The mega event of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 is all set to commence in October. Ahead of the start of the high-profile event, there have been rounds of discussions on the team balance and squads. The cricket experts and onlookers are all coming forward with their suggestions and predictions for the marquee event.
For a tournament like that of the World Cup, each team would be aiming to bring their ‘A’ game to the table. The selectors must have put their thinking hats on for choosing the best combination that will walk the field.
However, more often than not, the teams lack in some aspects that get counted as their weakness. In the tournament, where top teams will battle it out against each other, every side might aim to hit at the weakness of the other.
Here is a weakness of each team ahead of the T20 World Cup 2021:
1. England
When one thinks of a strong team to feature in the tournament, England is certainly the name that comes to the mind. They are currently ranked as the number one T20 team in the ICC rankings. England are one of the most balanced sides with a good mix of youngsters and experienced players. However, one thing that might bother the team is the lack of experience in the fast bowling unit.
To pinpoint the weakness of a strong side like England is a tough job. But the experience of the pacers on the side might cause them problems. Mark Wood, Sam Curran, David Willey comparatively lack the experience of playing in the ICC events, while Jofra Archer’s elbow injury has made him an unlikely participant.
In World Cup, there is pressure that often has the chances of affecting the performances of the players. Thus, England will have to make sure that their speedsters stood out for them in the crunch moments. If that doesn’t happen, it can backfire the team whilst some crucial matches.
2. India
India is termed as one of the favorites to lift the trophy. Team India is currently playing a five-match Test series against England. Post that the players will head to the UAE for the second leg of the Indian Premier League. Virat Kohli and his men are rated as one of the most competitive sides for the T20 World Cup.
However, the biggest concern for team India is the performances of their all-rounders. The team has some impactful all-rounders on the side but their current form is a worry for India. After recovering from his injury, Hardik Pandya hasn’t looked in his absolute best form. In the recently concluded T20I series against Sri Lanka, he registered a string of low scores.
Hardik Pandya’s bowling hasn’t been too impressive as well. Skipper Virat Kohli likes to have depth in the batting line-up. The presence of Pandya at number 7 or 8 provides assurance to the team. However, his current lean patch might hurt the Indian team. Ahead of the World Cup, Hardik Pandya has the opportunity to get back to his form in the IPL and it is for us to watch if he is able to shift his fortunes.
3. Australia
The Australian team has displayed their heroics across formats. But when it comes to the T20 World Cup, the team is yet to lift the trophy. The team reached the semifinals in 2012 as that remains their best performance in the marquee event.
This time around, Australia will look to punch above their weights to win their maiden T20 World Cup. One area where the team seems to lack behind is the middle order. Their batters haven’t shown enough discipline and consistency in the middle order and that can be a concern for the side. Wicketkeeper-batter Matthew wade has performed quite decent in the top order but with David Warner in the side, he will be pushed down where he hasn’t had a good time in the T20Is.
Marcus Stoinis has displayed his flair with both bat and ball but his consistency is still a factor to be considered. The team has a strong top-order but if there is a batting collapse, the batters down the order will be exposed. In that case, the middle order will have to step up for the team to make valuable contributions.
4. New Zealand
New Zealand were crowned as the champions of the World Test Championship. The team exuded sheer dominance against India to lift the Test mace. They will now be all determined to show their prowess in the T20 World Cup as well. The team was considered as the underdogs in all the three ICC formats, but they have been successful in removing that tag.
However, one issue that can cause difficulty to the team is the presence of a daunting all-rounder. All-rounders play a very crucial role in changing the scripts of the game. Add to it the shortest format of the game, and it further increases their importance in the team. Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, and Mark Chapman are the three all-rounders that are named in the squad. But these names do not pose enough threat to the opposition.
If the three players manage perform for the team, it would be a big positive for New Zealand. The other player who has the all-rounder abilities is Kyle Jamieson. Though he has good experience in the longest format, his repertoire in the white-ball matches is yet to be witnessed.
5. Pakistan
The Pakistan team has been quite unpredictable with its performances. The team has at times shone by winning matches single-handedly, while on other occasions they have faced dismaying defeats. Pakistan is currently ranked fourth in the ICC T20I rankings.
They won the T20 World Cup in the year 2009 and the Babar Azam-led side will now be keen to repeat their performance. The team however lacks powerful finishers on their side. The top order of the side is held strong with the likes of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan but they seem to struggle with their batting at the tail end.
In the T20 format, the importance of power hitters cannot be neglected. Shadab Khan and Azam Khan are present in the side who can hold the fort of the middle and lower-middle order but they are yet to showcase their skills at the biggest stage. If the game gets extremely close, which is quite a usual scenario in the shortest format, Pakistan will require big hitters and the team seems to lack behind a tad bit in this aspect.
6. South Africa
Gone are those days when the South Africa team posed threat to the opposition. The cricket on-lookers pinned a lot of hopes in the side when it had the likes of AB de Villiers, Jacques Kallis, Herschelle Gibbs, Graeme Smith, Dale Steyn, and Morne Morkel. But the transition of the side hasn’t been very smooth and the team has struggled in the ICC events.
The challenge for the team heading into the T20 World Cup is their middle-order, which looks extremely fragile at the moment. In white-ball cricket, the Proteas team heavily depends on the top order to pile up maximum runs. They have a comparatively new-looking middle order which is yet to be tested at the highest level.
Rassie van der Dussen, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo are the names that are expected to hold the middle order responsibilities. In their recent T20I series against the West Indies, which was of fluctuating fortunes, the middle order batting of the side had collapsed. Thus, it would be for all to watch how the batters turn the tables and make a lasting impact.
7. West Indies
The West Indies team is considered one of the toughest contenders in the T20 World Cup. They have the power hitters and all-rounders in the side who can change the fortunes of the game anytime around. The point of concern will be the assurance provided by the batters down the order.
There is no doubt that the team possesses some powerful batters in their line-up. But in case of a sudden batting collapse, the team lacks belief in their line-up. West Indies lack the players who can play the anchor role for them in the tournament whilst a crunch moment.
Andre Russel, who is one of the important names in the side, had a torrid time in the UAE in the last IPL. This can cause worry to the team. The second leg of the IPL is staged in the same venue and it would be interesting to watch how these players perform. In a tournament like World Cup, playing according to the asks of the situation becomes extremely pivotal. Thus, the team might go on the back foot in this aspect.
8. Afghanistan
The Afghanistan side hasn’t had a very good time in the previous editions of the T20 World Cup. The team will aim to give it their all and make an impact heading into the tournament this year. With the likes of Rashid Khan and Mujeeb-ur Rahman, the spin attack of the team looks pretty dominating.
But when it comes to the pacers, Afghanistan lacks in the department a tad bit. The team doesn’t have quality pacers as it vastly depends on medium pacers. The absence of a strong pace attack might tease them in ICC T20 World Cup 2021. The consistency of the batters can also be another thing to ponder about.
The playing combination of the team depends on the conditions and pitch. Though the spinners of the side can prove lethal, if the surface turns out to assist the pacers a bit, the team might struggle on that given day. Afghanistan vastly depends on Rashid Khan for wickets, but in a mega event like this one, a team needs enough assistance from other bowlers as well. Thus, the over-dependency on spinners is a concern for the team.
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