Sports
India, Pakistan headline exhilarating neighbourhood showdown
Two traditional rivals will face off in a crucial group at the T20 World Cup, while two further neighbours are joined by a talented European side.
Group A preview:
The Asian rivals will face still competition from co-hosts USA, Canada and Ireland in Group A of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 is just around the corner as 20 teams battle it out for the most coveted title in T20I cricket.
In Group A, a pair of neighbours – India and Pakistan along with the USA and Canada – will be joined by Ireland.
India
India enter the T20 World Cup with a burning desire to shatter their streak of near misses in world events, having come agonisingly close in recent tournaments only to falter at the final hurdle.
With a formidable squad at full strength, India now stands poised to reclaim the elusive title they last clinched in the inaugural edition back in 2007.
Under the seasoned leadership of Rohit Sharma, who embarks on his second stint as captain in the T20 World Cup, the team boasts a formidable top-order line-up featuring the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav.
Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson are currently in scintillating form, presenting a pleasant dilemma for Rohit and the team management in selecting the wicket-keeper for the World Cup campaign.
India’s all-round prowess is further bolstered by the likes of Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Shivam Dube, providing depth and versatility to the squad. The bowling department boasts formidable talent with the presence of Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav and others, ensuring a well-rounded line-up.
India take on Ireland in their tournament opener on 5 June before the focus shifts to the epic clash against Pakistan on 9 June in New York.
Squad
Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
Fixtures
vs Ireland – Wed, 5 June 2024, New York, 10:30 AM local time
vs Pakistan – Sun, 9 June 2024, New York, 10:30 AM local time
vs USA – Wed, 12 June 2024, New York, 10:30 AM local time
vs Canada – Sat, 15 June 2024, Florida, 10:30 AM local time
Key Player – Jasprit Bumrah
India will be bolstered by the return of Jasprit Bumrah, who was sidelined during the previous edition of the T20 World Cup in 2022 due to injury.
Since his comeback, Bumrah has reaffirmed his indispensable role in the team, showcasing his prowess with 20 wickets in 11 matches during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 held at home.
His T20 form has been sensational as well, picking up 20 wickets in 13 matches for the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League, despite the team struggling in the tournament.
Bumrah’s repertoire of skills knows no bounds, and in the unique conditions of the USA and the Windies, where India plays their group stage matches, his ability to vary his deliveries will prove instrumental.
Pakistan
Pakistan, much like their counterparts India, have been tantalisingly close to clinching an ICC trophy, having reached the semi-finals and final in the last two editions of the T20 World Cup.
With the disappointment of those near misses driving them, Babar Azam leads Pakistan into the upcoming tournament with a fervent desire to end their trophy drought.
Babar and Mohammad Rizwan have been linchpins of the Pakistan batting line-up for years and will be supported by Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman and Iftikhar Ahmed.
Pakistan have a variety of spin-bowling options in Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim and Abrar Ahmed to go with the abundance of riches in the pace bowling department.
Spearheaded by Shaheen Afridi, the team in green have an admirable pace battery with the presence of Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Amir and Abbas Afridi.
Pakistan take on co-hosts USA in their opening clash on 6 June before facing off against India in a much-awaited clash on 9 June.
Squad
Babar Azam (c), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan
Fixtures
vs USA – Thu, 6 June 2024, Texas, 10:30 AM local time
vs India – Sun, 9 June 2024, New York, 10:30 AM local time
vs Canada – Tue, 11 June 2024, New York, 10:30 AM local time
vs Ireland – Sun, 16 June 2024, Florida, 10:30 AM local time
Key Player – Babar Azam
Babar Azam has navigated through a turbulent period in recent months, beginning with Pakistan’s disappointing campaign in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, where they managed only four wins in nine games, leading to an early exit from the group stages.
He was since removed as captain and reinstated as well, tasked with the responsibility of leading Pakistan’s charge at the T20 World Cup under new leadership.
At the forefront of Pakistan’s batting line-up, Babar has been a consistent force, accumulating 3987 runs in 118 matches at an impressive average of 41.10 and a strike rate of 129.91. He has the experience of leading Pakistan in ICC events, taking the team to the semi-final and final in the last two editions under his leadership.
While scrutiny persists over his strike rate, Babar’s unwavering presence at the crease has often laid the groundwork for Pakistan’s successes in recent years, highlighting his importance to the team’s fortunes.
Ireland
For the eighth consecutive edition, Ireland have earned their spot at this year’s T20 World Cup, a testament to the nation’s evolving cricketing journey over the years.
Ireland will be under new leadership heading into the tournament, with veteran batter Paul Stirling taking over the reins of the team from Andrew Balbirnie, who had led the team in the last two editions.
The batting line-up revolves around the dynamic opening duo of the current and former captain, supported by the likes of Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ross Adair and Curtis Campher.
In the bowling department, Mark Adair and Josh Little headline the pace attack, complemented by Graham Hume, Campher, Barry McCarthy and Craig Young. Meanwhile, the spin duties are entrusted to the duo of Ben White and Gareth Delany, offering a balanced and varied bowling arsenal.
Ireland face a formidable challenge in their tournament opener against India on 5 June. However, a victory in this encounter could serve as a significant morale boost for the team, fueling their aspirations to progress beyond the group stage in the T20 World Cup for the first time in their history.
Squad
Paul Stirling (c), Mark Adair, Ross Adair, Andrew Balbirnie, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Graham Hume, Josh Little, Barry McCarthy, Neil Rock, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, Craig Young
Fixtures
vs India – Wed, 5 June 2024, New York, 10:30 AM local time
vs Canada – Fri, 7 June 2024, New York, 10:30 AM local time
vs USA – Fri, 14 June 2024, Florida, 10:30 AM local time
vs Pakistan – Sun, 16 June 2024, Florida, 10:30 AM local time
Key Player – Paul Stirling
A pillar of Ireland’s cricketing landscape, Paul Stirling assumes the leadership reins for the first time in an ICC event, marking a significant milestone in his already illustrious career.
Since his T20I debut in 2009, the 33-year-old has been a dynamic force at the top of the order, amassing 3589 runs in 142 matches at an impressive average of 27.60, with a striking rate of 135.43.
Stirling stands as Ireland’s leading run-scorer in T20Is, being the sole player from his country to surpass the 3000-run milestone in the shortest format.
His formidable partnership with Balbirnie has been instrumental in Ireland’s success, with Stirling’s explosive batting prowess setting the tone at the outset. As Ireland’s key player, his performances at the top order will play a pivotal role in the team’s quest for success in the T20 World Cup.
USA
USA embarks on a historic journey as they make their debut appearance at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, earning their spot as co-hosts of the tournament.
This marks their first foray into a major men’s ICC event since 2004 when they competed in the group stages of the Champions Trophy.
Monank Patel will lead USA’s charge in their historic campaign and will be a key part of their batting line-up along with Aaron Jones and Steven Taylor.
The inclusion of former New Zealand international Corey Anderson adds depth and experience to the middle order, further strengthening USA’s batting prowess.
The return of Ali Khan provides a significant boost to USA’s bowling attack, with support from Saurabh Netravalkar and Milind Kumar.
USA commence their T20 World Cup campaign against neighbours Canada on 1 June, aiming to set the stage for a successful tournament with a victory in the opening match.
Squad
Monank Patel (c), Aaron Jones, Andries Gous, Corey Anderson, Ali Khan, Harmeet Singh, Jessy Singh, Milind Kumar, Nisarg Patel, Nitish Kumar, Noshtush Kenjige, Saurabh Nethralvakar, Shadley Van Schalkwyk, Steven Taylor, Shayan Jahangir
Fixtures
vs Canada – Sat, 1 June 2024, Dallas, 7:30 PM local time
vs Pakistan – Thu, 6 June 2024, Texas, 10:30 AM local time
vs India – Wed, 12 June 2024, New York, 10:30 AM local time
vs Ireland – Fri, 14 June 2024, Florida, 10:30 AM local time
Key Player – Ali Khan
USA will be elated with the return of Ali Khan, who missed the recent five-match T20I series against Canada due to injury.
Khan has been a globetrotter in the franchise T20 circuit, playing in the Caribbean Premier League and Pakistan Super League. He burst onto the scene in the USA in late 2015 and shot to fame in 2016, picking up the wicket of Kumar Sangakkara off the very first ball he bowled for Guyana Amazon Warriors in the CPL.
Despite a career hampered by injuries, Khan has showcased his talent in the limited opportunities he’s had in T20Is for USA, claiming nine wickets at an impressive economy rate of 7.69 in just eight matches.
Armed with a lethal yorker, Khan now finds himself with a golden opportunity to make his mark on the international stage at the T20 World Cup, hosted in his home country, where he can showcase his prowess to the world.
Canada
Like USA, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 will mark the maiden appearance of Canada at the showpiece event.
However, Canada are no strangers to the big stage, having previously played the 50-over World Cup first in 1979 and then on three consecutive occasions in 2003, 2007 and 2011.
The veteran Saad Bin Zafar will captain Canada at the upcoming tournament in a side filled with experienced players, with only four players under the age of 30.
Uncapped batter Kanwarpal Tathgur, who has only played six List-A games, was a surprise inclusion in the team. Additionally, the return of pacer Jeremy Gordon and seasoned 39-year-old all-rounder Junaid Siddiqui further bolsters Canada’s squad depth.
Canada commence their T20 World Cup campaign on 1 June against co-hosts USA in Dallas, marking the beginning of their quest for success on the global stage.
Squad
Saad Bin Zafar (c), Aaron Johnson, Ravinderpal Singh, Navneet Dhaliwal, Kaleem Sana, Dilon Heyliger, Jeremy Gordon, Nikhil Dutta, Pargat Singh, Nicholas Kirton, Rayyankhan Pathan, Junaid Siddiqui, Dilpreet Bajwa, Shreyas Movva, Rishiv Joshi
Fixtures
vs USA – Sat, 1 June 2024, Dallas, 7:30 PM local time
vs Ireland – Fri, 7 June 2024, New York, 10:30 AM local time
vs Pakistan – Tue, 11 June 2024, New York, 10:30 AM local time
vs India – Sat, 15 June 2024, Florida, 10:30 AM local time
Key Player – Saad Bin Zafar
Saad Bin Zafar stands as the cornerstone of Canada’s campaign at the upcoming T20 World Cup, shouldering multiple responsibilities as captain, batter and bowler.
The second-most capped T20I player in the country, Saad brings with him a wealth of experience that would serve Canada greatly on the big stage.
A left-arm spinner by trait, Saad is the leading wicket-taker for Canada in T20Is with 43 scalps to his name. He is also quite handy with the bat, having scored 272 runs in 19 innings at an average of 22.66 at a strike rate of 133.99.
For Canada to have a memorable T20 World Cup debut, they will want Saad Bin Zafar to be firing on all cylinders at the upcoming tournament.
(ICC)
The first truly heavyweight clash of this expanded T20 World Cup format comes freighted with both history and subplots. A rematch of the 2010 World T20 final at Kensington Oval, the match pits Jos Buttler’s defending champions – who are aiming to become the first team to retain the trophy – against the Australian winning machine, victors at the 2021 edition and current world title-holders in Test and ODI cricket. And that’s before you throw in the Ashes for afters.
Already there is added pressure on England, after the rain in Bridgetown led to a share of the points in their opener against Scotland (and that having conceded 90 runs from 10 overs without taking a wicket in a tepid bowling display). Lose to their oldest rivals and it will leave their Super 8 prospects open to being waylaid by the perils of net run-rate calculations, or worse.
The Scotland match was the third abandonment in five suffered by England, after a rain-affected home series against Pakistan, which has clearly hampered their readiness for this campaign after almost six months without playing T20 together. It does not take much for a side to click in this format – and England looked in decent shape when they did get on the field against Pakistan – but Buttler will be anxious for things to go their way on Saturday, if only to avoid further questions referencing the team’s disastrous ODI World Cup defence last year.
Australia, under the laidback leadership of Mitchell Marsh would love nothing more than to add to the English sense of jeopardy – having helped bundle them out of the tournament in India on the way to taking the crown. Their head to head record is less impressive in T20 however, with England having won six of the last seven completed encounters, as well as that 2010 final.
Despite a wobble with the bat, Australia avoided mishap against Oman earlier in the week, the experience of David Warner and Marcus Stoinis shining through in difficult batting conditions. Surfaces in the Caribbean – not to mention those games staged in the USA – have already had teams scratching their heads; rather than the “slug-fest” England had prepared for, following a high-scoring tour of the Caribbean in December, it looks as if boxing smart may be the way to go.
Speaking of Warner, this could be the last time he faces up against England in national colours – and another match-winning contribution would likely reduce the chances of them meeting again in the knockouts. On the other side of the card is Jofra Archer, fresh from an emotional maiden outing at Kensington Oval and ready to take on Australia for the first time in any format since 2020. Can Mark Wood fire up England’s campaign, as he did during last summer’s Ashes? Will Pat Cummins be back to harass the old enemy once again? Seconds out, it’s almost time to rumble.
Cummins is set to return after being rested for the Oman game, which saw Mitchell Starc leave the field with cramp. Starc is understood to be fine and could keep his place – which would likely see Nathan Ellis miss out. Marsh is still not fit to bowl, with Australia likely to continue with the allrounder combination of Stoinis and Maxwell to give them cover.
Australia (probable XI): David Warner, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (capt), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Josh Inglis (wk), Tim David, Pat Cummins, Nathan Ellis/Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
The one change England may consider is Reece Topley coming in for Wood, with the expectation that there will be some rotation among the seamers through the course of the tournament.
England (probable XI): Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (capt & wk), Will Jacks, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Chris Jordan, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley/Mark Wood
[Cricinfo]
Once is coincidence, twice is a clue, and three times is proof.
To paraphrase Agatha Christie, that is the narrative around South Africa’s meeting with Netherlands at this T20 World Cup.
The Dutch beat South Africa at the 2022 tournament and ended their semi-final hopes in a match where South Africa appeared to be sleep walking, and then beat them again at the 2023 ODI World Cup, where they exposed South Africa’s vulnerability in the chase. If they to do the treble, not only will Netherlands take the lead in Group D, but they will offer conclusive evidence of the threat they pose to Full Members, especially South Africa.
Of course, it will take some doing after South Africa’s opening performance against Sri Lanka, where they reduced their opposition to their lowest T20I total and chased it down in fairly straightforward fashion thanks to the most stable middle-order of their white-ball era. In Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller, South Africa have bankers and big-hitters and, for this match, they also have the advantage of experience. They’ve already played at Eisenhower Park, and have first-hand knowledge that run-scoring doesn’t come easily;Klassen said they are prepared to use their “cricket brains” and play “smarter cricket”.
But the conditions could be good news for Netherlands, who are not naturally a line-up of big hitters and build their innings on a foundation of turning ones into twos. In other words, they tend to take a slightly more conservative approach to batting, which may work well here, but they’ll be wary of the uneven bounce of the surface and will have to come up with plans to counterattack especially against South Africa’s seamers. Their own bowlers were exemplary in Dallas and will look to build on that performance against a line-up that will likely be more proactive than Nepal’s, but who they have managed to keep quiet not once, but twice in the past. Third time’s the charm, they say.
Anrich Nortje’s stunning return to form against Sri Lanka means South Africa may not have to tinker with the bowling combination, and Gerald Coetzee and Tabraiz Shamsi may have to wait their turns to get a game. The batting line-up should be unchanged, with no space for Ryan Rickelton yet.
South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markam, Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Ottneil Baartman, Anrich Nortje
Conditions in New York may tempt Netherlands to include an extra seamer and they have Kyle Klein in their squad. But it could come at the expense of a shortened batting line-up and they may not want to risk that.
Netherlands: Michael Levitt, Max O’Dowd, Vikramjit Singh, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Scott Edwards (capt, wk), Bas de Leede, Teja Nidamanuru, Logan van Beek, Tim Pringle, Paul van Meekeren, Vivian Kingma
[Cricinfo]
Nuwan Thushara’s last over brought Sri Lanka screaming back into the match,as he first bowled Rishad Hossain, and then nailed Taskin Ahmed in front of the stumps with a pinpoint swinging yorker. This left Bangladesh eight wickets down, with 12 runs still to get.
However, the experienced Mahmudullah was at the crease for Bangladesh, and despite some further nervy moments, pushed Bangladesh across the line off the last ball of the 19th over.
But this was a match chiefly decided by Bangladesh’s own outstanding bowling. Mustafizur Rahman was the best among them, using shorter lengths and his cutters efficiently, to claim figures of 3 for 17. Rishad Hossain’s three-for through the middle overs also kept Sri Lanka quiet.
Mustafizur was instrumental in Sri Lanka’s downward spiral through the middle overs, which culminated in a crash-and-burn end. Ultimately, their inability to find boundaries, or even rotate strike against good Bangladesh bowling resulted in their downfall. A score of 125 for 9 always seemed poor on a decent pitch, even if their bowlers made a match of it in the end.
Brief scores:
Bangladesh 125 for 8 in 19 overs (Towhid Hridoy 40, Litton Das 36; Dhanajaya de Silva 1-11, Nuwan Thushara 4-18, Wanidu Hasaranga 2-32, Matheesha Pathirana 1-27) beat Sri Lanka124 for 9 in 20 overs (Pathum Nissanka 47, Dhananjaya de Silva 21; Tanzim Hasan Sakib 1-24, Taskin Ahmed 2-25, Mustafizur Rahman 3-17, Rishad Hossain 3-22) by two wickets
[Cricinfo]
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