Upsets have T20 cup in a spin already
We only need to look at Scotland storming back from the doldrums to defeat Bangladesh on the opening night of the ICC men’s Twenty20 World Cup to know that this format is a fickle beast.
It’s difficult to ascertain who’s in form and who isn’t. Matches can turn on a dime (four wickets in four balls, anyone?), players’ individual success can fluctuate at alarming rates, and team results can be a rollercoaster as a consequence.
The conditions in the United Arab Emirates won’t lend themselves to be very forgiving either, with all signs pointing towards the pitches playing a lot lower and slower than what we’re accustomed to in New Zealand.
The ball isn’t going to come as nicely onto the bat so batters will need to generate more power at their end to send the ball over the fence. To achieve that, they’ll need to be on the money with their timing so they don’t go through their shots early and end up giving the opposition catching practice.
In other words it will be very spin friendly, and this is evident in most of the squads being named. Some, like the Black
Caps, have balanced their squads well with a wide range of spin options as well as having a reliable seam attack.
But then there’s England, currently ranked No1 in the world in T20s, who are the big outlier in that respect. They only have two spinners, so you get the feeling they could be in trouble.
You’d be hard pressed to look past a team like India to go on and win the tournament. They’re jam packed with talent, oozing class, and have match inners up and down the lineup. They were the inaugural champions in 2007, but haven’t won a World Cup (50 over or T20) since 2011.
On the other hand, don’t be too upset if you draw Pakistan in the work sweepstake. Led by the outstanding Babar Azam, who is joined at the top of the order by Mohammad Rizwan in a devastating opening partnership (they’re averaging 53.62 and 9.36 runs per over), the men in green are out to prove to the world that they will not be walked over following two tours of their country being cancelled.
Pakistan are the Black Caps’ first opponents, on Wednesday (3am NZT).
It would also be unwise to rule out the West Indies as contenders. Those boys know how to win games of T20 cricket.
They are the only country to have won the T20 World Cup twice, and with Kieron Pollard at the helm with a supporting cast of Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Andre Russell you’re guaranteed fireworks.
Australia and South Africa – who meet on Saturday night – look a little at sea, so Group A could be a lottery as to who might go through to the semifinals.
In Group B it will be a tough ask for the Black Caps to get out of their group with India and Pakistan in front of them, not to mention a passionate Afghanistan team with Rashid Khan waving his legspin wand.
If the opening matches are anything to go by, we’re in for a corker of a tournament.
*Kristy Havill is a Canterbury Magicians cricketer, and a former world championship silver medallist in clay target shooting. Her Twenty20 World Cup columns on Stuff are courtesy of Sky TV, which is broadcasting the tournament live.