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Dear Readers,

I have discontinued writing my articles on Blogger. I have now changed to Wordpress, which I feel is better and more fun to write on. The link for the new blog is below and I hope that you continue reading my articles.

New Blog

Neerav

The State of English Bowling

For a couple of years now, the decision of which bowlers, in particular pace bowlers, should play for England has been a topic of discussion. Since the beginning of the Ashes series in 2010-11, England have used 8 front line bowlers in test cricket and since the start of the world cup in 2011, England have used 14 bowlers in ODI cricket. Is this too many bowlers?
Firstly, I will discuss the bowling situation in the test team. There is more consistency in the test team that the ODI team, mainly due to England's rise in test cricket. They found some consistency under the with the blowing attack of Anderson, Broad, Tremlett, Swann and Bresnan (they did not play all five bowlers at once, Bresnan and Tremlett were rotated). This attack was the main reason as to why England seared to that #1 ranking, just two and a half years since they were 51 all out in Jamaica. However, 2012 proved to be a tough year for the bowlers, with a bit of chop and change going on. The fact that England were playing Pakistan, in UAE, Sri Lanka and India away, meant that Panesar would get a run in the side and his great bowling, especially in India, earned him a call up to the squad to face New Zealand in March.
James Anderson was at his best for most of the year, particularly in the UAE. He showed once again why he the best swing bowler and was able to produce game changing spells of bowling on pitches that favoured spinners. His place in the side unquestionable, but the same cannot be said for any other seam bowler.

Broad needs to re-think his bowling

Stuart Broad's place in the side is in doubt as the newly named vice-captain was dropped in India before a heel injury cut his tour short. Last year his place was in doubt before the India series, but he became England's man of the series with a wonderful bowling performance across all four matches. He had career best figures of 6-46 at Trent Bridge, which included a hat-trick. This then inspired even better bowling in the UAE where he, along with the rest of the attack, dismantled Pakistan's batsmen on more than one occasion. If only the batsmen had scored runs, then the series outcome would've been different. The other half of 2012 was not so kind to Broad. A calf strain ruled Broad out of the second test against Sri Lanka, which was then followed by a below par series against South Africa. Despite the one bowling spell at Headingly, Broad's performances were average. He seemed to have lost some pace and there was less control in his bowling. This showed in his bowling in India where he was was not influential. He was dropped after the second test to be replaced by Steven Finn. A heel injury ruled Broad for the rest of the India tour, including the ODI and T20 matches, but was named in all three squads to face New Zealand.

Times are tough for Tim Bresnan

A similar tale to Broad is Tim Bresnan. He has also had a poor second half of 2012, with disappointing performances against South Africa and India. A good performance against the West Indies was not enough to keep his place in the team as he was dropped for the second test against South Africa after a sluggish performance in the first test. He too, seemed to have lost a touch of pace. Bresnan was named in the squad to India, but failed to impress in the first test. He was dropped for Panesar in the second test, but came back and played in the last test, still failing to pick up a wicket. His performances in the ODIs and T20s were better, but still his place is debatable.
Now on to some positives, Steven Finn. The tall, young, energetic and pacey seam bowler has made his way through the England ranks since the last Ashes series. Finn has continued to impress, especially in the one day arena, which has seen him play test cricket for England. Understandably, his test career has not excelled just yet, but the young fast bowler is still learning the game. Finn is without a doubt the quickest of all English bowlers and his pace is what keeps Bresnan out the side and pushes Broad for a place in the side at times. The only problem with Finn is his tendency to hit the stumps with his knee during his run-up. It became a problem against South Africa and against India when he had Smith and Raina, respectively, caught behind, but was signalled dead ball due to the stumps being kicked over.

The forgotten man?

A bowler who seems to have been forgotten is Chris Tremlett. He played his last test match in the UAE against Pakistan before a back injury, followed by surgery has ruled him out since then. Tremlett, as tall bowlers do, provide a lot of bounce and was impressive against Sri Lanka in 2011. He finished leading wicket taker, which sparked an impressive performance in the first test against India. Again, he didn't participate in any other matches due to injury.
Another bowler learning the game of test cricket is Graham Onions. A major back injury has kept him out the side from time to time, but he is also the least experienced out of all the bowlers. He played his last test against West Indies in May 2012 and hasn't bowled a ball for England since.

My verdict on which bowlers should play in the test team is quite common to other fans. As I said earlier, Anderson is a must, first name on the team sheet. This then leaves three spots open. Ideally, England play with three pace bowlers and a spinner. It can be two spinners when playing in Asia, which is totally understandable. The spinner is going to be Graeme Swann. His classy off-spin is amongst the best in the world. The second opening bowler I would choose would be Stuart Broad. Even though Broad is going through a bad patch of form, he is still a great bowler. Broad's ability is clearly shown against India in 2011 and Pakistan in 2012 and I think England should stick with him. Broad is also only 26 years old, so he has at least five more years left in him. The final seamer would be Steven Finn. Finn's raw pace is the main reason why I've selected him. The other England bowlers, particularly Anderson, lack a bit of pace, which is one of the reasons Steyn is superior to Anderson, and Finn will provide that pace. He is also quite tall and will get a lot of bounce whilst bowling. The main issue is that the seamers, except Anderson, cannot manage to stay fit consistently. They need to take a leaf out of Anderson's book when it comes to fitness.

Injuries are too common for England's pace attack

The bowlers in the ODI and T20 team are more difficult to discuss. As said earlier, 14 different bowlers have been used in limited overs cricket for England since the beginning of the world cup in 2011. In the most recent series, away to India, England's main bowlers were rested and attack was relatively inexperienced. Anderson & Swann were rested, whilst Broad was ruled out through injury. Jade Dernbach, James Tredwell, Stuart Meaker and Chris Woakes were amongst the inexperience that played in India, all delivering differing performances.
Jade Dernbach had a decent start to international cricket. He made his debut against Sri Lanka in 2011, bowled well and earned a chance to play against India later that year. He was an ODI regular for that summer. However, whilst his variations were like no other English bowler, his economy was always quite high and would normally be the talking point about his bowling. He had less chances in 2012 in ODI cricket, but still played the majority of T20 cricket. He took part in the World T20 in Sri Lanka, failing to impress. Dernbach played 4 matches and his economy was above 9 in all matches except against Afghanistan. This lead to more bad bowling as he was dispatched in India. His economy against India in the T20 matches was above 9 and in the 4 ODI matches he played, it was above 6. This lead to Dernbach becoming the most expensive bowler in the history of ODI cricket who has bowled 1000+ balls. There can be some sympathy with Dernbach as he does bowl at the death and during the powerplay, but I do not think it is good enough. He was not named in the ODI squad to face New Zealand later this month but, I would not dismiss Dernbach from the international arena.

Dernbach has the most expensive economy rate in ODI cricket

Chris Woakes is also another bowler who is not at the international level yet. He has not had as many chances as others, but when he plays he fails to prove his worth in the side. However, the ECB must see some potential in him as he is named in all three squads to face New Zealand. I do not think he is good enough to play for England.
Stuart Meaker, again a bowler who has only had a handful of chances, has not really lit up the international stage, but potential is definitely there. His raw pace is the reason why ECB selectors stick with him.

On the contrast, James Tredwell continues to impress. He had a fabulous series against India this past January. He picked up 11 wickets and is possibly giving Swann a run for his money in the ODI arena. Tredwell has been in the eyes of the ECB since before the world cup in 2011, but is no doubt hitting his stride at the moment.

In limited over matches, I believe you need experience when it comes to bowling, particularly at the death and during powerplay overs. A game can be changed in these periods and it is vital that the bowlers get their lines right. I think Broad is good at death bowling and he would be alongside Anderson, Swann and Finn in the ODI team. The last bowler to choose is a tricky decision. Do you go with a seamer or spinner, or does it depend on conditions? I would pick James Tredwell alongside the other four bowlers as he is consistent and reliable. However, this does not rule out opportunities for Bresnan or Dernbach. Personally, I think Dernbach needs a rest and needs to get his game back. I think Bresnan  is a very useful bowler, but at the moment Tredwell is bowling better than him. Bresnan is a player that England should certainly not drop, but his a regular in the ODI side is debatable.
In T20 cricket, I would select Broad, Finn, Swann, Tredwell and replace Anderson with Bresnan. I don't think Anderson is good enough for T20 cricket and would rather go with Bresnan.

If you have any thoughts on the bowling situation, please feel free express them to me.

India v England Review

History was made in Nagpur on the 17^th December 2012, where a touring England side had beaten an uninspired Indian side for the first time in 27 years. Many captains and teams have been to India and come back hardly a team, but not Alistair Cook and his cricketers.

England Tours to India since 1984/85

Year	Captain	Result
1993	Graham Gooch	L 3-0 (3)
2001/02	Nasser Hussain	L 1-0 (3)
2006	Andrew Flintoff	D 1-1 (3)
2008	Kevin Pietersen	L 1-0 (2)
2012	Alistair Cook	W 2-1 (4)

The four match test series looked to be an enthralling one as England looked to bounce back after a poor year in which they have been whitewashed and lost the #1 test ranking, not to mention the Pietersen Saga throughout the summer. India were marked as the clear favourites as they were close to invincible at home. Rarely do they lose a test series in their own backyard. 

The series kicked off in Ahmedabad, Gujarat in November. The toss is always important, but it is emphasised in Indian conditions. The pitch produced in Ahmedabad was a dead track. It was slow, dry and it looked like spin will be the key when bowling. It did absolutely nothing for the seamers. India had two frontline spinners out in Ashwin and Ohja playing and a surprise to many was that Panesar was left out of the England team; with Bresnan playing instead (Finn was injured).  That looked to be a costly decision as India began extremely strongly. Gambhir and Sehwag in particular powering India along to 134-0 before Swann removed Gambhir. That barely changed a thing as new man Pujara came to the crease and looked good. Sehwag continued to a brilliant run-a-ball 117 before he gave his wicket away to Swann, again. Sachin and Kholi came and went, both getting out to Swann.  That made the score 323-4 at stumps, Swann with all four wickets. Day 2 was all about Cheteshwar Pujara. He had never faced England before but caused them all sorts of problems. He rarely looked vulnerable and battled his way to a brilliant 206*. India declared at a mammoth total of 521-8. Seven wickets were taken by spin (Swann: 6, Patel: 1).
Then in came England for a mini session, in which they failed under pressure. Debutant Compton went early, Anderson and Trott shortly followed, leaving England 41-3 at stumps on day 2. All wickets to spin. England could not provide any resistance the following morning as Pietersen struggled against Ohja (left arm spin), Bell fell first ball and after Cook was dismissed, there was no hope of avoiding the follow on. After being bowled out for 191 England followed on and had the evening session to bat. Very few could have predicted that England would be 111-0 at stumps, but somehow they were. Cook had powered himself to a good fifty and Compton had provided excellent support. Fight back maybe? The following morning session didn’t seem like it as England lost three wickets, followed by two more in the afternoon session, but Cook remained at the crease. He passed a well-deserved 100 and with support from Matt Prior in the evening, ended day 4 on 340-5, lead of 10. England needed at least 150 more runs to save this match. The morning session of day 5 went in India’s favour after the spinners remove Prior for 91 and then Cook for 176. Again, the tail provided no resistance. England were bowled out for 406, a significant improvement, but little use as the first innings was so poor. India had a target of 80, they won by 9 wickets. The man of the match was obvious - Chesteshwar Pujara for a truly elegant 206*. He never looked like getting out.

So where do England go next? Again their woes against spin dominate the headlines and cries of 4-0 were being heard all around the camp. It was off to Mumbai for the second test, where England lost the toss again and were put into the field. The pitched looked to be a spinner’s pitch, very dusty and dry. It also offered some assistance to the pace bowlers as Anderson picked up Gambhir second ball of the match with an in-swinger. England were all over India in the morning session and it continued into the afternoon session as well as India found themselves 169-6. However, resistance from Pujara and Ashwin made sure India achieved a respectable score as India were bowled out for 327, with Ashwin scoring 68 and Pujara scoring 135. England were finding it difficult to bowl to Pujara – 341 runs in just two innings. England had bowled better than the first test, but the questions are always about their batting. They showed in the second innings at Ahmedabad that they are capable, but could they deliver when they had a chance? England began well and found themselves 66-0 before losing two quick wickets. Beginning of the end? It was indeed the beginning of the end, but for India, not England. At 68-2, Pietersen joined Cook at the crease. 206 runs later, India had their third wicket and the it was seen that England meant business. Cook had batted beautifully and didn't look like getting out, yet he got a beauty from Ashwin, almost unplayable, and he had to depart for 122. Consecutive hundreds for Cook and that made it four hundreds in four test matches as captain. From that point on, it was all about Pietersen. All the controversy in the summer and debate about his future before the series was put aside as fans and cricket lovers could only watch the sheer class of KP. He dominated the Indian attack, went after the spinners, in particular Ohja. Eventually he fell for a magnificent 186, one of three dominating and fantastic hundreds he cooked up 2012 (151 v SL & 149 v SA).
However, from then on England collapsed and were bowled out for 413, lead of 86, useful. They had managed 31 runs after Pietersen fell at the sixth wicket. Nevertheless, pressure was on India and they did not handle it well. India lost Sehwag early and shortly afterwards they lost Pujara. The score was 37-2. Enter The Little Master, Sachin The Great, potentially the best batsmen ever on what could be his last test innings in his home ground. The stage was set for a masterclass, but to the crowd's disappointment he fell to Panesar again. From then on it was the all about the spin twins. They rattled through India's batting. Batsman after batsman fell and India had finished day 3 on 117-7. They had a lead of 31 but Gambhir was 53* to some people's surprise. This was the session that blew the test series wide open. This was the session that made everyone think England were back, that they meant business. The next day went as planned for England. India were bowled out for 142, which meant England need 55 to win this test match. All wickets in that second innings fell to spin in addition to the 9 that fell in the first innings. Cook and Compton went about the chase positively. England had won by 10 wickets, finishing 58-0 with Compton 30*, useful runs for him. 

A stunning victory for England which meant the series is very much alive. After the annihilation of the first test, England faced a potential 4-0 whitewash, but they proved almost everybody wrong with a thrashing of India. Swann & Panesar bowled beautifully in the second innings especially and had won their first test playing together. England's spinners were better than India's spinners. The man of the match was none other that Kevin Pietersen. Stunning innings.

The "Spin Twins" guided England to a memorable victory

The third test was to be played at Kolkata at the spectacular Eden Gardens. India had won the toss again and decided to bat again. A change to the Indian team was that Ishant Sharma came in for Harbhajan and for England, Steven Finn came in for  lack luster Stuart Broad. India began well, but as soon as a partnership was developing, a bastmen would get out. There were fifties for Tendulkar, who scored 76, Gambhir, who score 60 and Yuvraj who scored 52. This time the wickets were shared among the bowlers with Anderson taking 3, Panesar taking 4 and Swann & Finn taking a wicket a piece. India had scored a below par 316. Now it was England's turn to show their class again, in particular Cook. A mammoth opening partnership of 165 between Cook & Compton clearly dictated the test match. Compton fell for 57 and that brought to the crease an out of form Trott. However, Trott hung around and batted like Trott does, scoring a solid 87 before being caught off Ohja. The score at this point was 338-2. Cook was quietly going on about his business as he passed 50, 100 and 150. He had now scored five hundreds in five matches as captain. Cook was run out in bizarre circumstances for 190. The video below is Cook's dismissal.

Soon after Cook's wicket, Pietersen got to fifty and there were scores and starts for Prior and Patel that escalated England up to a brilliant 523, lead of 207. They had turned this test series around quite dramatically. Again, there was immense pressure on India, but could they bounce back this time? It seemed so because India had got themselves to 86-0 at lunch on day 4. However, from the very first ball of the afternoon session things went horribly wrong for India. From 86-0 they collapsed (again) to 122-6. Game over surely? The only thing that prevented an innings defeat was a resilient 91* from Ashwin. An innings of concentration, cricketing shots and elegance. He deserved a hundred, but unfortunately ran out of partners. England then needed 41 to take a 2-1 lead and avoid a series defeat. They got off to a terrible start as Cook was stumped and Trott & Pietersen were trapped LBW and England were 8-3. But an classy knock from Bell guided England home and they were on the verge of history. The lead 2-1 in the series with one to go. They were on the verge on winning in India for the first time in over 25 years, they were on the verge of being the first team to win in India since 2004. 

Nagpur was the venue of the final test match and what awaited the teams was, quite frankly, a disgrace of a pitch. No bounce & hardly any carry had the cricketing world wondering why India had produced a pitch like this, especially because they needed a win. England won the toss and batted first. A surprise to everybody was selection for both teams. India had dropped Khan and Yuvraj and replaced them with Chawla and Jadeja respectively. They went for spin. Sharma was the only seamer and this was decision that they would regret. Meanwhile, England had selected young Yorkshire opener Joe Root over Samit, Morgan and Bairstow to bat at number 6. To prove how slow the pitch was, England finished day 1, on 199-5. They had scored less that 200 runs in 90 overs. The run rate was just over two. Pietersen top scored with 73 after early wickets picked up by Sharma and England were 16-2. Prior and Root had dug in towards the end of day 1. The scoring was still very slow on day 2, but Prior, Root and surprisingly Swann made it to fifties. Typically Swann scored his fairly quickly, but Root had batted very well for a debutant. England were bowled out for 330 in the end. India began badly again as Sehwag was removed third ball, but then there was some fight shown between Gambhir & Pujara before Pujara, Tendulkar and Gambhir departed in quick succession to leave India 87-4 at stumps on day 2. They looked helpless again. However day 3 proved to be quite surprising as Kholi, a man totally out of form knocked up a 103 and in partnership with Dhoni, who ran himself out for 99, made 198 runs. The tail soon collapsed afterwards, but spent far too long in the middle. Ohja was 3 of 32, Ashwin ws 29 of 65, so Dhoni delcared four runs short of England's total. Now all England had to do was bat. Bat as long as they could, and so they did. Cook was out for next to nothing, but only to dodgy umpiring. Compton made a start, then was trapped LBW to Ohja. Pietersen left a straight one from Jadeja and England were in a bit of trouble at 94-3. Yet it was not time to panic. Trott continued to bat, bat and bat which is typical of him. Stumps of day 4 saw England 161-3 with Trott and Bell at the crease; both batsmen looked settled.

 Day 5 saw no joy for the Indians as Trott continued to bat and was well supported by Bell as both went on to hundreds. Trott fell for a great 143, but Bell finished not out on 116 as England declared on 352-4. The match was called a draw. England had done it. They had broken history. They had won in India for the first time since 1984/85 and after going 1-0 down. They were the first team to win since 2004 in India. A very historic win for England. James Anderson was man of the match and easily the pick of the seamers throughout the tour. The player of the series was none other that Cook. Three hundreds, an average of  80.2 and 562 runs in 8 innings. It was the perfect was to start his career as permanent England captain.

India v England Preview

Yet another fascinating test series is set to take place in India later this week as England begin their tour against India this Thursday. This test series will end what has been a tough year of cricket for both teams, but especially England. They enter this tour having not won in India in nearly thirty years and on the back of four tests without victory. England, this being their first test series since being knocked off the top of the rankings by South Africa earlier this year, start their arduous journey back to top and there cannot be a more difficult challenge than to overturn than India in their own backyard. So why is playing in India such a challenge for England?
Let me assure you, it is not just playing in India, it is playing in Asia that is difficult for England. Firstly, England have serious difficulty when playing against spin bowling. Earlier, this year they faced Pakistan (in the UAE) in their first of three Asian tours in 2012. England were comprehensively beaten and out of the 60 English wickets that fell, 47 of them were to spin bowling. A couple of months later, England face Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka, and although they improved slightly, they lost 32 wickets and 29 of them were to spinners, with Rangana Herath taking a five wicket haul on three occasions and picking up 19 of the wickets. Not only that, England were bowled for 80, by India, in the World T20 (in Sri Lanka) earlier in October and spin took six of the ten wickets. Problem maybe?

Secondly, the conditions in Asia are nowhere similar to those of England. In India, England will be presented with dry, dusty pitches that favor the likes of Ashwin & Harbhajan. The dusty pitches work as a disadvantage to England not only because the India spinners are more effective, but swing bowling will also not be as effective. In recent years, particularly at home, England's success has been built over a tremendous bowling unit that are mighty effective when the ball is swinging. So does this mean advantage India?
Not necessarily as India's recent form is patchy. Out of India's last four test series they have won two of them (both against West Indies) and lost the other two (both 4-0 whitewashes against England & Australia). In addition to the inconsistency, India have played far less test cricket than England. 
In 2012 alone, England have played eleven test matches, with five of them being in Asia, whereas India have only played five tests this year.

Squads


India* - Likely Line Up

Harbhajan will be looking for a place into the side following his call up

1. Virender Sehwag
2. Gautam Gambhir
3. Cheteshwar Pujara
4. Sachin Tendulkar
5. Virat Kholi
6. Yuvraj Singh
7. MS Dhoni (c)
8. Ravi Ashwin
9. Zaheer Khan
10. Pragyan Ohja
11. Umesh Yadav

Others In Squad:
Ajinkya Rahane
Ishant Sharma
Harbhajan Singh
Murali Vijay

*Squad includes players for first & second tests only. Squads for third & fourth tests not yet submitted. 

England - Likely Line Up
1. Alistair Cook (c) 
2. Nick Compton

England will look to tackle their woes against spin

3. Jonathan Trott
4. Kevin Pietersen
5. Ian Bell
6. Samit Patel
7. Matt Prior
8. Stuart Broad
9. Graeme Swann
10. James Anderson 
11. Steven Finn

Others on Tour:
Jonathan Bairstow
Stuart Meaker
Eoin Morgan
Monty Panesar
Joe Root

Yuvraj makes his return after battling with cancer

India have their squad packed full of spinners with three main spinners and two part-time spinners. It is very much a "welcome-back" feel for India as there is a recall for Harbhajan Singh after he impressed in the World T20 and there is a recall for Yuvraj Singh, who is back after his fight against cancer. Suresh Raina has been dropped after poor performances with that bat, but the main man in India at the moment is no doubt Virat Kholi. The young batsmen continues to impress match by match, especially in the shorter form of the game and is my pick for the best batsmen in the world across all three forms at the moment. However, every team has their weakness and India's is their pace attack. Their seamers posed very little threat last time these teams met. Umesh Yadav is still very young and learning the game and Zaheer Khan does not look the bowler he used to be . There will also be question marks about Khan's fitness.

Compton is among the inexperience in the squad

There is not so much as a "welcome-back" feel, but a "welcome" feel for England as they have called up three uncapped players including Nick Compton, who looks to be the replacement for Andrew Strauss, Joe Root and Stuart Meaker. To add to the inexperience, Jonathan Bairstow, who has played four tests, makes the squad but has already impressed against South Africa with two fifties. Eoin Morgan is also recalled as he was dropped after a dismal time in the UAE and Monty Panesar rejoins the tour party. Samit Patel makes a return after impressing against Sri Lanka in April and in the World T20. Batting will be the main concern and their woes against spin will once again be put to the test. England have only managed to score 300+ twice in their last eight innings in Asia. You do indeed need to take twenty wickets to win a test match, but you also need to post runs on the board to back up the bowlers, which is something England have not done this year whilst on their tours abroad.   


Schedule

1st Test
15 November - 19 November (Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad)

2nd Test
23 November - 27 November (Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai)

3rd Test
5 December - 9 December (Eden Gardens, Kolkata)

4th Test
13 December - 17 December (Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Jamtha, Nagpur)


The test series beings soon and it really looks to be a thrilling encounter. Last time these two sides met, England ran away comprehensive winners winning the four match series 4-0. I am undecided on who will walk out winners in this series, but I reckon the favorites are India. England are a very much new-look side following their loss of their #1 ranking, the resignation and retirement of their former captain and the fact that there are three uncapped players in the squad. However, the captaincy situation is not all bad as Alistair Cook is very experienced and was vice-captain under Strauss for at least a year. Cook's captaincy of the ODI side can only help his situation and the fact that the bowlers are all the same eases Cook's decision when captaining. If England are to be successful, all batsmen must contribute with runs and it cannot be about one player scoring runs throughout. Kevin Pietersen will be a key player for England and having already scored a century in a warm up game, he has to deliver, especially with the shenanigans surrounding him earlier this summer. England have a good chance of doing well and are very capable of beating India, but I think this is India's series to lose. 

Cook will lead the test team for the first time

World T20 Review

The ICC World T20 2012 looked to be the most open tournament in recent years, with all teams  that were in contention to win it, looking fairly equal. This year's edition of the tournament saw West Indies triumph in a thrilling and yet quite bizarre final. A fabulous achievement for the West Indies as they lifted their first trophy since 2004 and their first World T20 title. Many doubted the West Indies as they had failed to deliver in previous tournaments, even with their brutal batting line up of Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels and Keiron Pollard to name a few. However 2012 was to be West Indies' year as they finally lifted the World T20 title in achievement for themselves and for cricket as a sport. 

West Indies celebrated their win with the famous Gangnam Style celebration

Mendis returned in style

Group Stage
The tournament began with the hosts in Group C, Sri Lanka, facing a competent Zimbabwe side, who had recorded wins against South Africa earlier this year. Sri Lanka kicked off the tournament in impressive fashion by posting a very impressive 182-4. Zimbabwe began their chase shakily, but then were out-classed by Ajantha Mendis, who finished with 4-2-8-6. It was very much a 'Welcome-Back' feel for Mendis, who had gone off the boil in recent months for Sri Lanka. The third team in Group C, South Africa began their tournament against Zimbabwe as well with a thumping 10 wicket win, which resulted in Zimbabwe being the first team eliminated. The Proteas then topped the group. The pre-tournament favorites, India, began their campaign in Group A with a shaky win against Afghanistan, who were by far the most impressive of the "minnows" judging by matchday 1. However, Afghanistan's spirited performance was no match for the holders. England scored 196 in their 20 overs, with 99* from Luke Wright and in return, Afghanistan were bowled out for 80, having been 26-8 and one stage. Two days on from their win against the Afghans, England were then brought down to Earth as they were bowled out for 80 themselves by India, where spin took 6 of the 10 wickets and brought back talk about how England struggle against spin. Group B consisted of Australia, West Indies and Ireland. To my surprise  Australia coasted out of the group, no thanks to Shane Watson, who was no doubt their star-man. West Indies qualified by the skin of their teeth as they went through on net run rate after a washout with Ireland. Group D consisted of Pakistan, New Zealand and Bangladesh  As expected, Pakistan and New Zealand qualified from the group meaning that none of the "minnows" qualified for the super eight stage. 

Watson was player of the tournament

Super Eight Stage
There were two groups in the super eight stage. Group 1 included Sri Lanka, West Indies, England & New Zealand. The first game of Group 1 between Sri Lanka & New Zealand went down to a super over, in which Sri Lanka were victorious. Soon later, West Indies defeated England which sent a message to cricket fans that the West Indies meant business. In round 2, Sri Lanka continued their impressive run by defeating West Indies by 9 wickets and England beat New Zealand, leaving the kiwis closed to doomed. The final match day saw another super over, between New Zealand and West Indies, where New Zealand lost again leaving them out of the tournament. The remaining match between Sri Lanka & England was effectively a decider between England & West Indies as Sri Lanka were practically through. England were unable to get the job done meaning the holders were out of the tournament. 

It all went pear shaped for England in Sri Lanka

Standings of Group 1:
1. Sri Lanka (6 pts)
2. West Indies (4 pts)
3. England (2 pts)
4. New Zealand (0 pts)





Group 2 was unquestionably a much tougher group as India, Pakistan, South Africa and Australia all competed for the semi-finals. The group 2 match opener saw Pakistan beat South Africa in extraordinary circumstances. South Africa appeared to be cruising home when Pakistan were 76-7, but the in came Umar Gul and smashed 32 (17) to bring home the victory for Pakistan. Australia and India played afterwards in a very one sided match that saw Australia defeat India by 9 wickets. Round 2 saw India play Pakistan, a monumental match wherever and whenever. This match was also very one sided as India strolled home by 8 wickets to give themselves a chance of qualifying. Meanwhile, Australia continued their very impressive form by beating South Africa and practically knocking them out. The final round of matches began with Pakistan beating Australia and it was by 32 runs, which was fairly comfortable. This meant that India had to beat South Africa by 30 runs or more. India posted 152, which, to me, looked below par if they had to win by 30 runs. South Africa were bowled out for 151, which meant India won, but Pakistan & Australia qualified. 

Umar Gul inspired Pakistan to qualification

Standings of Group 2:
1. Australia (4 pts) (NRR: +0.464)
2. Pakistan (4 pts) (NRR: +0.272)
3. India (4 pts) (NRR: -0.276)
4. South Africa (0 pts)






Semi Finals
The first semi final match was between the hosts and Pakistan. Sri Lanka posted 139-4, which seemed below par, but it was good enough as Pakistan only managed 123-7 thanks to a good bowling performance from Sri Lanka and Herath in particular, who took 3-25. The second semi final was a stunner. West Indies turned on the style as they posted a monumental score, including 25 off the final over. A magnificant 75* (41) from Chris Gayle and a powerful knock by Pollard 38 (15) saw West Indies post 205-4. In reply Australia never got going and they were thrashed by 74 runs.

Gayle powered WI to the final

Final
The final of the 2012 World T20 was very peculiar. West Indies were put into bat and got off to an appalling start, where they were 48-2 after 12 overs, but you cannot count out Marlon Samuels. He smashed a brilliant 78 in one of the most powerful innings I have ever seen. Due to the force and aggression of Samuels, the bowling figures of Lasith Malinga were 4-0-54-0, and Malinga contibuted to nearly 40% of the final total. West Indies eventually posted 137-6 in their 20 overs, with nearly 90 runs coming in the last 8 overs. In reply Sri Lanka never got going and there were too many dot balls, but there were keeping wickets in hand, until Narine come on. His final figures were 3.4-0-3-9 helping West Indies bowl Sri Lanka out for 101. 

World T20 Preview

Twenty20 cricket often leads people to the assumption that it is all about whacking the ball out of the ground. There is no doubt that the shortest form of the game is the most exciting, but people seem to dismiss the strategy involved in winning a twenty20 match, let alone a world cup. 
This year's World T20 looks to be an outstanding tournament, it could potentially be the most exciting T20 tournament there has ever been.

Rankings

1. England - 130

Can England retain their title?

2. South Africa - 129
3. Sri Lanka - 119
4. West Indies - 111
5. New Zealand - 109
6. Pakistan - 108
7. India - 101
8. Bangladesh - 95
9. Australia - 94
10. Ireland - 88
11. Zimbabwe - 47

(Ratings in bold)
(Afghanistan, Netherlands, Scotland, Canada, Kenya are unranked)


The rankings make good reading as there are some team that you would not expect in the position that they are in, such as Australia. Last time they were runners-up, but at the moment they found themselves 9th, and were in 10th behind Ireland before they beat Pakistan recently. Another name is India. With hitters like Sehwag, Kholi, Yuvraj and Dhoni, you would expect them to be much higher that 7th.

Afghanistan

Afghanistan stormed their qualifier group winning all 7 games, however, they lost the final qualifer match to Ireland, but still did enough to gain a spot in this year's tournament. Afghanistan find themselves competing in their second World T20 and they are drawn alongside the champions, England and the dominant team of India. Afghanistan have played India before, in the 2010 World T20 as well as facing South Africa. They will be looking at causing an upset, but will be mighty pleased at just being in the World T20 again.

Squad: Nawroz Mangal (captain), Dawlat Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Hamid Hassan, Izzatullah Dawlatzai, Karim Sadeq, Mohammad Jawed Ahmadi, Mohd Nasim Baras, Mohammad Nabi, Mohammad Shahzad, Mohammad Asghar Stanikzai, , Najibullah Zadran, Samiullah Shinwari, Shafiqullah Shafaq, Shapur Zadran

Karin Sadeq, Mohammad Shahzad and Mohammad Nabi will be important players for Afghanistan as they impressed in the qualifiers. 

My Prediciton: Group Stage

Form Guide (most recent on left): WLWLW (excludes all warm up matches)

Australia

Australia are one of the strong names in cricket, but T20 is most probably their weak spot. They find themselves ninth in the rankings and not having won only 4 of their last 9 T20 matches, not winning a series in the process. Just recently they were bowled out for 89 by Pakistan. Last time out they finished runners-up, but at the moment they do not seem like winning this tournament. 

Squad: George Bailey (captain), Daniel Christian, Pat Cummins, Xavier Doherty, Ben Hilfenhaus, Brad Hogg, David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Glenn Maxwell, Clint McKay, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Shane Watson, Cameron White.

Australia have some hitters, such as Dave Warner and Shane Watson. Cameron White can also hit a long cricket ball, but the middle order looks unconvincing. Players like Mike Hussey and George Bailey are good players, but not T20 specialists. 

My Prediction: Super Eight Stage

Form Guide: WLLLW

Bangladesh

Bangladesh, considered underdogs, are very capable of pulling off an upset. They have beaten the bigger teams in the past. They are priced at 50-1 to win the tournament, which flatters them, but they to still be taken seriously.

Squad: Mushfiqur Rahim (captain), Abdur Razzak, Abul Hasan, Elias Sunny, Farhad Raza, Jahurul Islam, Junaid Siddique, Mahmudullah, Mashrafe Mortaza, Mohammad Ashraful, Nasir Hossain, Shafiul Islam, Shakib-Al-Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Zia-ur-Rahman.

Names that are eye-catching include Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al-Hasan who are quite big hitters, but one would think they are not good enough to lead Bangladesh to victory. 

My Prediction: Group Stage

Form Guide: LWLWW

England

The champions begin the defence of their title against Afghanistan, before facing India a couple of days later. England go into the T20 World Cup with patchy form after a difficult summer which included, losing their #1 test ranking, the retirement of Andrew Strauss and the Kevin Pietersen dilemma. The managed to draw the T20 series with South Africa 1-1 after winning the final game.

Squad: Stuart Broad (captain), Jonny Bairstow, Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Danny Briggs, Jos Buttler, Jade Dernbach, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Craig Kieswetter, Michael Lumb, Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel, Graeme Swann, Luke Wright.

The headlines about England recently have been surrounding Kevin Pietersen and his absence. However, players like Eoin Morgan an Craig Kieswetter can change a game, not to mention the skill of Swann and the raw pace of Steven Finn. The champions still have a good chance.

My Prediction: Semi Finals 

Form Guide: WLWWW

India

India are always considered to be one of the world's greatest teams with the powerful players they have such as Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni, Virat Kholi etc. They have previously won the tournament, in 2007 beating their rivals, Pakistan, in an absolute thrilling final. Since then they have faded away slightly at T20 cricket, but this could be their "bounce-back" tournament.

Squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Ravichandran Ashwin, Lakshmipathi Balaji, Piyush Chawla, Ashoke Dinda, Gautam Gambhir, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Virat Kohli, Irfan Pathan, Suresh Raina, Virender Sehwag, Rohit Sharma, Manoj Tiwary, Yuvraj Singh. 

India's squad looks very strong on paper with the likes of Sehwag, Zaheer and Raina in addition to the trio mentioned above. Their batting looks a real force and we could well see totals of above 200 posted by the Indians, however their bowling is fairly weak and could prevent them from winning the tournament.

My Prediction: Semi Finals 

Form Guide: LWLWL

Ireland

Ireland have potential in this tournament to cause an upset. They have some good players such as Will Porterfield and Kevin O'Brien, who scored the fastest ODI century in the WC 2011. They also beat England in the WC 2011 and were harshly knocked out of the 2010 T20 World Cup. They are a team who are improving by the day and the odd ODI match against Australia & England can only help. 

Squad: William Porterfield (captain), Alex Cusack, George Dockrell, Trent Johnston, Nigel Jones, Ed Joyce, Tim Murtagh, Kevin O'Brien, Niall O'Brien, Boyd Rankin, Max Sorensen, Paul Stirling, Stuart Thompson, Andrew White, Gary Wilson.

Ireland have some players who have experience from playing in England. Paul Stirling and Tim Murtagh hve had fairly successful seasons with Middlesex this year and Kevin O'Brien had a spell with Somerset. Will Porterfield has played in England for a while now having a previous spell with Gloucestershire and now with Warwickshire, the champions. 

My Prediction: Group Stage

Form Guide: LLLWW

New Zealand

T20 cricket is probably New Zealand's strongest form of the game. They find themselves fifth in the T20 rankings and on the back of a victory against India, in India. Last time out, they finished in the super eights, slightly disappointing by their standards as they won their group.

Squad: Ross Taylor (captain), Doug Bracewell, James Franklin, Martin Guptill, Ronnie Hira, Brendon McCullum, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Adam Milne, Rob Nicol, Jacob Oram, Tim Southee, Daniel Vettori, BJ Watling, Kane Williamson.

New Zealand have some dominant names such as Ross Taylor, who will be helped by his experiences in the IPL, similar conditions top Sri Lanka. Brendon McCullum will be a key player for the kiwis as T20 cricket is undoubtedly his speciality. Kane Williamson  

My Prediction: Super Eight Stage

Form Guide: WLLLL

Pakistan

The talent that Pakistan have in their squad is quite close to exceptional. In the Caribbean, they were less successful, but in England 2009, they were quite brilliant. One of the heroes of the 2009 triumph was Shahid Afridi, who will play a key role if Pakistan are to win this trophy for the second time. However, you cannot always guarantee that Afridi will deliver. 

Squad: Mohammad Hafeez (captain), Abdul Razzaq, Asad Shafiq, Imran Nazir, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Sami, Nasir Jamshed, Raza Hasan, Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Akmal, Umar Gul, Yasir Arafat.

The bowling attack will be lead by Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal, who is having a very good 2012. The skipper, Mohammad Hafeez and Afridi himself will also contribute with the spin depth that Pakistan have. 

My Prediction: Super Eight Stage/Semi Finals

Form Guide: LWWWL

South Africa

South Africa are rolling after re-gaining the #1 test spot after knocking off England 2-0. Not only that, but the supreme form of Hashim Amla will boost their confidence and  chances. South Africa are traditionally labelled the "chokers" when it comes to major tournaments, such as the world cup 2011 against England. 

Squad: AB de Villiers (captain), Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Johan Botha, Jean-Paul Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Jacques Kallis, Richard Levi, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Justin Ontong, Wayne Parnell, Robin Pietersen, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

A couple of unusual names in the squad, but still there is a lot of talent there. Albie Morkel, De Villiers and Amla can be destructive with the bat. Richard Levi, who hit a T20 century earlier this year can also add to the batting. Dale Steyn will lead the South African attack with support from Morne Morkel and the spinners, Petersen and Botha. 

My Prediction: Super Eight Stage/Semi Finals

Form Guide: LWWWW

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka are always a threat, but this tournament takes place in there own backyard, increasing their chances. They have lots of potential in their team and if everybody manages to deliver, they are near invincible. 


Squad:  Mahela Jayawardena (captain), Dinesh Chandimal, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Akila Dananjaya, Shaminda Eranga, Rangana Herath, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Angelo Mathews, Ajantha Mendis, Jeewan Mendis, Dilshan Munaweera, Thisara Perera, Kumar Sangakkara, Lahiru Thirimanna.

If Jayawardena, Dilshan and Sangakkara manage to get going, Sri Lanka could post formidable totals of 200+, especially at home, with the crowd behind their backs. Their bowling could back them as well with the likes of Lasith Malinga and Ajantha Mendis takeing wickets regularly.  

My Prediction: Semi Finals

Form Guide: LLWLW

West Indies

A dominant side on paper and side that should not be underestimated. West Indies have shown potential in recent years, especially in the 2009 T20 world cup, when they knocked out Australia in the "group of death." They then went on to be knocked out in the semi finals, picking up wins against England and India, before losing to Sri Lanka. 

Squad:  Darren Sammy (captain), Dwayne Bravo, Samuel Badree, Darren Bravo, Johnson Charles, Fidel Edwards, Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Smith.

West Indies are full of superstars, but no doubt the first name is Chris Gayle. If he gets going, there is no stopping him. An exceptional IPL 2012, followed by a very good series against New Zealand. He is WI's key man. Other batsmen like Kieron Pollard are a threat as weall as Dwayne Bravo and Dwayne Smith. Sunil Narine, with IPL experience, will cause a threat on pitches that are similar to those in India. 

My Prediction: Super Eight Stage, possible Semi Finalists

Form Guide: WWLWL

Zimbabwe

Practically nobody would consider Zimbabwe to cause something spectacular, especially considering they are drawn in the same group as the hosts, Sri Lanka, and a dominant and confident South African side. However, they did manage to beat South Africa earlier this year, so you never know. 

Squad: Brendan Taylor (captain), Elton Chigumbura, Graeme Cremer, Craig Ervine, Kyle Jarvis, Hamilton Masakadza, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Chris Mpofu, Forster Mutizwa, Richard Muzhange, Ray Price, Vusi Sibanda, Prosper Utseya, Brian Vitori, Malcolm Waller.

Brendan Taylor is a fine player and is the key man for Zimbabwe if they are looking to be a threat. Chris Mpofu and Ray Price will also be key with the ball. 

My Prediction: Group Stage

Form Guide: LLLLL


In my opinion, it could be the most open T20 World Cup yet, as there is no stand out team. If England had Kevin Pietersen, I would say that they have the best chance (yes thats biased), but they do not. India's squad looks very strong, but they recently slipped up against New Zealand and failed to defend 185 in their warm up game against Pakistan,  showing that they are vulnerable. Lots of people talk about West Indies with the likes of Gayle, Pollard and Bravo and they are a threat, but the bowling of West Indies is quite weak. I also think Pakistan have an excellent chance and with their victory over India in the warm up match, their confidence is booming. Sri Lanka, also have a very good chance, especially as they are the hosts. They'll know conditions well and they certainly have the players to deliver. South Africa are a team that you expect to do well, but often do not deliver at the major tournaments. In the ODI world cup last year, they shockingly lost to New Zealand and not to mention again they're collapse against England. It will be interesting to see how they go. 
I really cannot pick a winner this time around, but I am quite certain that it will be a cracking tournament.