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
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| Can England retain their title? |
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
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
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 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
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
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 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 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
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
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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