Top Highlights of the ICC World T-20, 2009 by Vivek Atray

Here are the top ten highlights from the just concluded ICC World Twenty 20 Cup, an event that somewhat altered the manner in which T20 cricket is likely to be played in future. Bowlers felt more at home and fielders sparkled but in the end it still remains a batsman’s game.
1. Pakistani resurgence- The Pakistan side came into the World Cup totally under prepared and short of international match practice. A heavy defeat by arch-rivals India in a practice match must have dented their confidence a great deal, and renewed memories of the heart-breaking loss to India in the 2007 final. But despite some hiccups in early matches, they went from strength to strength with Shahid Afridi not only mesmerizing opposing batsmen with his accurate leg spinners but also exploding with the bat when it really mattered- in the final and the semi final. Umar Gul and the rediscovered Abdul Razzak formed a potent pace attack, and Saeed Ajmal proved to be an exciting new spinner.
2. Lankan brilliance- Sri Lanka looked the most balanced side in the tournament and played some dazzling cricket, with Tilakratne Dilshan looking simply superb at the top of the order. They lost early wickets in the final and though skipper Kumar Sangakarra kept his composure to help put up a fighting score on the board, they simply did not have enough runs on the board. Till then they had not lost a single match and and their 4 Ms- Malinga, Muralidharan, Mendis and Matthews had bowled brilliantly. Sangakarra led the side as if he had been doing it all his life and in batting he and Dilshan were well supported by Jayasuriya and Jayawardene.
3. South Africa choke again- They might deny it over and over again, but the fact remains that until they win a World Cup, they will always be known as the best team never to do so! The South Africans were on song and looked really formidable against all opposition until they were defeated by the eventual champions, Pakistan. AB Devilliers has declared that he wants to be the best in the world and he was in awesome touch just as he was in the IPL, but he fell cheaply when it really mattered- in the semis. Jacques Kallis too showed his class and seems to have blended his game beautifully to this shortest of formats. Wayne Parnell looks a good prospect for them in the pace department.
4. Windy Windies- One never could be sure whether the West Indies would blow hot or cold in the event. Their annihilation of Australia on the very first day was magnificent, and Chris Gayle’s batting was a sight to behold. They found some new hopes in Lendl Simmons and Xavier Marshall, and shocked India too, along the way, but they still lack depth in their batting and bowling to be world champions in this era. They would have to find players of caliber to replace the classy Shivnaraine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan sooner than later.
5. Chin music for India- One used to hear about Indian batsmen being a bit scared when facing up to really quick bowling, but that was in the pre-helmet days. Even at that time, Sunil Gavaskar, Gundappa Vishwanath and Mohinder Amarnath took on the fastest bowlers with guts and class. At Lords against England and earlier against the Windies in their crucial super league matches, India just could not find answers to deliveries that were aimed at their chins. The need to score quickly while negotiating bouncers bowled at over 90 miles and hour was too much for them to handle. Defending champions India let the Cup slip too easily from their grasp, and Dhoni’s men would look to come back with a vengeance in next year’s Cup.
6. The Australians were at their poorest- Never before had an Australian team exited a major cricketing event as quietly and quickly as this one did. The whole world knows that they are not the force they were a few years back, and that they have lost players like Gilchrist, Hayden, McGrath and Warne in the recent past, but no one expected them to capitulate as easily as they did. Skipper Ricky Ponting admitted that they haven’t got the hang of the T-20 format yet, and that other teams have adapted much better. The Aussies had better pull up their socks very soon, for T-20 is likely to be more and more prolific on the cricketing calendar in the years to come.
7. Reluctant Hosts- The event was hosted admirably by the English Cricket Board, but their team was almost reluctant to win matches. They lost to the Dutch and to the West Indians in matches that they should have won. The Dutch could not believe their luck as England wasted several chances to run their batsmen out, and were generally butter-fingered in the field. Their win against India was their finest hour, for they played in front of a crowd that was predominantly Indian, and even booed them- at Lords of all places! Ravi Bopara looked their best batsman, while their star Kevin Pieterson looked moody at best. Skipper Paul Collingwood batted too low in the order, and their bowlers were on song only against India.
8. The “Dilshan”- Everyone who has played a bit of cricket knows that it is virtually impossible to hit yorker length balls over the wicket-keeper’s head for 4 or 6 runs, but Tilakratne Dilshan did that with astonishing regularity in this tournament. He batted like a true champion at the top of the order and took the Lankans to win after win, before running out of steam in the final. Dilshan was deservedly declared the man of the series.
9. Captain Cool- The new Captain cool is Younis Khan who led his side with grit and determination, without ever looking hassled and allowed himself a smile only when it was all over- the Cup was Pskistan’s! He batted well too, and in most matches marshaled the middle order brilliantly to take his team to seemingly improbable targets.
10. Unpredictability- If any expert claims that he can predict the outcome of even half the matches played in the T-20 format, he is talking through his hat. There is very little to choose among international sides and the shortest format allows no breathing space for the side that has a bad day. Any team can lose to any other, and in this tournament fancied sides lost match after match.
Vivek Atray is a freelance cricket writer.
vivek.atray@gmail.com

The Indians need to guard against complacency. By Vivek Atray

The Indian cricket team needs to watch out for an unfamiliar enemy in the ICC T-20 World Cup- complacency. They have never before entered a World Cup as clear favourites. Not even in 1987 when they were the defending champions and ultimately lost in the Semis at Mumbai to the Englishmen. In fact the Indian team looks much stronger than in 2007 when they emerged champions, but had some modest players in their ranks.
On paper they look awesome this time, with a batting line up that reads- Sehwag, Gambhir, Raina, Yuvraj, Dhoni, Rohit, Pathan and Pathan. No other team, not even Australia or South Africa, can boast of such batting firepower in this World Cup. Each of India’s top eight batsmen has the ability to clear the field by some distance, the only question being who hits the longest sixes. In that department, Yusuf Pathan is probably the winner, closely followed by Sehwag, Raina, Dhoni and Yuvraj, in no particular order!
India’s bowling looks robust too, with RP Singh having grabbed the Purple Cap in the just concluded IPL, and also having bowled the maximum number of dot-balls in that tournament. Irfan Pathan bowled superbly in the IPL too, and picked up a bagful of wickets, though he tended to go for quite a few runs in his opening spells. Ishant Sharma bowled well in the warm-up game against the Kiwis and though India lost that match by 9 runs, they can take heart from the form of their spinners too- Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha were quite impressive. If Zaheer Khan is fit, then India’s bowling would test the very best. They also have an embarrassment of riches in the batting-allrounders department, with Yusuf Pathan, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Virender Sehwag and Rohit Sharma all proving to be capable spinners of the ball.
Their fielding looks impressive too, with only a few of the bowlers being somewhat slow in the outfield. Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina are absolute dynamite in the inner circle. During practice the Indians need to focus on getting a few direct hits for these often result in run-outs that could clinch some close matches. India’s running between the wickets has never looked as energetic as is does with this young team.
While the Indians garnered invaluable practice during the IPL, top players of teams like New Zealand, Sri Lanka and South Africa benefitted immensely from the event too. In fact the South Africans are second-favourites given their all round skills and the form that their batsmen are in. Their fielding is still the world’s best, even though the Kiwis and the Aussies run them close in that area. The experience of Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher and Graeme Smith coupled with the firepower of Dale Steyn and Albie Morkel makes them a formidable line up.
The Australians are probably next in the list of likely winners. They can never be counted
out as potential champions and have the ability to raise their game in World Cups. Ricky
Ponting still has a point or two to prove in this format, while Michael Hussey and his
brother David, along with Michael Clarke and Andrew Symonds lend them some real
class in the middle order. Their retired openers Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist, the
two top run-getters of IPL 2009, would have been invaluable assets to them had they
been coaxed into playing this event!
Sri Lanka are next, and have in Mahela Jayawardene, skipper Kumar Sangakarra and old
war horse Sanath Jayasuriya, three of the most attacking batsmen in world cricket. The
bowling looks a little suspect though, despite the presence of the slingy Lasith Malinga
and the ever potent Muthiah Muralidharan in their ranks. They have to watch out against
giving away too many runs off their lesser bowlers.
New Zealand could well be the dark horse of ICC World T-20 2009. They have always
been under estimated by opposing teams and the media at major cricketing events. In
Ross Taylor they have one of the finest batsmen in the world today. Brendon McCullum,
Jesse Ryder and Jacob Oram add some serious hitting-power to their batting. Daniel
Vettori is not only a wily spinner but also a cool captain in the Anil Kumble mould.
Conditions in England are similar to their home conditions and they will come out with
all guns blazing, for sure.
England, Pakistan and the West Indies are still major cricketing powers. But all three
have a lot to prove in the shortest format of the game, on current form. Last time’s losing
finalists Pakistan are inhibited by lack of international exposure, of late. Their bowling
looks reasonably sharp but their stroke-players are suspect when the going gets really
tough.
England would enjoy home advantage but are missing Freddie Flintoff. Skipper Paul
Collingwood remains their best player in this format along with the mercurial Kevin
Pietersen. Their bowling is their strength, with some good seamers in the side, led by
Stuart Broad.
The Windies are looking below par too, as they go into the tournament. Despite having come off a Test and ODI series in England recently, and having an edge over other visiting teams in terms of the need to acclimatize to conditions, they would need some remarkable performances from Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo to be perceived as serious contenders for the title.
It is extremely difficult to predict anything that has to do with T-20 cricket. The very nature of the game is such that one big over can change the fortunes of teams either way.
Nevertheless, the T-20 World Cup in England would be won by the team that combines a large amount of flair with confident execution of plans, and also holds its catches.
Some nail-biting action is in store for sure. Watch this space!