis, Daniel Sams
The only major title Australia do not have is the T20 World Cup. They have the squad to go the distance this year so will history be written? TAB has them at $6.00 making them one of the favourites however we are predicting it not to be their year...
Players to Watch: Marcus Stoins - There is no doubt that Marcus Stoins is absolutely DESTRUCTIVE, he has the capability of winning a match from anywhere. However, his fortunes in similar conditions have been subpar. Australia's balance and ability to close out matches will depend on his form throughout the tournament. In his most destructive for the Melbourne Stars, he was opening the batting, striking the hardball with the field up. However I somewhat doubt that he will bat there for Australia, so can he still be as valuable?
Unlucky to not be Travelling: Josh Phillipe - At one stage of this year Phillipe would have almost had one foot on the plane however a poor run of form means he has been left behind. Both against the West Indies and Bangladesh he struggled, failing to score over 15 in five matches. This has resulted in him losing his place in the squad and Josh Inglis getting a crack. At 24 it is likely that Phillipe will get another shot but his poor run came at an inconvenient time for this year’s World Cup.
Point of Difference: A couple of wiley veterans in Australia's ranks this time around. Unlike the tour of Bangladesh, Smith, Warner and Finch will all be available. Three veterans of the game that combine for a total of 202 international T20 caps. You cannot buy that experience and when things get difficult these are the three players Australia will turn to and who have more often than not produced for their country.
Area of Concern: The Australian aura has been lost, both by recent results and the general lack of dominating players within their bowling ranks. Don’t get me wrong there are still some very gifted players in the squad but no one that puts fear in the opposition in this format. Cummins is extremely good but can Starc back him up with those swinging toe crushes of past tournaments? Will the spin attack of Aghar, Sweepson and Zampa be enough in the UAE? Time will tell and potentially being somewhat underdogs may favour Australia this time around.
England - 🏴
Chris Woakes, Moeen Ali, Chris Jordan, Tymal Mills, Sam Billings (wk), Jonny Bairstow (wk), Eoin Morgan (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Dawid Malan, Jason Roy, Adil Rashid, Liam Livingstone, David Willey, Mark Wood, Sam Curran.
Will this stacked batting lineup be enough to produce their second Twenty20 World Cup? Paying $4.00 at the TAB it is expected that they go deep into the tournament. Let's hope for England's sake a batting collapse doesn't come at the crunch time of the tournament.
Players to Watch: Liam Livingstone is the best short-format batter in the world at the moment. He is absolute DYNAMITE, striking the ball at 167.47 at an average of 34.33 for England in Twenty20 cricket. Valuable matches for Rajasthan Royals prior to the World Cup will ensure that he continues his rich vein of form as well as getting acclimatised to the conditions. Look out for Livingston going large this tournament!
Unlucky to not be Travelling: There is no doubt that if he was fit Ben Stokes would be at this tournament. Unfortunately, it is not to be and hopefully, Stokes will be fit in time for the Ashes instead. England will feel very unlucky as they enter a World Cup without the best all-rounder in the world. It will be massive shoes to fill for the squad as they aim to replace a quality bowler, batsman and fielder. Can Sam Curran fill this void?
Point of Difference: A powerhouse batting order and potentially the best in the tournament, players right from top to tail can hit a massive ball. This is not only in potential either, all of them have proven this ability time and time again. They have not only done this in England but in all their careers throughout the IPL leading this team to be stacked with not only batting ability but confidence. Just like the One Day World Cup this team will go hard from ball one looking to dominate the opposition bowlers and post large totals.
Area of Concern: Spin bowling options is a worry for England, they have picked two frontline spinners in Ali and Rashid along with part-timer Livingstone. Other teams in this tournament have a lot more depth in the spin ranks as well as ability. Have the selectors thought this through? UAE pitches will be slow and will turn therefore it will force England to rely on their pace bowlers using their changeups effectively. Or has England got their team selection spot on with the conditions in the UAE, not the spin paradise everyone else is predicting?
Afghanistan - 🇦🇫
Rashid Khan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Hazratullah Zazai, Usman Ghani, Asghar Afghan, Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Mohammad Shahzad, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Karim Janat, Gulbadin Naib, Naveen ul Haq, Hamid Hassan, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Dawlat Zadran, Shapoor Zadran, Qais Ahmad
The whole world is talking about Afghanistan, unfortunately, it is for more pressing concerns than cricket. Could this World Cup provide a good story for the Afghan people? At $67 at the TAB it is unlikely they will be anywhere near lifting the trophy but could they upset a few teams with higher aspirations?
Player to Watch: The new SPIN KING? Rashid Khan is the best spin bowler in this format. It is impossible to take your eyes off him when he has the ball in hand as something is bound to happen. As well as this he has the ability to produce an unorthodox with the bat giving his side an extra 20 runs. He is an entertainer and one I am looking forward to seeing play next month.
Unlucky to not be Travelling: Without being harsh, this is the best squad Afghanistan could name. Therefore it is probably more likely someone will be unlucky to not take the field. With Nabi, ur Rahman and Khan almost certain to play the unlucky bench warmer could be Qais Ahmad. This is of course unless they decide to play four spinners in their line-up.
Point of Difference: Nabi, ur Rahman and Khan are all exceptional t20 bowlers and some of the best spinners in this format. As well as having potentially favourable conditions which would be kind to a lineup that lacks quality pace bowlers. Most opposition will have to navigate how to score runs off these 12 overs and keep wickets in hand. Depending on how these three perform, there could be a couple of upsets on the cards.
Area of Concern: This is a country in turmoil, rightfully so cricket is probably the last thing on their mind. Adding to this as the squad was announced Khan stepped down from the captaincy of the team. If they are able to produce something special it will come as a welcome distraction to their supporters. However, the lack of everything but spinners presents a challenge to compete on the world stage is difficult.
South Africa - 🇿🇦
Temba Bavuma (c), Keshav Maharaj, Quinton de Kock (wk), Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Aiden Markram, David Miller, W Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen; Reserves: George Linde, Andile Phehlukwayo, Lizaad Williams
Can you 'choke' in a tournament when original expectations are not high? The public and the pundits do not hold much hope for this squad with the TAB having them at $13 outsiders. Have they picked their best possible squad? In my opinion no and this lead may lead to their downfall.
Player to Watch: Quinton de Kock is WORLD-CLASS and one of the only players of that status in the South African batting lineup. They say heavy is the head that wears the crown and this is the burden de Kock will carry this tournament. All of South Africa's hopes will be resting on de Kock having a stellar tournament.
Unlucky to not be Travelling: Faf Du Plessis! South Africa have decided to leave out one of their generational talents. Prior to this announcement Du Plessis would have been listed as a player to watch having recently scored a CPL century. However the unfathomable has occurred and a player with 50 matches international experience and one hell of a record will not be playing for South Africa. A side note... Imran Tahir 😲
Point of Difference: Ngidi, Nortje and Rabada is a formidable pace attack and potentially one of the best in the tournament. However will the conditions suit them and more importantly are they able to adapt and produce what is needed from them in key situations. This is yet to be seen from this attack in T20 internationals but all three of these bowlers will be looking to change this.
Area of Concern: Batting. Their are some notable players in this batting lineup that are capable of changing the course of a match. However there is only one capable of being leading run-scorer at the end of the tournament. If ABD and Faf were in this squad the outlook would be a lot different. The middle to tail of this South African order looks very vulnerable!
West Indies - 🇹🇹🇧🇧🇯🇲🇬🇾
Kieron Pollard (c), Nicholas Pooran, Fabian Allen, Dwayne Bravo, Roston Chase, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Evin Lewis, Obed McCoy, Lendl Simmons, Ravi Rampaul, Andre Russell, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr. Reserves: Darren Bravo, Sheldon Cottrell, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein.
The most successful team in T20 World Cup history with two titles, can they make it a third? They are definitely in the discussion given odds of $7 by the TAB and with the squad, they have, so the opposition may want to pay them a little attention.
Player to Watch: Evin Lewis MONSTERS a cricket ball and has the ability to take the game away from the opposition. He has scored two international t20 centuries and struck the ball at a staggering 158.03 S/R throughout his career. No opposition can afford him to be at the crease for a long time because he is capable of sending a cricket ball a very very long way.
Unlucky to not be Travelling: Ravi Rampual vs. Carlos Brathwaite, I know who I am choosing every day of the week. The West Indies Cricket Board have chosen the former over Brathwaite and his heroics of the last World Cup are now a distant memory. Cottrell and Holder will also feel aggrieved as they are passed over in the initial tournament squad. West Indies opting for experience, but can Rampaul still deliver on the world stage? His last international twenty20 was in 2015...
Point of Difference: Excellently balanced squad, with power/finesse, pace/spin and experience/youth this squad has the makings of a very good team. In particular, their biggest strength is their batting order. Power at the top with Gayle, Fletcher and Lewis and stability throughout the middle with Hetmyer, Pooran and Chase, finished off with some big hitters to close out a game in Russell and Pollard.
Area of Concern: Bowling lineup is a concern, not due to its ability but more the fact it is susceptible to leaking runs, putting pressure on other facets of their game. Can they find a compromise between looking for wickets at key points in time and closing out an over with minimal damage? This will come down to how Pollard effectively communicating his ideas with his bowlers.
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