The T20 World Cup is probably one of the biggest cricket tournaments. As it is an ICC trophy event, every team would like to have their name inscribed on it. However, it is easier said than done. Winning a T20 WC requires significant contributions from every player of a team. Only when a unit comes together can they win a tournament as hard as this. There is no room for excuses.
However having said that, every team has its shortcomings. There are worrying signs for every team participating in the T20 WC. So what are these obstacles which every team might need to tackle?
Here’s a look at a worrying sign for each team ahead of the T20 World Cup 2021:
1) Australia: Key players being out of form
It is safe to say that T20s is the only format that the Aussies are yet to master. They are yet to win their maiden T20 WC. However, their squad looks good this time around as it consists of a lot of big names.
Despite this, most of these big names are out of form. The fact that they haven’t got too many games under their belt hasn’t helped their cause either. Steve Smith and David Warner, arguably Australia’s best batters, haven’t been in the best of form, of late.
They have been struggling in the ongoing IPL 2021. Their skipper Aaron Finch has been blowing hot and cold too. Mitchell Starc, their lead pacer has struggled to find his rhythm as well.
2) New Zealand: Too many one-dimensional players
New Zealand is one of the most underrated sides. They silently go about their business and manage to impress one and all almost every time. Having said that, even they have their flaws.
The issue with the Kiwi squad is the fact that they have too many one-dimensional players. In other words, players can only perform one specific role. If we are to take their batters, for example, barring Kane Williamson, none of them can play according to the situation consistently.
Most of them either go all guns blazing or blindly slog their wait through. When it comes to their bowling, almost all their bowlers can only bowl during one particular time of the innings. Either in the opening overs or the middle overs or at the death. Very few of them can bowl at any given situation of the innings.
3) India: Middle-order collapses
India have one of the most balanced squads going into the T20 WC. The Indian selectors have done a superb job in picking the Indian squad. However, the one threat India can face during the WC is a middle-order collapse.
Middle-order collapses aren’t new to Indian cricket fans. They have witnessed it in the past as well. However, it gets worrying when you realize that India’s middle-order batters haven’t been in the best of form either.
Suryakumar Yadav has struggled to get going in the ongoing IPL 2021. Ishan Kishan has struggled to rotate the strike too. Even India’s regulars like Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant have been blowing hot and haven’t been consistent in recent times.
4) England: Lack of finishers
England have been an amazing limited-overs side for a long time. However, the one concern for them in the shortest format of the game is the lack of finishers in their team. England has predominantly had a lot of top-order batters.
Due to this, they never had the luxury of having too many reliable lower middle-order batsmen. Players like Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali play better when they are given a chance to bat at the top. On top of that, their star all-rounder Ben Stokes won’t be available during the T20 WC.
What’s worse for them is that their own skipper’s form has been lukewarm, to say the least. Eoin Morgan is their designated finisher and he is struggling. This is indeed a worrying sign for the Englishmen.
5) Pakistan: Lack of firepower
Pakistan have been overly dependent on a few batters for a long time. Players like their skipper Babar Azam and their keeper Mohammad Rizwan have scored the bulk of the runs for their side. They’ve been the backbone of Pakistan’s batting.
While this isn’t a worrying sign, both of them are anchors. Neither of them is a slogger who could deposit balls out of the stadium regularly. This means that they need some aggressive batters to give them the luxury to rotate the strike and hold the innings from one end.
Fakhar Zaman has had a bad time in the shortest format of the game for a while and you can’t expect him to regularly provide the firepower for his side. Hafeez is in his early 40s and might not be able to hit the big shots at will. Even Asif Ali has had a torrid time and thus, they don’t have the firepower in their batting unit.
6) South Africa: Lack of experience
South Africa have a lot of issues going into the T20 WC. However, one of their major concerns would be the lack of experience in their squad. Their squad doesn’t consist of their regulars such as Faf Du Plessis, AB De Villiers, and Imran Tahir.
The only experience they have in their side is in the form of Quinton De Kock and David Miller. Although Kagiso Rabada did play the T20 WC back in 2016, one couldn’t call him a veteran. Their key bowlers such as Nortje and Shamsi are playing their first ICC trophy.
Even their batters are inexperienced outside Miller and De Kock as none of them have played a T20 WC before. Their captain Temba Bavuma himself has only played 16 T20I games. Moreover, he is coming back after an injury.
7) West Indies: Absence of an anchor
The Caribbean muscles are second to none. There is a reason why they have been one of the most successful T20I teams in the world. They have a lot of six hitters on their side.
However, the one drawback because of that is the absence of an anchor. Every team needs at least one anchor. They are the ones who steady the ship in case of a batting collapse and hold the innings from one end.
However, the West Indies only have sloggers. They don’t have a batter who can stay till the end. Their best bet of someone performing that role is Roston Chase who is yet to make his T20I debut.
8) Afghanistan: No proper batting setup
Afghanistan is the dark horse. Despite the cricket pundits not rating them highly, they have a lot of potential. Their side consists of a lot of talented blokes capable of winning matches on their own.
However, the lack of a proper batting setup can come to haunt them. Afghanistan’s squad consists of a lot of bowlers. This is mainly because bowling is their stronger suit.
However, this doesn’t mean that they should have neglected their batting. Afghanistan has a lot of all-rounders too. The lack of specialist batsmen is a worrying concern for the Afghans.
from CricTracker https://ift.tt/3ixC4TE
No comments:
Post a Comment