Posted on April 28, 2010 | Category: Twenty20
Pakistan
Form Guide: WLLWW
Last World T20: Champions
Squad:
Shahid Afridi (capt), Salman Butt, Mohammad Hafeez, Khalid Latif, Misbah-ul-Haq, Fawad Alam, Umar Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Yasir Arafat, Hammad Azam, Kamran Akmal, Umar Gul, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Aamer, Saeed Ajmal.
Nims Predicts:
Backbiting, infighting, cliques and match fixing suspicion would normally tear apart other teams. But this is Pakistan we’re talking about where it’s all par for the course. Sure they might be the reigning champions but Pakistan’s ability to spontaneously destroy itself and their incredibly horrendous fielding will be their downfall, especially in a format where every run and dot ball is vital.
Freemo Predicts
Shahid Afridi’s ascension to the captaincy should restore some bite to this Pakistan side, figuratively and literally, if you know what I mean (if you don’t, I’m referring to Afridi gnawing at the ball in Perth last season). With a second and a first from the two World Twenty20s so far, they’re not to be underestimated. Early wins will see them band together, early losses will see they come apart. Could go either way.
Australia
Form Guide (Last 12 months, most recent first): LWWWW
Last World T20: Eliminated Group Stage
Squad:
Michael Clarke (capt), Cameron White (vice-capt), David Warner, Shane Watson, David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Tim Paine, Steven Smith, Daniel Christian, Brad Haddin (wk), Brett Lee, Dirk Nannes, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Hauritz, Shaun Tait.
Nims Predicts
After their embarrassing exit in the group stage at the last World T20, Cricket Australia has knuckled down and actually chosen a squad of Twenty20 specialists. Some of the young stars of the Big Bash like Steven Smith and Daniel Christian are thrown into the mix with the T20I veterans like Cameron White and Shane Watson. With this squad Australia should be disappointed to not bring home the title.
Freemo Predicts
Late to catch on to Twenty20, as losses against the West Indies last year, and Zimbabwe in 2007 will attest, but have now finally realised that a T20 match isn’t just a shortened 50 over match, and there’s no mid-inning consolidation period where you can hide your crappy part-time bowlers, and they’ve added some actual T20 players to the mix. They should be good to go now. They’re also taking four quicks so let’s hope there’s something in the pitches. Likely Champions.
Bangladesh
Form Guide: LLLL
Last World T20: Eliminated Group Stage
Squad:
Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Mushfiqur Rahim (vice-capt/wk), Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Mohammad Ashraful, Aftab Ahmed, Mahmudullah, Naeem Islam, Mashrafe Mortaza, Abdur Razzak, Shafiul Islam, Rubel Hossain, Syed Rasel, Suhrawadi Shuvo, Jahurul Islam (wk)
Nims Predicts:
By definition, Group A is the “Group Of Death” as there’s no associates in it but really, Australia should count themselves lucky they bowed out in 2009 and landed here cause lets face it, Bangladesh have no hope of making it into the Super Eights. Sorry Jamie Siddons but T20 or not, your team is rubbish.
Freemo Predicts:
Bit unlucky to be drawn in a group with last year’s champs and this year’s (probable) champs, quite frankly. They might have given themselves half a chance in, say, Group D (though they’d have probably been the only ones to do so). With this side, nothing can happen, and it usually does. Early causalities.
Sri Lanka
Form Guide: LWLLL
Last World T20: Runner Up
Squad:
Kumar Sangakkara (capt), Muttiah Muralitharan (vice-capt), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Thissara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekera, Suraj Randiv, Ajantha Mendis, Lasith Malinga, Chanaka Welagedara, Chamara Kapugedara, Sanath Jayasuriya, Chinthaka Jayasinghe.
Nims Predicts
Since losing to Pakistan in the World Twenty20 final last year Sri Lanka’s fortunes have taken a sharp nose dive. Commonplace amongst all explosive Sri Lankan openers, Tillakaratne Dilshan seems to have been extensively schooled by Sanath Jayasuriya in how to lose form and aside from Malinga the bowling stocks are made up of more containers than a Tupperware party. Hopeful Semi Finalists.
Freemo Predicts
Unlike Nims, I like this bowling attack. In ODI cricket, taking wickets is the best way to keep the runs down, but in T20 cricket, keeping the runs down is the best way to take wickets. A few dot balls and the batsmen get antsy. Expect to see the entire bag of M&M – Malinga, Matthews, Murli and Mendis – at the top of the wickets tally this season. True, the batting line-up somehow manages to look both very impressive and very unimpressive at the same time, but if Dishan finds some touch they should make the semis.
New Zealand
Form Guide: WLWLL
Last T20 World Cup: Eliminated Super Eight Stage
Squad:
Daniel Vettori (capt), Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum, Jesse Ryder, Martin Guptill, Scott Styris, Aaron Redmond, Jacob Oram, Gareth Hopkins (wk), Rob Nicol, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Tim Southee, Shane Bond, Ian Butler.
Nims Predicts
if everyone can stay in form and not get injured New Zealand might just have a chance. Tim Southee’s T20 performances against Australia earlier in the year show that he’s a bowler that can take wickets as well as keeping the run rate down. If Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor can build on their IPL form New Zealand might be in it with a chance. A crappy start though could undo everything.
Freemo Predicts
Vettori’s the best T20 bowler in the world for mine, though the captain still remains the team’s only consistent performer. True, they have some genuine hitters in Taylor, McCullum and Oram, but they tend to either all succeed together, or all fail together. A team that will either make 6/210 (Taylor 88, McCullum 42, Vettori 35*) or be All Out for 86 (Vettori 35*). This band of scrappers will forever be one or two players short of being a top side, but they’ll always be in the hunt. The New Zealand v Sri Lanka group match will be very telling, for both sides.
Zimbabwe
Form Guide: W
Last T20 World Cup: 2007
Squad:
Prosper Utseya (capt), Brendan Taylor, Charles Coventry, Andy Blignaut, Hamilton Masakadza, Tatenda Taibu (wk), Greg Lamb, Elton Chigumbura, Vusi Sibanda, Ray Price, Graeme Cremer, Chamu Chibhabha, Chris Mpofu, Timycen Maruma, Craig Ervine
Nims Predicts
Yes that’s a win in their form guide and it was against a “full strength” West Indies so take that Bangladesh. Look for them to upset Sri Lanka in Match 7.
Freemo Predicts
Nice to see Zimbabwe getting some regular non-Bangladesh cricket again. They even have a have an ODI Tri Series against (yes, you guessed it) India and (yes, you guessed it) Sri Lanka after this. As such, they’ve been combing the entire country in search of some quick bowlers, looking under every rock and in every burnt-down farm, and have managed to unearth two time discard Andy Blignaut for their efforts. Are things finally looking up?
South Africa
Form Guide: WLLWW
Last T20 World Cup: Semi-Finalist
Squad:
Graeme Smith (capt), Jacques Kallis (vice-capt), Loots Bosman, Johan Botha, Mark Boucher (wk), AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Herschelle Gibbs, Rory Kleinveldt, Charl Langeveldt, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Dale Steyn, Juan Theron, Roelof van der Merwe.
Nims Predicts
Oh South Africa. Always a invited guest, never a bridesmaid. Last years T20 World Cup should have been a Sri Lanka v South Africa in a clash of unbeaten titans that leaves me very happy despite the outcome. I’ve said it numerous times but on paper South Africa are the best team going round. However post 2008 South Africa is a completely different team. They’ll make it to the Super Eights before choking once again.
Freemo Predicts
Impressive squad, but most of them are either out of touch or haven’t been playing at all, with only Steyn and Kallis boasting any kind of form coming in. Light on T20 specialists, this is mostly a Test and ODI line-up. In theory, a Smith/Gibbs opening combo is a better idea in theory than in practice, but in practice, maybe it could work. Give Gibbs room to go for it and let Smith hang back and hold the innings together. How long they’ll progress in the tournament depends on how long it is until they have to play Australia.
India
Form Guide: WLLLL
Last T20 World Cup: Elimated Super Eight Stage
Squad:
MS Dhoni (capt & wk), Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Dinesh Karthik, Ravindra Jadeja, Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar, Ashish Nehra, Harbhajan Singh, Piyush Chawla, Vinay Kumar, Rohit Sharma
Nims Predicts
Viru’s out of the tournament with an injury so Gambhir will be like a lost child at the top of the order. Some relatively new faces in the lineup with Sreesanth and Ishant Sharma not making it into the lineup. Dhoni is a proven leader though and if he leads from the front then India will do well. Plus with their abysmal performance last year they’ll be keen to make sure that they at least reach the semis.
Freemo Predicts
I still think this India side lacks flexibility. Where are the all-rounders? Where’s the “safety-net” middle order? What are they going to do when things go wrong? There’s no Plan B here. Hell, now with Virender Sehwag out, there’s not much of a Plan A either. One of either Yuvaj Signh or Yusuf Pathan is going to have to fire. Explosive players on their day, both of them, just a shame that it doesn’t seem to be their day very often.
Afghanistan
Form Guide: LLWWW
Global Tournament Debut
Squad:
Nawroz Mangal (captain), Mohammad Nabi, Karim Sadiq, Mirwais Ashraf, Rais Ahmadzai, Dawlat Ahmadzai, Mohammad Shahzad, Hamid Hassan, Samiullah Shinwari, Noor Ali, Asghar Stanikzai, Shahpoor Zadran, Shabir Noori, Sayed Nasrat, Shafiq Shafaq.
Nims Predicts
It seems like the Afghans can do no wrong (cricket wise at least). It’s a nice feelgood moment but really the only talking point about Afghanistan is that they’re from Afghanistan and don’t fight against everything we believe in.
Freemo Predicts
The Next Big Thing to come out from the cesspool of Associates Nations. Will they stick around and become a regular fixture, or will they drop back down like so many before them, never to be seen again? Time will tell.
West Indies
Form Guide: LLLWL
Last T20 World Cup: Semi-Finalist
Squad:
Chris Gayle (capt), Sulieman Benn, Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Andre Fletcher, Wavell Hinds, Nikita Miller, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Darren Sammy, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Jerome Taylor
Nims Predicts
Since their World T20 semi final exit last year at the hands of Sri Lanka things have not gone well for the West Indies. Maybe you can say that their poor form was due to injuries taking out stars like Bravo and Chanderpaul. Sharing a group with England and Ireland gives them a 50/50 chance of making the Super Eights.
Freemo Predicts
Since the tournament is at home, most of the Windies’ top players have actually decided to show up for once. Dwayne “Take a Bow” Bravo? Check. Chris “Epic Fayle” Gayle? Check. Kemar “Cock” Roach? Check. There’s actually some talent in this side and if they start well they could be the surprise of the tournament. Potential Semi-Finalists.
England
Form Guide: LWLWNR
Last T20 World Cup: Eliminated Super Eights
Squad:
Paul Collingwood (capt), James Anderson, Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Craig Kieswetter, Michael Lumb, Eoin Morgan, Kevin Pietersen, Ajmal Shahzad, Ryan Sidebottom, Graeme Swann, James Tredwell, Luke Wright, Michael Yardy.
Nims Predicts
I have no idea how England will fare this year. Just looking at their form guide sums up how hard it is to predict, with a convincing victory in one game followed by a humiliating defeat in the next time after time just makes you wonder where in the cycle the next match will be. Either they’ll exit the tourney in the first round or be runners up to Australia in the final.
Freemo Predicts
If cricket teams were films, England would go Direct to Video. Very few big names, low production values, short on thrills, by-the-numbers plotting, predictable outcome, and Kevin Pietersen as Christopher Walken. Being in the Group of Life will give them brief delusions of adequacy, but they’ll struggle to win a game when they come up against the better sides. Super Eight Casualties.
Ireland
Form Guide: LWWLL
Last T20 World Cup: Eliminated Super Eights
Squad:
William Porterfield (capt), Peter Connell, Alex Cusack, George Dockrell, Trent Johnston, Nigel Jones, Gary Kidd, John Mooney, Kevin O’Brien, Niall O’Brien, Boyd Rankin, Paul Stirling, Andrew White, Gary Wilson
Nims Predicts
Once the pride of the associate nations, these days Ireland play second fiddle to Afghanistan in all three forms of the game and sadly for them, a first round exit is pretty much the only thing on the cards especially after they were skittled for 90 in a recent warm up game against Trinidad & Tobago.
Freemo Predicts
Arrived in the West Indies a couple of weeks early and seem keen for a big tournament. Looking to strengthen their claim for Test Status and some competitive performances and another Super Eights berth won’t hurt. A victory against either England or the West Indies will be an upset, but not a fluke.
» Filed Under Twenty20
