A simple word that carries immense burden. What defines greatness in sports? Statistical brilliance, nostalgia, longevity? In cricketing terms, 99.94, memories like Brett Lee vs Sachin Tendulkar, 100 Tests, or 15 years+ career?
Legacies are largely depended on the final days in the international arena. Retirement has always been a tricky issue in cricket.
Sourav Ganguly’s Ian Chappell saga tarnished his otherwise positive legacy. A poor 2007 Cricket World Cup ended dreams for Brian Lara & Inzamam ul-Haq. Simon Jones’ career ended before it could start due to injuries.
Some overstay and risk going out on a low. Others like German soccer captain Philipp Lahm retired internationally at the age of just 30 after winning the FIFA World Cup in 2014.
The Lost Generation
Today we dive deep into the careers of the lost generation of 2005—Alastair Cook, AB De Villiers, Michael Clarke, and Hashim Amla, all of them would retire prematurely.
With the triple retirement of Dale Steyn, Brendon Taylor, and Lasith Malinga, the legendary class of 2004-06 is coming to a close. Only Broad-Anderson & Ross Taylor remain from the greats of this era.
Sandwiched between the 90s golden generations of Sangakkara-Jayawardene-Muralitharan, Tendulkar-Laxman-Ganguly-Dravid, Kallis-Pollock-Boucher-Ntini, Inzamam-Yousuf, Ponting led Australia, & the Fab 4 (Kane Williamson, Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Steve Smith), there was the class of 2004 & 2005.
Why did these cricketers retire so soon? How does the future look like? Read till the end for our in-deptj analysis & final thoughts.
11 Cricketers Who Retired Too Early
While legends of the past played 12-15 years, the cricketers in this list only had about 9-12 years of international cricket. The fact that they followed the golden generation lead to slightly later debuts and hence, even shorter careers.
One of the clear indications of the early retirement for the batters is the statistics. Most did not cross 10,000, their averages fell below 50, and the centuries hovered between 25-27 (although at one stage it seemed each of these players would break them all).
Anderson’s long career seems like he is on another level (which he is) but in all reality, at one stage, all of these players would have careers as long as Jimmy Anderson.
The players in this list were not dropped. They retired on their own terms or because of other circumstances. Hence, we exclude players like Ian Bell, Virender Sehwag, Umar Gul, Suresh Raina, and Gautam Gambhir who were available for selection but were unfortunately dropped from the team plans later in their career.
Retiring on a high is every cricketer’s dream. Captaining Australia to a victory at home in front of the MCG crowd must have been a surreal experience. A few months later, the Ashes would be his final appearance. One of the bests #4 batters of all-time with a godly conversion rate in Tests. The 2012-13 season would always be remembered as Clarke’s year, the only batter to score 4 double centuries in a year.
Harris’ career was a classic cases of fast bowling injuries. Whenever he was fit, he bowled his heart out and made an indelible impact. Could not make the XI in Australia’s golden generation and had to leave early due to chronic knee injury. Retired 3 days before the Ashes because he could not recover even after surgery. Will always be remembered for the ball of this century to dismiss Alastair Cook.
“I played 27 more Tests than I ever thought I would and I have relished every single moment of them.”
At one point in time, he was touted to overtake Sachin Tendulkar as the highest run-scorer and century maker having scored 5000 runs at 26. Will always be remembered for the 2010-11 Ashes series down under. However, loss of form and inconsistency creeped in. Tougher playing conditions, 159 Tests in a row, and the KP saga probably got to him. Century in his first and last Tests against India showed that he still had it in him. Still the best opener in England?
Due to his late debut, it was inevitable that Strauss would not have an extremely long career, but England fans learned how great Andrew Strauss was after his retirement, for both his captaincy & batting. Since the Cook-Strauss partnership ended, England could not find a stable partner for Cook (and Cook’s effectiveness also decreased). KP himself said in an interview that the text-messaging scandal on the eve of Strauss’s 100th Test was one of his biggest mistakes, which tarnished Strauss’ last match. Later became ECB’s Director of cricket and subsequently received knighthood for his service to English cricket.
See Strauss above. Jokes aside, KP’s career had always been hampered by controversies. Although he had to leave South Africa and debuted relatively late, he quickly established himself as one of the greatest in his generation. Key contributor to the 2005 Ashes, 2012 India series, and 2010 T20 World Cup victories, he was a key component of driving English cricket forward. Although he was England’s highest scorerin the Mitchell Johnson 2015 series, he was a casualty of the 5-0 defeat. Poor relationship with Strauss & coach Andy Flower did not help as the management decided that KP’s career is over.
KP might have been controversial off the field, but there is no doubt he changed cricket for the better. Fast forward 15 years, everybody has an inner KP with the switch hits & aggressive mindset. Paved the way for English cricketers to join the IPL & other T20 leagues, thereby moving England one step closer to their eventual 2019 World Cup winning campaign.
T20Is: 39 Matches, 51 wickets, 16.84 average, 3/13 best
T20s: 80 Matches, 98 wickets, 18.88 average, 3/13 best
Cricketers Who Retired Trivia
Debut: January 22, 2000 (ODI), December 10-14, 2008 (Test)
Last Match: December 12-16, 2013 (Test)
Age Debuted: 29(Test), 20 (ODI)
Age Retired: 34
Why Did He Retire?
Statistically, Swann does not make the best bowlers of all-time list, but what he did in his 5-year Test career was continued the art of off-spin. After T20 cricket & ODI Powerplay rule changes, leg spinners flourished in the 2010s. Except for Daniel Vettori, finger spin was a dying art. Swann took off-spin forward and became a cog of the famed 2010-11 English lineup. Late Test debut, an elbow injury, and Johnson 2013 ensured that he retired mid-series (after the 3rd Test).
T20Is: 64 Matches, 85 wickets, 17.83 average, 4/19 best
T20s: 195 Matches, 271 wickets, 17.36 average, 4/14 best
Cricketers Who Retired Trivia
Debut: July 1, 2008 (ODI)
Last Match: April 23, 2015 (T20I)
Age Debuted: 31
Age Retired: 37
Why Did He Retire?
Another one who debuted late, but made an immediate impact. From the cricketers who retired too early, Saeed Ajmal’s ending was probably the saddest. During Pakistan’s toughest days, Saeed Ajmal & Umar Gul took Pakistan to great heights, especially in T20 cricket. However it was his action that was his downfall. Unlike Mohammad Hafeez & Sunil Narine, Ajmal’s remodeled action was not effective enough without the doosra. Will definitely go down as a Pakistani great.
T20Is: 44 Matches, 47 wickets, 25.34 average, 4/17 best
T20s: 190 Matches, 207 wickets, 25.29 average, 4/17 best
Cricketers Who Retired Trivia
Debut: December 25-29, 2006 (Test)
Last Match: March 29-April 2, 2018 (Test)
Age Debuted: 22
Age Retired: 33
Current Age: 36
Plays with Brisbane Heat in the BBL; Was at Surrey from 2018-2020
Why Did He Retire?
When Morne Morkel left international cricket after that Australia series for the Kolpak deal in England (with Surrey), it signaled the beginning of the end of the great 2008-2015 South Africa generation. From 2015-2019, each one slowly retired, and it was painful to watch South Africa collapse to new lows. What was not painful, however, was Morne Mornel’s bowling. High arm action, pace & bounce, & most importantly, consistent line & length. Dale Steyn would not have been as successful had he not had Morne on the other end as the ideal foil. Morkel, in his own right, will go down as a South African great. With 309 wickets at age 33, who knows, he could have gone past Steyn himself. Now a resident of Australia and plays in the BBL as a local cricketer.
Fastest to 10, 15, 16,17, 18, 20, 27 centuries & 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000, and 7000 ODI runs, he was the only contemporary of Virat Kohli who could challenge him. South Africa’s fall from grace was confirmed in the 2019 Cricket World Cup, and it was especially painful to watch Amla being hit in the head by Jofra Archer and retiring hurt. He would retire at the end of the tournament. Sublime cricketer, wonderful human being, he still architects blockathons on the County Circuit. You just help but wonder if South Africa should have persisted a year or so more for his form to come back.
Will he? Won’t he? Speculation about AB De Villiers’ retirement has been as spicy as Hollywood gossip. It all began with the ghost of 2015 semi-finals loss, which he captained. He would then get the Test captaincy job, a dream for a long time. However, workload management & administrative struggles became a hassle. Picking & choosing on a series-by-series basis followed by an indefinite break was a sign of what was to come. He came back in brilliant home with Test series against India and Australia.
However a video retirement a year before the ODI World Cup took everyone by surprise. Since then, he has been in multiple conversations about coming for the 2019 ODI World Cup or 2021 T20 World Cup, but those conversations have not gone too far. He can still be seen smashing it out of the park in the IPL. He is still fit, takes mind boggling catches, and plays match changing innings even after no game practice for a year.Although ABD & Amla played 14 years, they could have been Tendulkar-esque with a career of 17-21 years in another era.
The best batter of the generation and the face of “Cricketers Who Retired Too Early.”
Given captaincy at a young age, Smith began the rebuilding of a squad that would take South AFrica to #1 Test rankings. One of the best openers of this era, his courage & leadership came to the fore. Batting with a broken hand to save a Test will in fans’ memories forever. Now the director of cricket for South Africa.
Plays for RCB in the IPL, SKNP in CPL, and the West Indies
*subject to change. He is selected in West Indies’ 2021 T20 World Cup squad
Surprised? Well, you should be.
Chris Gayle is the antithesis to the 2005 generated. Debuted in 1999, and he is still playing at the age of 42. 100 Test matches, a triple century, an ODI double century, 10000 ODI runs, 14000+ T20 runs (with 22 100s!), he is a legend. So how did he survive so long even though he can barely run?
The answer is enough breaks. While the 2005 generation succumbed to continuous burnout, Gayle was in-and-out of the international side, played T20 leagues around the world, and gave up first class/Test cricket in 2014 to prolong his career. A couple of World Cup wins also helps keeping the fire going.
Here is an exhaustive list of players that served between 12-15+ years in international cricket. Notice that as we get further along, the list gets smaller.
Late 90s Generation: Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid (India), Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka), Ricky Ponting (Australia), Jacques Kallis (South Africa), Daniel Vettori (New Zealand), Shivnarine Chanderpaul (West Indies), Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Yousuf, Shahid Afridi (Pakistan)
2004-07 Generation: Ross Taylor (New Zealand), Brendon Taylor (Zimbabwe), Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad (England), Dale Steyn (South Africa)
The Surviving Outliers
The main point to notice here is that those who played continuous cricket from 2005-2015 retired too soon.
However, there are plenty of cricketers who did not get a chance early on or were in-and-out of their national sides, but are still available for selection today. These players include Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, and the 2004 U-19 Cricket World Cup class of Shikhar Dhawan, Fawad Alam, Mahmudullah Riyadh, Dinesh Karthik, Ambati Rayudu, Tim Paine, Moises Henriques, William Porterfield, Kevin O’Brien, Wahab Riaz, who are still playing competitively and are available for international selection.
Since they did not get a chance earlier or play for lower-ranked teams, they are making the most of it now when opportunities finally came their way.
Hunger for success have caused these batch of cricketers to elongate their careers. To prove themselves as long as they are fit. Or to be a part of that elusive World Cup winning team.
Why Did The 2005 Generation Fall So Quickly?
Transition Periods
If we analyze these 10 cricketers who retired too early a bit more closer, we notice they mostly feature from England, South Africa, or Australia.
All of these teams went through a traumatic transition period. The 2013-15 period was especially stressful for England. While Mitchell Johnson dismantled the entire 2013 Test generation, forcing retirements of Trott, Pietersen, & Swann, the sacking of Cook in ODIs before 2015 World Cup would usher a new era in English cricket.
For South Africa, Grant Elliot’s semi-final six broke the gem of that South African team. AB De Villiers, Dale Steyn, Hashim Amla, & Vernon Philander were never the same again.
Finally, although Australia did not have it that rough, they have not really gotten back to the Warne-McGrath days. The Clarke era was the short transition between the longer lasting, Ponting & Steve Smith eras.
Frequency of World Cups
Before the 2007 T20 World Cup, world championships only happened once every 4 years. A decade earlier, we only had the 2003/2007 ODI World Cup, 2007 T20 World Cup, and 2002/2006 Champions Trophy.
Teams were built on the premises of four-year cycles. With England & Australia, the Test Teams were formed with the next Ashes cycle in mind. Then followed 2009 (CT), 2010 (T20 WC), 2011 (CWC), 2012 (T20 WC), 2013 (CT), 2014 (T20 WC), 2015 (CWC), 2016 (T20 WC), 2017 (CT), 2019 (CWC), 2021 (World Test Championship).
Frequent trophies meant teams did not have to carry players for 4 years. An in-form player could be drafted while seasoned cricketers could be dropped with the upcoming ICC trophy in mind. Hence teams started to experiment more and started taking bold calls.
Case and point 2013 Champions Trophy—India dropped Sehwag, promoted Rohit Sharma, and went with an in-form Dhawan (seems like a history repeat itself moment with Dhawan in the 2021 T20 WC team).
These cricketers who retired too early were raised on the backs of Test & ODI cricket. Almost everyone from the 90s era played both formats if they were good enough. With the entrance of T20 cricket, cricket began to be played all year long instead of season to season.
If you add captaincy to the 3 formats, that takes pressure & mental exhaustion to another level.
Openers Struggle
This still does not explain why Cook & Amla retired. They had given up captaincy towards the end, did not play all formats, and did not have new players vying for their spots either.
The obvious answer to this is form. Both Cook & Amla suffered drastic loss of forms, but so did openers worldwide.
Cook himself concluded that batting in England became tougher towards the end of his career. We can see from the Burns-Sibley partnership that it has not gotten better any since. It was not necesesarily that they were worse players, just that the conditions had become more difficult.
Kohli Shows The Way Forward
Three format players like KP and ABD prospered for a while, but it caught up with their health & form.
A decade later, it is clear that separate teams are now being picked for the 3 vastly different formats. Mental health conversations are in place. Fitness, physiotherapy, and analytics have jumped to another level altogether. Rest & rotation have been employed by certain teams to prolong the careers of cricketers.
This means that the current generation of the Fab 5 & Buttler-Stokes-Cummins-Rabada-Starc-Hazlewood-Bumrah have a better chance for longer careers and go back to the 15-year norms of the 90s. Who knows the COVID break might even have re-energized some to extend their careers.
However balance is key. Virat Kohli has already lead the way and given up IPL/T20I captaincy to manage workload and focus on other formats. If this generation of players have to survive, they might have to give up at least one format, release captaincy pressure, take mental health and paternity breaks, and keep up their fitness.
Greatness Achieved Nevertheless
Although Amla, Smith, Sehwag, Clarke, de Villiers stopped agonizingly close without reaching the coveted 10000 run-mark, it does not take away from the genius of these men.
Numbers are not everything. Although their tenure was short, their impact was not. They changed cricket for the better, and that is all that matters.
There are some players who will always give a sense that they left too early. Fans are left asking, ‘What If they had stayed on for a couple of years?’, ‘Maybe one more World Cup?’
We should just be grateful enough we witnessed some of the greatest cricketers of all time.
Cricket’s time has come. What we all feared for has finally happened.
The fifth Test between India and England was cancelled/postponed hours before the toss due to COVID-19. New Zealand similarly pulled out of Pakistan on the basis of security threats. England have followed suit and cancelled their Men’s/Women’s tour of Pakistan in October as well. There has been more cancellation than actual cricket recently.
The international cricket structure is dismantling before our eyes—overkill of cricket, the IPL takeover, an acute mental health crisis, and Pakistan’s abandonment on the world stage.
Since the return from COVID-induced break, scheduling has slowly escalated. Overkill of cricket has reached its boiling point.
Last summer, West Indies, Ireland, and Pakistan toured England in cricket’s return. IPL 2020 in UAE followed soon after. The entire world had eyes on one series or tournament at a time with enough gap in between.
However, post-vaccination, international scheduling has been torturous.
England began its tour to Sri Lanka earlier this year and stayed for the India series. Soon after, IPL 2021’s first iteration took place. Then India went to England for months. England launched the Hundred in the middle of the summer.
When the Hundred ended, the CPL began. Four days after the CPL, the IPL began. The IPL final will be held on October 15th. The much awaited T20 World Cup begins just two days later, on the 17th of October.
But wait, there’s more.
IPL All Year Round?
India begin their home season on November 17th three days after the World T20 Final. And in Jaipur. Given the depth of both India and New Zealand, it is likely they will field a second-string team. Why is there a need for a T20I series less than a week after the T20 World Cup has ended?
Beats me.
IPL 2020 in UAE was a joy to watch. After months, the best players of the world played cricket had gathered together without any interruptions. The balanced pitches in Abu Dhabi & Dubai were conducive to fast bowling while Sharjah provided us the stereotypical high scores.
However, September 2020, March 2021, September 2021, and March 2022…This seems to be developing into an unhealthy pattern. Add to two IPLs a year. a ten-team IPL with a big auction next year. 74 IPL matches will push India’s home series against South Africa into June. Another T20 World Cup is to follow next October.
With Trinbago Knight Riders, Saint Lucia Kings, and Barbados Royals all having IPL stake owners, the IPL takeover of the world is complete.
Mental Health Crisis At An All-Time High
A byproduct of back-to-back cricket, bubble-to-bubble travel, and IPL-to-IPL jam packed into the international calendar is recurring injuries, early retirements, and mental health breaks.
Ben Stokes has been the most prominent casualty to the mental health crisis. Personal tragedy, finger injury, recalled back to captain a COVID hit squad, IPL, The Hundred, Test matches. Stokes is 30, a prime of a sportsperson career. However due to the intense nature of the cricket calendar, he has withdrawn from the India Test series, IPL, World T20, and possibly the Ashes.
England have done their very best to preserve the physical and mental health of players irrespective of the controversial rest/rotation policy. Even with such management and resources, Jofra Archer, Chris Woakes, & Mark Wood have been out for extended periods of time, while Banton-Bairstow-Buttler have pulled out of the IPL & other T20 leagues.
The Ashes begins on December 8th, shortly after the T20 World Cup. England’s team selection will give us an idea of how severe the mental crisis is.
Security Threats – Is There Western Bias Against Pakistan?
Pakistan was forced to make UAE their home for a decade after the horrifying 2009 shootings amidst the Sri Lanka series. India-Pakistan relations had already taken a hit a year earlier due to the Mumbai attacks. A year later, the spot-fixing crisis feat Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif, and Salman Butt further took down Pakistan cricket.
Regardless of the outside noise, Pakistan managed to win a T20 Cricket World Cup, Champions Trophy, and #1 Test rankings in the next decade. The Misbah-Younis era slowly got Pakistan’s reputation back as a respected cricketing nation. The PCB established a decent stable Pakistan Super League despite lack of finances and IPL experience.
With ambassadors like Daren Sammy volunteering to play in Pakistan, ICC sending a World XI team in 2017, PSL hosting playoffs at home, and series against Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, South Africa, cricket was finally coming back.
Afghanistan Crisis In Spotlight
However New Zealand’s abandonment has set Pakistan cricket back yet another decade. It has started a domino effect with England pulling out and maybe, Australia next in line. Ramiz Raza, the new PCB chairman, has come out strongly against the “Western bloc.”
Australia have infamously been hesitant to play non-India subcontinental opposition. They have not invited Bangladesh for a Test series for years and are now on verge of cancelling the Afghanistan Test match based on lack of a women’s team (which is a decent point, but there was no opposition when Afghanistan was awarded Test status 4 years ago).
Afghanistan’s internal crisis has cast a shadow on their involvement in the T20 World Cup, and the geopolitical situation has made things worse for Pakistan as well.
Where There Is Money, There Is a Way
There was another security threat again today. This time with respect to the New Zealand women’s teamin England. The team went in lockdown, security was boosted, communication happened, investigation took place, threat was deemed as not credible, and the match is to go ahead as scheduled.
Fans have been citing the devastating 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks in response to Pakistan-New Zealand abandoned series. The Bangladesh team were minutes away from the mosque when the incident took place. The 3rd Test was subsequently cancelled.
However, since it was in New Zealand, future tours were not affected. Pakistan themselves toured in 2020-2021.
Where Does Cricket Go From Here?
These two situations display that there is an implicit bias against Pakistan as opposed to the Big 4—India, Australia, England, New Zealand.
India can get away with a poorly managed COVID-19 situation in the first iteration of IPL 2021 by totally disrupting the international calendar because of their financial monopoly. The IPL/Hundred can cause a Test match cancellation.
England & Australia are free to abandon tours of South Africa due to bio-bubble breaches while touring the other Big 3 countries in worse circumstances. New Zealand escape without security backlash from the rest of the world due to their positive image and non-controversial nature.
If cricket is to sustain itself, South Africa, West Indies, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Zimbabwe need due support from the rest.
ICC has put in better plans to raise awareness of cricket worldwide, provide structure for women’s & Associate cricket, and contextualize Test & ODI cricket. However, it first needs to ensure that cricketing culture in once prospering countries does not die away.
If cricket cannot guarantee balance in the post-COVID world—balance of powers, player wellness, security threats, & scheduling, then this is the end of cricket as we know it.
If you like this content on Group B 2021 T20 World Cup Squads, please subscribe above for FREE and follow us on our social media accounts.
As acclaimed twentieth century writer Khalil Gibran once remarked, “Exaggeration is truth that has lost its temper.”
India’s improbable victory in the 4th Test sent social media into frenzy. There were claims of it being the ‘greatest Test team’ going around or the ‘best Indian Test team.’ Although there is subtle merit to these claims, I argue that this is just an over exaggeration of the ground reality.
How Good Are Team India?
There is no doubt that the Indian cricket team has flourished in the 21st century. With a thriving cricketing culture, robust recruitment setup throughout the country, monetary power in the hands of the BCCI with the advent of the IPL, and a prospering India A system, India has the greatest depth and resources available.
The rise of Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Suryakumar Yadav, and Ishan Khan across formats in less than six months attests to this claim.
Overseas Victories
India came back from 0-1 to seal the Border-Gavaskar series 2-1. Stories galore and the legend of this series will carry in the minds of fans forever. Similarly, a defeat in the third Test against England did not faze India. In the 4th Test, a 99-run deficit was overcome via valiant century by Rohit Sharma and memorable contributions in both innings by Shardul Thakur.
To give you an idea how far India have come along—This is India’s 4th victory in Australia & England since December (and 8th in Australia, England, South Africa since 2018). In the decade before, India’s only moments of glory in England & Australia were Headingly 2002, Adelaide 2003, England series 2007, and Perth 2008 (coincidentally Rahul Dravid contributing with 148, 233 & 72*, captain, and 93). So this 2-1 series victory (almost) should hold well with the Indian fans, especially after the suffering endured in the 2010s.
This Indian team is good. Really good. They have the spirit to come back from any circumstance, and they just never give up. The attitude instilled by Ravi Shastri-Virat Kohli is evident in the body language of each and every player.
However, is this team the best? I do not think so.
Collapse A Day Does Not Keep The Doctor Away
Team India is brilliant at comebacks, but why is there a need of comebacks in the first place?
The 2000s Australia team set the benchmark for Test greatness. Did you ever hear them coming from dire circumstances? Well, not much because they were so dominant, a comeback was not even necessary.
The same is true for the current World Test Championship winner, the New Zealand cricket team. When they win, they win emphatically.
If India are to instill their greatness in cricketing folklore, they must replicate their home dominance away as well.
Current Batting Side Does Not Fire In Unison
KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, and Ajinkya Rahane are all good batters individually, but they have rarely fired in unison.
When the top order bats at its best, the middle order collapses. When Pujara-Pant come together, the rest of the batters have already gone to the pavilion. Kohli is not back at his best yet and Rahane seems to have fallen off the charts altogether.
Even in the horrendous tours of 2011 and 2014, I do not remember performances like 36/9 or 78/10, let alone two. The batting collapses occur too frequently to be regarded as a modern great. What made the Sehwag-Dravid-Sachin-Laxman-Ganguly era great was their consistent overseas batting performances without having the caliber of fast bowlers at their disposals in the nets to practice with.
Now India finally has the bowling attack to take 20 wickets consistently, but a batting line up that is not even close.
Greatest Indian Bowling Attack
The reason India is succeeding away from home can be attributed to two factors: (1) comparatively lower standard of opposition, and (2) fast bowling unit.
Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shardul Thakur provide regular breakthroughs while Jadeja and Ashwin can play both as wicket-taking options and chief controller depending on the conditions.
Since the South Africa tour of 2018, Indian bowlers have taken all 20 wickets by pace on numerous occasions. Injury replacements are readily available as well.
So is India Good, Bad, or Just Okay?
The bowling attack? The best in their nation’s history. Their batting? Eh. Not so hot.
India might have one of the best line ups on paper but are definitely not the best Test team going around. Or at least just not performing to their full potential yet. The flaws in India’s team performance combined with miraculous comebacks and recency bias actually amplify the degree of their quality. India are so bad sometimes that it brings out the best in the team. Still a long way to go achieve dominance.
In other words, India are so bad that they are actually good. Think about it.
Time for Group B 2021 T20 World Cup Squads analysis.
In the qualifying round, there are two groups (Group A & B) of 4 teams each, top 2 of which will go in the main round (Group 1 and 2). Ireland, Namibia, Netherlands, and Sri Lanka form Group A, while Group B has teams Bangladesh, Oman, Papua New Guinea, and Scotland.
In the main draw, 4 qualifier teams will join either Group 1 (Australia, England, South Africa, West Indies) or Group 2, (India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and New Zealand).
Here is the detailed squad analysis—Most Balanced, Surprise Exclusions, In-Form Inclusions and Predictions!
Prediction:Rank 1st in Group B. Might even threaten the top half of the table in the main round if they qualify here.
Shakib has stated that Bangladesh are coming into the tournament with a winning mentality having beaten Australia and New Zealand at home convincingly. Bangladesh will have to be on-spot because they have to qualify in Oman before they can reach the main draw.
62, 117, 121, 108, 60, 137, 93—Scores Bangladesh have limited Australia and New Zealand to. Can they perform on a pitch less assistance to spinners and the cutters of the Fizz? Will they miss Tamim Iqbal at the top, who has opted out?
Does Oman Have It In Them to Qualify for the Next Round?
Victorious against Ireland in the 2016 T20 World Cup (remember that catch?), they will be banking on similar experience to go one step further this time around. Easily the oldest side at this WC, this might be the final time this Oman generation plays at the big stage, especially with the Hong Kongs and Nepals breathing down their neck.
Papua New Guinea T20 World Cup Squad
Batters
Spin Bowling All-Rounders
Medium Pace All-Rounders
Wicket-Keepers
Spin Bowlers
Fast Bowlers
Assad Vala
Charles Amini
Gaudi Toka
Simon Atai
Kabua Morea
Sese Bau
Jason Kila
Kiplin Doriga
Nosaina Pokana
Lega Siaka
Damien Ravu
Hiri Hiri
Chad Soper
Tony Ura
Norman Vanua
Group B 2021 T20 World Cup Squads: Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea Probable XI
Assad Vala (C), 2. Tony Ura, 3. Lega Siaka, 4. Charles Amini, 5. Sese Bau, 6. Kiplin Doriga (WK), 7. Norman Vanua, 8. Jason Kila, 9. Nosaina Pokana, 10. Damien Ravu, 11. Kabua Morea
Does Papua New Guinea Have It In Them to Qualify for the Next Round?
Qualifying 2nd in the 2019 T20 World Cup Qualifier, they have the ingredients to go through the next round. I am looking forward to their fielding, being described as one of the more disciplined Associate sides. However, I cannot see past Bangladesh and Scotland in this group.
Scotland T20 World Cup Squad
Batters
Spin Bowling All-Rounders
Medium Pace All-Rounders
Wicket-Keepers
Spin Bowlers
Fast Bowlers
Kyle Coetzer
Chris Greaves
Dylan Budge
Matthew Cross
Hamza Tahir
Josh Davey
Richie Berrington
Michael Leask
Craig Wallace
Alasdair Evans
Calum MacLeod
Mark Watt
Safyaan Sharif
George Munsey
Chris Sole
Ollie Hairs
Brad Wheal
Group B 2021 T20 World Cup Squads: Scotland
Scotland Probable XI
George Munsey, 2. Kyle Coetzer (C), 3. Matthew Cross (WK), 4. Calum MacLeod, 5. Richie Berrington, 6. Michael Leask, 7. Josh Davey, 8. Alasdair Evans, 9. Safyaan Sharif, 10. Hamza Tahir, 11. Mark Watt
Average Age: 30
Watch Out For: The top order. Munsey-Coetzer-Cross-MacLeod have been on the scene for a few years now. They should fine the next gear in this tournament.
Current T20I Ranking: 14th
Prediction:Rank 2nd in Group B.
Does Scotland Have It In Them to Qualify for the Next Round?
I have been waiting to watch more of Scotland since they defeated (not upset) England on the eve of the 2019 ODI Cricket World Cup. Scotland scored 371 runs courtesy, MacLeod’s 140*.They can definitely bat and they should be able to escape the pre-qualifying group but can they survive the pitches in Oman & UAE to win any further?
If you like this content on Group B 2021 T20 World Cup Squads, please subscribe above for FREE and follow us on our social media accounts.
Time for Group A 2021 T20 World Cup Squads analysis.
In the mini-qualifier group, there are two groups (Group A & B) of 4 teams each, top 2 of which will go in the main round (Group 1 and 2). Ireland, Namibia, Netherlands, and Sri Lanka form ‘qualifying group of death,’ Group A. Group B has teams Bangladesh, Oman, Papua New Guinea, and Scotland.
In the main draw, 4 qualifier teams will join either Group 1 (Australia, England, South Africa, West Indies) or Group 2, (India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and New Zealand).
Here is the detailed squad analysis—Most Balanced, Surprise Exclusions, In-Form Inclusions and Predictions!
Paul Stirling, 2. Kevin O’Brien, 3. Andy Balbirnie (C), 4. Harry Tector, 5. Shane Getkate, 6. George Dockrell, 7. Neil Rock (WK), 8. Simi Singh, 9. Curtis Campher, 10. Mark Adair, 11. Josh Little/ Andy McBrine
Average Age: 27
Unlucky to Miss Out: William McClintock, Craig Young (reserves)
Surprise Inclusions: Graham Kennedy
Watch Out For: Paul Stirling, the best ODI player of 2020, and Curtis Campher, a potential world class allrounder for the future
Prediction:Rank 4th in Group A. I just do not see this Ireland side going too far.
Does Ireland Have It In Them to Qualify for the Next Round?
Ireland just won a T20I series but T20 cricket is not their strength. If Ireland are to do well, their all rounders and power hitters have to come to the fore to support the steadiness that Balbirnie-Tector provide in the middle.
Namibia T20 World Cup Squad
Batters
Spin Bowling All-Rounders
Medium Pace All-Rounders
Wicket-Keepers
Spin Bowlers
Fast Bowlers
Stephan Baard
Gerhard Erasmus
David Wiese
Zane Green
Ben Shikongo
Karl Birkenstock
Bernard Scholtz
JJ Smit
Michael van Lingen
Michau du Preez
Jan Frylinck
Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton
Ruben Trumpelmann
Craig Williams
Pikky Ya France
Mauritius Ngupita
Group A 2021 T20 World Cup Squads: Namibia
Australia Probable XI
Stephan Baad, 2. Craig Williams, 3. JJ Smit, 4. Gerhard Erasmus (C), 5. Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, 6. David Wiese, 7. Zane Green (WK), 8. Michau du Preez, 9. Jan Frylinck, 10. Bernard Scholtz, 11. Ben Shikongo
Average Age: 27
Watch Out For:Gerhard Erasmus, player of the 2019 T20 World Cup Qualifier. He has a T20I average of 40.33 at a 141.10 SR with 5 fifties. That is a great record, even if it is against Associate nations.
Unlucky to Miss Out: JP Kotze, Zhivago Groeneweld (retired)
Prediction:Rank 3rd in Group A. At least one upset around the corner?
Does Namibia Have It In Them to Qualify for the Next Round?
The dark horse of the qualifying group. Qualifying for the first time in a World Cup since 2003, this has been one of the feel-good stories of recent times. The big story is that David Wiese, a star in the CPL and PSL, who has represented South Africa at the international level (even 2016 T20 Worl Cup) will now represent Namibia due to his paternal heritage.
Netherlands T20 World Cup Squad
Batters
Spin Bowling All-Rounders
Medium Pace All-Rounders
Wicket-Keepers
Spin Bowlers
Fast Bowlers
Stephan Myburg
Pieter Seelar
Ryan Ten Doeschate
Scott Edwards
Philippe Boissevain
Timm van der Gugten
Max O’Dowd
Colin Ackerman
Fred Klassen
Ben Cooper
Roelof van der Merwe
Logan van Beek
Bas de Leede
Brandon Glover
Paul van Meekeren
Tobias Visee
Shane Snater
Group A 2021 T20 World Cup Squads: Netherlands
Netherlands Probable XI
Max O’Dowd, 2. Stephan Myburg, 3. Ben Cooper, 4. Bas de Leede, 5. Ryan Ten Doeschate, 6. Pieter Seelar (C), 7. Scott Edwards (WK), 8. Roelof van der Merwe, 9. Timm van der Gugten, 10. Philippe Boissevain, 11. Paul van Meekeren
Average Age: 30
Surprise Inclusions: Ryan Ten Doeschate, Roelof van der Merwe
Watch Out For: Max O’Dowd, has been in a bit of form earlier this year
Current T20I Ranking: 17th
Recent Results: Won 2, Lost 2, Tied 1 in the Nepal Tri-Nation T20I series (lost finals) alongside Nepal & Malaysia
Prediction:Rank 1st in Group A. Gut feeling that they will win against Sri Lanka and might upset another major team in the main draw if they qualify.
Does Netherlands Have It In Them to Qualify for the Next Round?
They definitely have the ingredients. Max O’Dowd-Myburg form a potent opening partnership on which Doeschate-Seelar-der Merwe can build upon. Paul van Meekeren became the first Dutch player to play in the CPL and that experience will help out. Expect van der Gugten-van Meekeren to shoulder the pace bowling responsibilities.
Does Sri Lanka Have It In Them to Qualify for the Next Round?
Sri Lanka are currently on a losing streak and have been in transition for half a decade, but 2021 might be where the tide turns. With the bat, de Silva and Avishka Fernando are chipping in with consistent performances to support Perera, Chandimal, and Shanaka.
Hasaranga has been a revelation (#2 ICC ranked bowler), can bat at the top and finish games off and can bowl anywhere in the lineup. Sri Lanka have also found mystery spinner Theekshana and left arm spinner Jayawickrama (apart from Test spinner Embuldeniya and reserve Dhananjaya). Pacers Chameera-Pradeep cap off a balanced bowling attack.
If you like this content on Group A 2021 T20 World Cup Squads, please subscribe above for FREE and follow us on our social media accounts.
With India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan in this group already set, this is a mini Asia Cup battle. In the preliminary qualification round, if Sri Lanka is ranked 2 in Group A and if Bangladesh tops Group B, we might see a potential 5/6 Asian teams!
This might not be named the Group of Death from the outside, but I think this group will be closer than it appears. Here is our team-by-team analysis—Most Balanced, Surprise Exclusions, In-Form Inclusions and Predictions!
Prediction:Rank 3rd in Group 2. In spin conditions, if their batters can put up a decent score, expect Afghanistan to surprise a few of the big teams.
Does Afghanistan Have It In Them To Win the T20 World Cup?
Another World Cup. Another captaincy change right before the World Cup for Afghanistan. Rashid Khan had received the captaincy baton from Asghar Afghan, but he has resigned on the eve on the World Cup since he was not consulted for the WC squad. Add to that the current political situation, and Afghanistan’s entry in the WC is not even guaranteed.
Iconic trio Hamid Hassan, Mohammad Shahzad, and Shapoor Zadran return after years of international hiatus. Fitness will be the key concern, but Afghanistan have a good mix of youth and experience. They are also guaranteed 5 games in the main draw.
Unlucky to Miss Out: Shreyas Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur (reserves), Washington Sundar (injured), Shikhar Dhawan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Krunal Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Shubman Gill, Natarajan, Khaleel Ahmed, Manish Pandey, Sanju Samson, Dinesh Karthik. If you want the list of all 75 players which form Indian cricket team’s depth, read this.
Surprise Inclusions: R Ashwin, Varun Chakravarthy, MS Dhoni (Mentor)
Watch Out For: Trial by Spin—Rahul Chahar, R Ashwin, & Varun Chakravarthy can single handedly bamboozle most batting lineups. With Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel providing control, India might not have to chase large targets. Expect Ashwin in powerplays, Chahar-Jadeja in middle overs, and if he plays, Varun at the death.
Prediction:Rank 2nd in Group 2. Since this side has not played together, India might drop a game or two till they figure out their best XI, but should find momentum towards the latter stages of the tournament.
Does India Have It In Them To Win the T20 World Cup?
A well balanced side overall. Selectors have finally picked IPL as the standard for T20I selection and separated it from ODI players. IPL dynasty Mumbai Indians have six players in this 15.
Shikhar Dhawan was the highest scorer for India in both the ODI and T20I series against Sri Lanka and has been at the top of the charts (with decent SR) in the last two IPLs, but has still not made the cut. Bold move to cut Chahal but Chahar is the in-form leg spinner.
India have punted on spinning conditions and hence, exposed their fast bowling. Too much responsibility on Bumrah? Will we see a Sharma-Kohli opening partnership? Can India finally add an ICC Trophy after a decade of semi-finals and runner-ups trophy?
New Zealand T20 World Cup Squad
Batters
Spin Bowling All-Rounders
Medium Pace All-Rounders
Wicket-Keepers
Spin Bowlers
Fast Bowlers
Kane Williamson
Mitchell Santner
Kyle Jamieson
Glenn Phillips
Todd Astle
Trent Boult
Devon Conway
Mark Chapman
Daryl Mitchell
Tim Seifert
Ish Sodhi
Lockie Ferguson
Martin Guptill
James Neesham
Tim Southee
Adam Milne
Group 1 2021 T20 World Cup Squads: New Zealand
New Zealand Probable XI
Tim Seifert (WK), 2. Martin Guptill, 3. Kane Williamson (C), 4. Devon Conway, 5. Glenn Phillips, 6. Jimmy Neesham, 7. Mitchell Santner, 8. Tim Southee, 9. Lockie Ferguson, 10. Ish Sodhi, 11. Trent Boult
Average Age: 30
Unlucky to Miss Out: Colin de Grandhomme, Will Young, Finn Allen, Tom Blundell, Henry Nicholls/Tom Latham/Ross Taylor, Doug Bracewell/Hamish Bennett/Jacob Duffy/Blair Tickner, Ajaz Patel
Surprise Inclusions: Mark Chapman, Todd Astle
Watch Out For:Lockie Ferguson & Devon Conway. Ferguson’s KKR experience in UAE might come in handy and can Conway continue his dream debut year?
Prediction:Rank 4th in Group 2. Although a great team on paper, going against 3-5 Asian sides in UAE will just not be an easy task.
Does New Zealand Have It In Them To Win the T20 World Cup?
Interesting team selection this based on condition and form. Glenn Phillips-Conway-Seifert had solidifed their positions with a rich run of form last year. This meant that Will Young and Finn Allen could not break in the squad despite great T20I performances toward the end. Great depth in New Zealand cricket means several players had to miss out.
Colin de Grandhomme is the interestesting exclusion for me. If fit, he could have been devastating but Mitchell-Neesham-Santner-Jamieson have booked their tickets with a coule of good performances earlier in the year. Adam Milne unlucky to just be in the reserves because he is been on fire in the Big Bash and The hundred since his comeback. End of T20Is for Ross Taylor.
Pakistan T20 World Cup Squad
Batters
Spin Bowling All-Rounders
Medium Pace All-Rounders
Wicket-Keepers
Spin Bowlers
Fast Bowlers
Babar Azam
Imad Wasim
Hasan Ali
Mohammad Rizwan
Haris Rauf
Sohaib Maqsood
Mohammad Hafeez
Mohammad Wasim
Azam Khan
Mohammad Hasnain
Khushdil Shah
Mohammad Nawaz
Shaheen Shah Afridi
Asif Ali
Shadab Khan
Fakhar Zaman
Usman Qadir
Shahnawaz Dahani
Group 1 2021 T20 World Cup Squads: Pakistan
Pakistan Probable XI
Babar Azam (C), 2. Mohammad Rizwan, 3. Mohammad Hafeez, 4. Sohaib Maqsood, 5. Imad Wasim, 6. Azam Khan/Khushdil Shah/Asif Ali, 7. Shadab Khan, 8. Hasan Ali, 9. Mohammad Nawaz, 10. Haris Rauf, 11. Shaheen Shah Afridi
Average Age: 27
Unlucky to Miss Out: Fakhar Zaman, Usman Qadir (Reserves), Iftikhar Ahmed, Shoaib Malik, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Haider Ali, Sharjeel Khan, Imam-ul-Haq, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Amir, Usman Khan Shinwari, Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz, Misbah-ul-Haq, Waqar Younis (Coach)
Prediction:Rank 1 in Group 2. Should get through the group with ease before collapsing in the semi-finals.
Does Pakistan Have It In Them To Win the T20 World Cup?
Pakistan have opted for a young squad dropping all of Shoaib Malik, Iftikhar Ahmed, Sarfaraz, and Wahab Riaz. If the lower order of Imad Wasim-Shadab-Hasan Ali can consistently score some quick runs, Pakistan will be in good shape.
The top 4 do not have competition from others in the squad, so expect Babar-Rizwan-Hafeez-Maqsood to play with freedom. Shaheen Shah Afridi-Haris Rauf-Nawaz-Hasan Ali-Shadab-Imad-Hafeez make a potent bowling line up as well. Would have liked Zaman, Qadir, Faheem Ashraf, and one of the seniors in the 15 but overall, the squad is pretty solid nevertheless.
If you like this content on Group 2 2021 T20 World Cup Squads, please subscribe above for FREE and follow us on our social media accounts.
This might be toughest group of all. West Indies & England, the two finalists from last time, will go head-to-head in this group with wounded Australia & South Africa waiting to make their statement.
From the initial table, we might potentially see the likes of Sri Lanka/Netherlands and Scotland in this group. Without further ado, here is the detailed squad analysis—Most Balanced, Surprise Exclusions, In-Form Inclusions and Predictions!
Prediction:Rank 4th in Group 1. Will unfortunately fail to Go to the semi-finals yet again.
Does Australia Have It In Them To Win the T20 World Cup?
Australia have a balanced squad with the return of Warner, Smith, Maxwell, and Stoinis. The Bangladesh series saw several players losing their spots, but is this almost ODI-esque batting line up good enough in 2021? Maxwell, Stoinis gives them extra bowling options and Wade, if consistent, can be dangerous at the top.
The batting order is an issue since this group has not played together.Marsh has done well at 3 and Wade has been impactful as an opener. Warner-Smith will cause the batting order to reshuffle, futher breaking the consistency within this Australian team.
England T20 World Cup Squad
Batters
Spin Bowling All-Rounders
Medium Pace All-Rounders
Wicket-Keepers
Spin Bowlers
Fast Bowlers
Eoin Morgan
Moeen Ali
Sam Curran
Jonny Bairstow
Adil Rashid
Tymal Mills
Dawid Malan
Liam Livingstone
Chris Jordan
Jos Buttler
Mark Wood
Jason Roy
David Willey
Sam Billings
Chris Woakes
James Vince
Liam Dawson
Tom Curran
Group 1 2021 T20 World Cup Squads: England
England Probable XI
Jason Roy, 2. Jos Buttler (WK), 3. Dawid Malan/Moeen Ali, 4. Jonny Bairstow, 5. Eoin Morgan (C), 6. Liam Livingstone, 7. Sam Curran/David Willey, 8. Chris Jordan, 9. Mark Wood, 10. Tymal Mills, 11. Adil Rashid
Average Age: 31
Unlucky to Miss Out: Matt Parkinson/Saqib Mahmood/Tom Banton/Reece Topley (not picked), Jofra Archer, Ben Stokes (injury/personal reasons), James Vince (reserves), Alex Hales/Joe Root (never in contention but could have been handy). Read this to check the entire 44 players who were in contention.
Surprise Inclusions: Tymal Mills
Watch Out For:Liam Livingstone, in his form of his life. Contender for the longest six?
Prediction:Rank 2nd in Group 1. Might lose one or two (Netherlands upset again?) before gathering momentum and edging to the semi-finals on net run-rate.
Does England Have It In Them To Win the T20 World Cup?
Talented squad no doubt, but some selection does not make complete sense. Curran, Jordan, Willey, Woakes and Tom Curran in reserves? Why is there a need for 4-5 fast bowling all-rounders. And Mark Wood can tonk it with the bat as well. A leg spinner in Matt Parkison would have been a good choice given the conditions and his recent international/ Hundred form.
Moeen Ali & Liam Livingstone will bowl part-time spin, but watch out for a rejuvenated Tymal Mills. X factor of the WC?Can England go one step further this time around? Last hurrah for Eoin Morgan?
South Africa T20 World Cup Squad
Batters
Spin Bowling All-Rounders
Medium Pace All-Rounders
Wicket-Keepers
Spin Bowlers
Fast Bowlers
Temba Bavuma
Keshav Maharaj
Wiaan Mulder
Quinton de Kock
Tabraiz Shamsi
Kagiso Rabada
Rassie van der Dussen
Dwaine Pretorious
Heinrich Klaasen
Bjorn Fortuin
Anrich Nortje
Aiden Markram
Lungi Ngidi
David Miller
Reeza Hendricks
George Linde
Andile Phehlukwayo
Lizaad Williams
Group 1 2021 T20 World Cup Squads: South Africa
South Africa Probable XI
Aiden Markram, 2. Quinton de Kock (WK), 3. Temba Bavuma*, 4. Rassie van der Dussen, 5. David Miller, 6. Heinrich Klassen, 7. Dwaine Pretorious, 8. Anrich Nortje, 9. Kagiso Rabada, 10. Keshav Maharaj, 11. Tabraiz Shamsi
Average Age:29
Unlucky to Miss Out: George Linde (reserves), Imran Tahir, Faf Du Plessis, Chris Morris, Janneman Malan
Prediction:Rank 3rd in Group 1. Will start in the Top 2, but might narrowly miss out due to net run rate or a streak of losses at the end.
Does South Africa Have It In Them To Win the T20 World Cup?
A competitive team that is perhaps missing the winning edge. Experience of Kagiso Rabada-Anrich Nortje from their brilliant IPL 2020 at UAE will matter, since the World T20 is also staged at the same place. Spin is expected to play a role, and Tabraiz Shamsi has been an absolute star over the past year. Rabada-Nortje-Ngidi and Shamsi-Maharaj is a strong T20 bowling side and with Quinton de Kock-Markram-Miller-van der Dussen forming the batting core, South Africa have a competitive T20I side but the reserves are thin.
Several selection questions for South Africa. George Linde has been a breakout star for SA in the past year, playing the Mitchell Santner sort of role. Another left-arm spinner Fortuin has been named, while Linde is in the reserves.
Faf du Plessis just made a 120* in the CPLand was coming back into form after the concussion, and Imran Tahir was still a threat in The Hundred. One has to ask, the ‘conversations’ between Smith-Boucher and free agents AB De Villiers, Faf, Morris, and Tahir that seemed to be going well at one stage—how did it fall apart?
West Indies T20 World Cup Squad
Batters
Spin Bowling All-Rounders
Medium Pace All-Rounders
Wicket-Keepers
Spin Bowlers
Fast Bowlers
Andre Fletcher
Fabian Allen
Kieron Pollard
Nicholas Pooran
Hayden Walsh Jr.
Obed McCoy
Chris Gayle
Roston Chase
Dwayne Bravo
Lendl Simmons
Ravi Rampaul
Shimron Hetmyer
Andre Russell
Oshane Thomas
Evin Lewis
Darren Bravo
Jason Holder
Akeal Hosein
Sheldon Cottreell
Group 1 2021 T20 World Cup Squads: West Indies
Probable XI
Evin Lewis, 2. Lendl Simmons, 3. Chris Gayle, 4. Shimron Hetmyer, 5. Nicholas Pooran, 6. Kieron Pollard (C), 7. Andre Russell, 8. Fabian Allen, 9. Dwayne Bravo, 10. Hayden Walsh Jr., 11. Obed McCoy/Ravi Rampaul
Average Age: 31
Unlucky to Miss Out: Jason Holder (reserves), Sherfane Rutherford, Sunil Narine, Fidel Edwards, Kevin Sinclair, Rovman Powell, Romario Shepherd, Alzarri Joseph, Kennar Lewis, Odean Smith, Kesrick Williams, Carlos Brathwaite. For a detailed player-by-player analysis for each of the 42 players in contention, read here.
Surprise Inclusions: Roston Chase, Ravi Rampaul
Watch Out For: Fabian Allen, the find of West Indies’ home T20I series. Provides Pollard & Russell the breathing space and freedom to play their natural game knowing that Allen can still finish the game off. Also provides balance with left arm spin.
Prediction:Rank 1st in Group 1. Might get surprised by an Associate team, but should sweep the rest.
Does West Indies Have It In Them To Win the T20 World Cup?
Ravi Rampaul & Roston Chase, the highest wicket taker & run scorer of CPL 2021 so far, are the big winners. However, Rutherford and Romario Shepherd will find themselves a bit unlucky not to even find a reserve spot despite a good show in the CPL.
The XI basically picks itself, with each player a match-winner in their own right. The only questions are Simmons vs Fletcher and Rampaul Vs McCoy. Chase might not make the XI initially, but if it is a low scoring spin pitch, expect him to play that ‘Marlon Samuels’ role.
West Indies will miss stalwarts and lucky charms Sunil Narine & Carlos Brathwaite, but they have plenty of options to go without them. Good balance of youth & experience—will it be a fairytale hat-trick ending for Chris Gayle and co?
If you like this content on Group 1 2021 T20 World Cup Squads, please subscribe above for FREE and follow us on our social media accounts.
Famous French fashion designer Coco Chanel professed that “Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance.”
Simplicity and Intensity were the hallmarks of Dale Steyn’s illustrious career—ever smiling character with a popping veins-chainsaw celebration, a smooth, silky action that delivered lethal bouncers, a humble down-to-earth character who assumed the mantle of being the greatest fast bowler of his generation.
Hence, it was true to his character that he hung up his boots via an understated tweet. He signed off with a snippet from the Counting Crows rock band and summed up the end as “bittersweet, but grateful…It’s been 20 years of training, matches, travel, wins, losses, strapped feet, jet lag, joy, and brotherhood.”
Steyn was thrusted in the international arena after just seven first class games. He began his Test career on December 17, 2004 against England, debuting in the same match as the another-to-be legend, Abraham Benjamin de Villiers.
Both teams had great bowlers. On the opposite end—Steve Harmison, Simon Jones, Matthew Hoggard, and Andrew Flintoff (formed the core of the great 2005 Ashes series), while South Africa had the dependable duo of Shaun Pollock & Makhaya Ntini.
Then arrived a 21-year old boy in iconic fashion, going through the gates of Marcus Trescothick and breaking a 152-run opening partnership. In the 43rd over. Full and straight. Slight movement. He screamed. Crowd erupted.
Usually, one brilliant delivery in a match is good enough. However, the ball from Steyn’s debut that is remembered is that Michael Vaughan ball in the second innings. Good length, outswing, beats the bat, off stump rooted. Perfection.
Although South Africa eventually lost that match, they found someone would would win them the decade.
Dale Steyn Stats – Strike Rate Like No Other
Before we jump into his best hits, let us look over some numbers really quick.
We tend to focus on batting strike rate much more due to T20 cricket and increasing run-rates, but to understand what set Steyn apart, we need to understand bowling strike rate. Bowling strike rate is the number of balls taken per dismissal on average. The lower, the better.
Matches
Wickets
Best
Strike Rate
Average
5-fers
10-fers
Test (Overall)
93
439
7/51 (Innings) 11/60 (Match)
42.30
22.95
26
5
Test (Asia)
22
92
7/51 (Innings) 10/108 (Match)
42.9
24.11
5
1
Steyn in Tests
Matches
Wickets
Best
Strike Rate
Average
5-fers
Economy
ODI
125
196
6/39
31.90
25.95
3
4.87
T20I
47
64
4/9
15.80
18.35
2 (4-fers)
6.94
T20
228
263
4/9
19.20
22.00
4 (4-fers)
6.85
Steyn in ODIs and T20Is
To put this into perspective, for those with at least 100 Test wickets, Waqar Younis (43.4), Shoaib Akhtar, (45.7), and Allan Donald (47) are the only other contemporary fast bowlers who were close to Steyn’s SR. From an earlier era, Malcolm Marshall (46.7) was the best, while Kagiso Rabada (41.2), Anrich Nortje, and Pat Cummins (47.1) are in the race right now.
Records
Overall
(42.30) 6th Best Strike Rate of All-Time, 3rd Best post-World War I. Only Shane Bond (38.7) & fellow countrymen Kagiso Rabada (41.2) higher
3rd Fastest to 400 wickets, and the joint-fastest fast bowler to this mark alongside Sir Richard Hadlee (80 matches)
Most Test Wickets for South Africa, surpassing Shaun Pollock’s 421 wickets.
8th Highest Wicket-Taker of All-Time (Only Muralitharan, Warne, Anderson*, Kumble, McGrath, Broad, Walsh ahead. None had a strike rate below 51.9)
Individual
ICC Test Cricketer of the Year (2008)
ICC Test Team of the Decade (2020)
#1 Ranked ICC Test Bowler (2008-2014) – 78 wickets at 16.24 in the 2007/08 season.
IPL: Royal Challengers Bangalore, Deccan Chargers, Sunrisers Hyderabad
Other T20 Leagues: Cape Town Blitz (Mzansi Super League), Melbourne Stars, Islamabad United, Quetta Gladiators, Kandy Tuskers
My Favorite Steyn Memory
My favorite aspect about Steyn was his action. Just a joy to watch. Anytime any format if Steyn is bowling, I would turn my TV on.
You see, the Shoaib Akthars and Lasith Malingas are legends in their own rights, but emulating their actions is a convoluted task. The two pace bowlers with almost perfect actions that I tried to imitate in gully cricket were Brett Lee and Dale Steyn. Uncomplicated yet effective.
To be perfectly honest, I do not remember his specific bowling figures from the top of my head. He has bowled so consistently over the decades that you only remember his iconic wickets or spells. More often than not he probably took a 4-fer or a 5-fer. Most times, I was scared for my favorite batter in the opposite camp, and that is the beauty of Dale Steyn—the ability to send shivers in the opposite camp but in an awe-inspiring, charming kind of manner.
The Rise of Dale Steyn, Conqueror of All Conditions
It would be difficult to go through all of his 29 5-fers, so let us talk about the greatest hits from Steyn’s career. Dropped after his early debut, he made a comeback. Against New Zealand, he would get his first five-fer in 2006.
He had memorable spells against England, Australia, and New Zealand. He took 5 wicket hauls in every condition and situation. Either with helpful seaming conditions or reverse swing.
He has literally taken a 5-fer against every country he played against.
Best Figures (Overall) Against This Team
Best Figures In This Country
Australia
5/67
5/67
Bangladesh
5/63
4/48
England
5/51
5/56
India
7/51
7/51
New Zealand
6/49
3/49
Pakistan
6/8
5/56
South Africa
–
6/8
Sri Lanka
5/54
5/54
U.A.E.
–
4/98
West indies
6/34
5/29
Zimbabwe
5/46
5/46
The King of Asia
Steyn’s best figure was 7/51 at Nagpur in 2010, but it was his 5/23 in Ahmedabad (2008) that landed him in the lengdary fast bowling pantheon, when India were skittled out for 76 at home soil. His brilliant consistency in the 2008 series against India continued- 4/103 (Chennai), 5/23 & 3/91 (Ahmedabad), 3/71 (Kanpur).
In Sri Lanka, he lifted his game even more. 5/82 (2006), and beast mode in 2014 (5/54, 4/45, 2/69, 2/59). He even landed a 5/56 in Karachi (2007) and had a best innings of 4/48 in Bangladesh.
In limited overs, his record is decent as well although he did not play as many matches. 5 wickets in Nagpur against India in the 2011 World Cup, 4-0-17-4 figures while defending a thriller in the 2014 T20I World Cup, and a T20I economy of under-7 suggests he was a much better bowler than his T20 leagues returns suggest.
It would be grave injustice if I did not mention his batting. He was more than a useful down-the order player. Two Test fifties including a crucial 76 and a best of 60 in ODIs meant he was a better than a tailender, but not quite an all-rounder. Kemar Roach-esque batting abilities.
Steyn Vs AB De Villiers IPL
Another riveting memory is the 2012 IPL game between Deccan Chargers and Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Chinawamy. 24 runs in one over. The inside out shot was the best of them all and even got a wry smile from Steyn in appreciationg of ABD’s class.
The brilliance of that passage of play was two players at the top of their games in a pressure situation and for once, Steyn had lost to his fellow countrymen.
Which phase of Dale Steyn was the most memorable or heartbreaking for you?
The Injuries
Another miraculous part of Steyn’s journey was his career of two halves—with respect to injuries.
Usually a fast bowler succumbs to an injury early in their career and comes back stronger, more well built (like Pat Cummins). An injury in the middle of the career means lowering the pace and focusing on line & length (like Munaf Patel). Another extreme is Brett Lee or Shane Bond (always injured, played cricket in between without compromising speed).
Steyn completely escaped this phase and never lost control, momentum, or pace. However, the law of averages came back to bite him at the end of his career.
Injury. Rehabilitation. Few games. Repeat.
2013 (Groin Strain, Side Strain)
2014 (Rib Fracture, 3 Hamstring Strains)
2015 (Groin Strain)
2015-16 (Shoulder Injury)
2017 (Freak heel injury)
2019 (Shoulder Injury) after being selected into the ODI World Cup squad
Climbing the Peak
Although his goal was to lift a trophy with South Africa, there was always a personal goal—to go one past Shaun Pollock. After numerous injuries, he got back up on his feet and on Boxing Day 2018, he took his 422nd wicket to become the leading wicket-taker for South Africa.
It was probably fate that Shaun Pollock would be commentating on that exact moment. Watch the video below to relieve that moment and all of his major milestone wickets till then.
After his shoulder injury again just before South Africa’s 2019 campaign started (and derailed), he announced on 5 August 2019 he would retire from Tests to focus on limited overs cricket. He ended at 439 after going past 400 in 2014.
Loss of form, pandemic, and postponement of the T20 World Cups meant it was time to retire in the other formats as well.
Steyn goes past Shaun Pollock, thereby becoming the highest wicket-taker for South Africa in Test cricket.
Who Is Dale Steyn, The Person?
Now that we know how good Steyn is as a bowler, let us get an insight on who the person he truly is—what really makes Dale Steyn kick.He has a life outside cricket, ya know? Thankfully, his interviews, especially this ESPNCricinfo’s Cricket Monthly interview with Nagraj Gollapudi,provides us a glimpse into his life.
Dale Steyn was born in the small town of Phalaborwa in the Limpopo Province (borders Kruger National Park in South Africa). Maybe the natural environment around him had an effect of him since he became an out-doorsy kind of person. Skateboarding, surfing, and fishing are some of his favorite hobbies. He even flexed his acting muscles for a cameo role in a Drew Barrymore-Adam Sandler movie Blended.
The Inspiration
He is a natural athlete who competed at various sports from an early level. 100 meter sprints, long jump, triple jump, high jumps all prepared him for long spells of bowling in Test match arena. He wanted to be like “Allan Donald through the air, but I wanted to land the ball the way Polly landed.. I wanted to be a faster version of Shaun Pollock.“
The best of both worlds.
Steyn said that the “difference between a good fast bowler and a brilliant fast bowler is the wickets column.” He always backed himself to take wickets regardless of the condition and taking 5-fers in every Test playing nation was one of his goals. Here is his collection of souvenir cricket balls.
WOW!
Dale Steyn shows his collection of souvenir fifer balls 🔥
In order to rise to this level, he has had a lot of support from his coaches, Chris van Noordwyk, Vinnie Barnes, Geoff Clarke, and captains, Graeme Smith, AB De Villiers, and Hashim Amla.
Other Interesting Steyn Facts
There were couple of other cool snippets in there as well. Keeping his cool against dropped catches, facing the Kohlis and de Villiers, altercation with Michael Clarke, Tests vs ODIs, Tendulkar Vs Donald, and video analysis & field settings.
A fun fact is that his full run up is 19 meters, 21 steps, which helps him avoid bowling no-balls. Why is this important? Well because he once took a wicket on a no-ball early in the innings, and it cost his team dearly. The batter was Kumar Sangakkara and the innings became famous for the record 624 partnership with Mahela Jayawardene.
(If you want to learn how Steyn learned about cricket in the first place, hear it from the man himself. Interesting story).
Ian Smith on commentary. Grant Elliot. Superman. It hurt AB De Villers & Faf du Plessis. Definitely hurt Morne Morkel. Probably ended Vernon Philander’s career. We never saw Miller 1.0 again. The entire team. Devastated.
Now for a moment, let us put ourselves into Dale Steyn’s shoe. He dominated the world between 2008 and 2015. Responsibility for the last over of a World Cup semi-final rested on his shoulders (which would literally break a year later). South Africa’s history of collapses and chokes running in the background.
How must have it felt. Carrying the burden of the nation, the tag of the best fast bowler of the generation. One good ball, and you are in the legendary books. One bad ball, and you are scarred for life. Vettori squeezing a wide yorker, chaos in the field, overthrow chances. Steyn calm under pressure. Yet a half-volley in the small grounds of Auckland and Elliot did not miss his chance to glory.
Six. South Africa out. Steyn changed forever.
He reveals how he knew he was going to bowl the final over irrespective of Brendon McCullum’s expensive assault earlier in the innings. After all, he defended 7 runs in the 2014 T20 World Cup match against the same opposition. (He ended with 4-0-17-4 in Bangladesh. Wow). “This year was the hardest in dealing with that pain after the World Cup…We had our chances to win the game…Knowing that you have put four years’ hard work in, especially the last two years before the tournament, all you see is yourself holding the trophy. And then you don’t.”
The Downfall of the Great Era
With Steyn’s retirement, this is the close of one of the better chapters in South African cricket (Technically Faf and Tahir are still available for T20 World Cup selection, but have not been selected recently). All of them deserve a separate article.
Herschelle Gibbs was the architect of that 438 chase. Graeme Smith was the young leader who could bat with a broken hand. The pure class of Hashim Amla & AB De Villiers was unmatched. Faf’s leadership & resilience and once-in-a-generation-allrounder, Jacques Kallis, are often underrated. JP Duminy & Mark Boucher were the utility players every team needs for balance.
Steyn, Morkel, Philander, Rabada
Donald, Ntini, and Pollock passed on the baton to Morne Morkel, Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander, and Kagiso Rabada—possibly the greatest line up (if only for just a few Tests). Philander’s swing made him the second fastest to 50 wickets, while Morne’s height and action bamboozled one and all. Rabada will soon form his leagacy of his own, and Imran Tahir was the energy boost South Africa required.
Together, they conquered teams overseas and became the No. 1 Test Team of the decade, the only ones to really challenge the great 2000s Australia team consistently and win away from home in the 2010s.
The future of South Africa lies with Quinton de Kock, Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Janneman Malan (100+ average in 9 ODIs by the way), Keshav Maharaj, and Tabraiz Shamsi. This is a pretty solid core, but it will take quite a few generations to reach the heights of Steyn’s South African team.
The Legacy of Dale Steyn
To answer this question, we must first ask ourselves what is great fast bowling?
Is it swinging it like Jimmy Anderson? Putting fear in the opposition’s heart like a Mitchell Johnson or Shoaib Akhtar? Delivering consistent line and lengths like Glenn McGrath & Shaun Pollock? Having a seamless action like Brett Lee? Bowling yorkers at will like a Mitchell Starc? Reverse swing like Waqar Younis?
Imagine all of these players. Package them into one. Add a tinge of humbleness with Sam Curran’s ability to make things happen. There you have it. Dale Steyn, the greatest Test pace bowler of all time.
The 1980s had Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, and the West Indies fast bowlers. The 1990s with was dominated by the Pakistan duo Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram. Kapil Dev, Imran Khan, Richard Hadlee all played stellar roles in this era as well. Steyn, Akhtar, and Lee a carried the baton to the next generation and made sure that “fast bowling is cool.” In the age of T20 cricket where sixes are hit on will, Steyn played his part in extending the beauty of pace bowling. The fact that Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje have arrived on the scene has to be credited to senior bowlers like Steyn & Morkel.
He ends that interview with, “The moment I feel I can’t contribute anymore I will not hang on. And if I fall just short of 100 Test matches or five short of 500 Test wickets, that’s fine.”
Unfortunately, that his how it ended. 7 short of a 100 Tests and 61 short of 500 wickets. Legendary career nevertheless.
Dale Steyn Vs Jimmy Anderson – Let Us Settle The Debate
Both Anderson and Steyn are in awe of each other. Steyn describes Anderson as “a more skillful bowler…I am a fan,” in Sky Sports’ Lockdown special, while Anderson’s tribute tweet to his retirement was that Steyn was “The Best.”
Every generation, there are three to five great fast bowlers but maybe one all-time great. We should be grateful we had two. Jimmy Anderson, the greatest swing bowler in the history of Test cricket and Dale Steyn, the greatest pace bowler of all-time.
Let us appreciate both and cheer on Jimmy Anderson in whatever time he has left.
What Can We Learn From Dale Steyn?
Being at the top for over a decade requires immense discipline and fitness levels.
It is one thing to be a great fast bowler. Another to comeback with the same intensity. Not once, not twice. But thrice. My heart sank when his freak heel injury occurred, a sign that the end was near.
I just wanted him to bowl some more. Another Test. Just another spell. Maybe one more over.
Every good thing comes to an end, and so does his magnificent career. I am sure he will continue to inspire athletes around the world and mentor fast bowlers like he did in his career. We will all miss watching Dale Steyn dominate the best batting attacks around the world. I will miss that anger, speed, cartwheeling stumps, celebration, and of course, the action.
Life Lessons
Kids, if you are reading this and want to make a sports person your idol, there is no one better than the great Dale Steyn. So what can we learn from Dale Steyn?
Give it your all on the field and be a decent human being off it. Steyn might have shown plenty of emotions in intense situations, but outside the cricket ground, he is a super chill dude who likes to fish and stay away from conflict.
The truth is that being gifted alone cannot make you great. Simplicity. Honesty. Hard work. Discipline. Consistency. Longevity. Adaptability. You need all characteristics to work in sync.
Steyn was gifted. Not everyone can bowl at such high pace. If you are talented in a particular area and enjoy doing it, you should pursue it further. In order to convert the potential into actual realization, persevere and power through.
You will eventually find your away. Just like a Steyn outswinger that beat the bat and rattled the top of off stump.
Mathematician. Quizzer. History buff. CEO. Director. Storyteller. Writer. Public Speaker. Sports Administrator. Looking at the life of Joy Bhattarcharjya.
Dimuth Karunaratne provided stability to Sri Lankan cricket during a turbulent decade. As he retires after 100 Tests, we look back at his stellar career.
In The Alchemist, a young shepherd named Santiago from the Andalusian region of Spain leaves his simple life to chase a dream, which he calls his ‘Personal Legend.’ He embarks on a journey of self-discovery filled with unexpected twists and turns. Along the way, he learns several life lessons. One of my favorites is, “When…
Jimmy Anderson bowled over 40,000 balls in Test cricket over an international career encompassing 5 FIFA World Cups, 6 Harry Potter movies, 8 British Prime Ministers, 8 full-time England captains, 11 Taylor Swift albums, 20 ICC Men’s tournaments, formation of four independent nations, a worldwide recession, advent of generative AI, and a global pandemic. Sir…
Neil Wagner retires after one of the most iconic Test careers of all-time. There has never been someone like him, nor will there be another Neil Wagner.
What life lessons can we learn from Sachin Tendulkar on his 50th birthday? He represented hope, excellence, and discipline, and more for a billion people.
Longevity & consistency, breaking barriers, mentoring others, staying focused, and daring to dream—This is what Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami teaches me.
Caribbean Premier League (CPL 2021)—The party is back in town once again!
The West Indies have just finished a marathon 14 game home T20I season against South Africa, Australia, and Pakistan.
It is now time for the domestic West Indies T20 league and for fringe players to make their cases. In the first 3 days of CPL 2021, we have had so many great moments—Dre Russ’s 14-ball 50, TKR already losing a game, Faf’s comeback from concussion, Sherfane Rutherford’s magnificent form, Tims (David & Seifert) having breakout seasons, and experienced Amir-Udana-Rampaul-Tahir topping the bowling charts so far. If you haven’t been watching, this is time to switch your TVs back on, especially with the T20 World Cup approaching soon.
Here is everything you need to know about CPL 2021.
Barbados Tridents & Saint Lucia Zouks no more, we now have Barbados Royals (from Rajasthan Royals) & Saint Lucia Kings (from Punjab Kings).
The Indian Premier League is slowly taking over the world.
*Teams highlighted in their respective jersey colors
Trinbago Knight Riders
West Indies Internationals: Kieron Pollard (C), Darren Bravo, Lendl Simmons, Sunil Narine, Denesh Ramdin (WK), Ravi Rampaul, Jayden Seales, Akeal Hosein, Khary Pierre, Anderson Phillip
West Indies Domestic: Leonardo Julien (WK), Tion Webster
Foreign Recruits: Ali Khan (USA), Colin Munro, Tim Seifert (NZ), Isuru Udana (SL), Yasir Shah (Pakistan)
Coaching Staff: Imran Jan
I am looking forward to the New Zealand duo Munro & Seifert along with the fast bowling trio – experienced Rampaul, promising Seales, & energetic Ali Khan.
Trinbago Knight Riders Expected XI:
Lendl Simmons, 2. Tim Seifert, 3. Colin Munro, 4. Darren Bravo, 5. Kieron Pollard, 6. Sunil Narine, 7. Denesh Ramdin, 8. Ravi Rampaul/Isuru Udana, 9. Jayden Seales, 10. Ali Khan, 11. Akeal Hosein
Barbados Royals
West Indies Internationals: Jason Holder (C), Johnson Charles (WK), Shai Hope (WK), Kyle Mayers, Ashley Nurse, Raymon Reifer, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr.
West Indies Domestic: Joshua Bishop, Justin Greaves, Nyeem Young
Foreign Recruits: Azam Khan – WK, Mohammad Amir (Pakistan), Jake Lintott (England), Smit Patel – WK (USA/ former India), Thisara Perera (Sri Lanka), Glenn Phillips – WK (New Zealand)
Coaching Staff: Trevor Penney
I am lookingforward to theforeign contingent. Jake Lintott had a successful Hundred season, Glenn Phillips & Azam Khan are power hitters, while Perera & Amir have reputation and experience on their side.
West Indies Internationals: Nicholas Pooran (WK/C), Shimron Hetmyer, Brandon King, Romario Shepherd, Kevin Sinclair, Chandrapaul Hemraj (6 ODIs), Odean Smith (2 T20I)
West Indies Domestic: Anthony Bramble (WK), Gudakesh Motie, Ashmead Nedd, Nial Smith
Foreign Recruits: Imran Tahir (South Africa), Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez (Pakistan), Naveen-ul-Haq (Afghanistan)
Coaching Staff: Rayon Griffith
I am looking forward to thedynamic between young & experience. While Pooran, Hetmyer, Shepher, & King have youth on their side, Hafeez, Malik, and Tahir are world class T20 match-winners.
West Indies Internationals: Roston Chase, Rahkeem Cornwall, Andre Fletcher, Alzarri Joseph, Obed McCoy, Keemo Paul, Kesrick Williams
West Indies Domestic: Kadeem Alleyne, Keron Cottoy, Mark Deyal, Javelle Glen, Jeavor Royal
Foreign Recruits: Faf du Plessis – C (South Africa), Tim David (Singapore), Samit Patel (England), Usman Qadir, Wahab Riaz (Pakistan)
Coaching Staff: Andy Flower
I am looking forward to the West Indies internationals. Roston Chase, Cornwall, Kesrick Williams, Paul are not in the current T20I plan for the West Indies and Joseph, McCoy, and Paul are still on the fringes. This CPL season will show who gets in and who does not to the T20 World Cup squad. Also hope that Faf du Plessis has recovered from the concussion.
Saint Lucia Kings Expected XI:
Faf du Plessis, 2. Andre Fletcher, 3. Rahkeem Cornwall, 4. Roston Chase, 5. Tim David, 6. Samit Patel, 7. Keemo Paul, 8. Kesrick Williams, 9. Usman Qadir/Wahab Riaz, 10. Obed McCoy, 11. Alzarri Joseph
St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots
West Indies Internationals: Dwayne Bravo (C), Fabian Allen, Sheldon Cottrell, Joshua Da Silva (WK), Rayad Emrit, Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis, Sherfane Rutherford, Devon Thomas
West Indies Domestic: Colin Archibald, Dominic Drakes, Jon-Russ Jaggesar, Mikyle Louis
Foreign Recruits: Asif Ali (Pakistan), Ravi Bopara (England), Fawad Ahmed (Australia), Paul van Meekeren
Coaching Staff: Simon Helmot
I am looking forward to Evin Lewis & Fabian Allen. They have been the two standout performers in the last three home T20I series. Can they continue their good form?
St. Kitts & Patriots Expected XI:
Devon Thomas, 2. Evin Lewis, 3. Chris Gayle, 4. Sherfane Rutherford, 5. Ravi Bopara, 6. Asif Ali, 7. Joshua Da Silva, 8. Dwayne Bravo, 9. Fabian Allen, 10. Fawad Ahmed, 11. Sheldon Cottrell
Jamaica Tallawahs
West Indies Internationals: Rovman Powell (C), Carlos Brathwaite, Andre Russell, Shamarh Brooks, Fidel Edwards, Jason Mohmammed, Veerasammy Permaul, Chadwick Walton (WK)
Foreign Recruits: Haider Ali (Pakistan), Ryan Persaud (USA), Migael Pretorius (South Africa), Qais Ahmad (Afghanistan)
Coaching Staff: Floyd Reifer
I am looking forward to the star-studded lower middle order—Powell, Brathwaite, and Russell. 255/5 in their opening game already shows the potential of this team.
Jamaica Tallawahs Expected XI:
Chadwick Walton (WK), 2. Kennar Lewis, 3. Haider Ali, 4. Shamarh Brooks, 5. Rovmann Powell, 6. Andre russell, 7. Carlos Brathwaite, 8. Chris Green, 9. Veerasammy Permaul, 10. Fidel Edwards, 11. Qais Ahmed
Key Match Ups To Watch Out For
Huge CPL season ahead for Andre Fletcher – The Spice Man came back to the West Indies T20I side on a back of a good BBL and Big Bash tournament. However, his form in the international arena dropped off. Johnson Charles & Brandon King are contenders for the reserve opener spot if Fletcher does not have a good show here.
Warriors show glimpse of West Indies’ future – Brandon King, Pooran, Hetmyer, Romario Shepherd, Kevin Sinclair may form the core of a future West Indies team without Gayle, Pollard, or Bravo.
Can Trinbago Knight Riders do it again? Last season TKR won 12 games on a trot to dominate CPL 2020. With a similar composition of their squad, can they make it 5 trophies?
Caribbean Premier League 2021 Predictions
Finally here are my predictions.
My prediction for the team to lift the CPL 2021 trophy is….Jamaica Tallawahs with the Top 4 of Guyana Amazon Warriors, St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots, and Trinbago Knight Riders.
Most Runs: Evin Lewis
Most Wickets: Obed McCoy
Emerging Player: Rohail Nazir
Surprise Package: Tim David/Jake Lintott
Broken Cricket Dream: Final CPL edition for Shoaib Malik?
Here were my Caribbean Premier League – CPL 2021 Predictions. What did you think? What are YOUR predictions? Comment Below!
We bring to you the list of best Test matches over the past four years. Thrilling finishes galore! Who said Test matches are boring?
by Nitesh Mathur, 08/27/2021
West Indies’ 1-wicket victory against Pakistan and India’s comeback at Lord’s have added another couple of great matches in our memory banks. We have seen some exhilarating Test cricket in the past couple of years.
If there was ever any doubt on the quality of Test cricket, here are 18 matches that have revived Test cricket in the past 4 years.
Match Summary: Pakistan: 376 & 174/8 declared; West Indies: 247 & 202
Player of the Match: Roston Chase
The Tension
After 95 overs of resistance, with only 7 balls to go for a valiant draw, Shannon Gabriel heaves Yasir Shah and gets bowled. Roston Chase stranded on 101* (239) after batting for an epic 366 minutes. Strategic stroke or brain fade from Gabriel?
Pakistan’s first ever series win on West Indian soil as they claim the the series 2-1. Misbah-ul-Haq & Younis Khan retire in style in this famous “Mis-You” series.
In their first innings, Australia had collapsed from 161-1 to 202-10. In the second innings, they had 462 runs to chase or 140 overs to bat. And 140 overs they batted. The man of the hour was Usman Khawaja – 85 (175) & 141 (302), batting for a total of 766 minutes (around 13 hours) to give Australia one of their most savored draws.
Commentary/Winning Moment
“It was assumed that Australia would lose that Test match. What Australia was looking for…was a test of character” – Amazon Prime The Test
Significance
This was Australia’s first true moral victory since Steve Smith & David Warner were banned. Usman Khawaja had never truly solidified his place in the Australian XI, but this innings ensured his career would always be remembered due to this legendary knock.
Match Summary:New Zealand: 153 & 249; Pakistan: 227 & 171
Player of the Match: Ajaz Patel
The Tension
In a chase of 176, Pakistan collapsed in the most Pakistan fashion from 147/4 to 171/10. With a mandatory run-out of course. NZ somehow won by 4 runs. Ajaz Patel with a 5-fer on Test debut.
Commentary/Winning Moment
“And what a victory for the New Zealanders. They deserve it. WOOW! …It’s an unbelievable victory for New Zealand. You can see how much it means to them.” Commentary Video
Match Summary: South Africa: 235 & 259; Sri Lanka: 191 & 304/9
Player of the Match: Kusal Perera
The Tension
In a mammoth chase of 304, Sri Lanka were struggling at 110/5. What followed was a knock for the ages. Kusal Perera hit a miraculous 153* (200) with 12 sixes & 5 fours. The last wicket partnership between Perera & Vishwa Fernando was 78*, with only 6* (27) coming from Fernando’s bat.
Commentary/Winning Moment
“He’s done it! He absolutely does it. One of the greatest see from a Sri Lankan outside Sri Lanka…What a historical day at Durban.” Watch the winning moment here, a contender for the greatest Test match innings of all time.
Significance
Sri Lanka go on to win the series 2-0. First time anAsian team won a Test series in South Africa.
Match Summary: Australia: 179 & 246; England: 67 & 362/9
Player of the Match: Ben Stokes
The Tension
Despite being a wonderful series to watch all around, the thunder was stolen by Ben Stokes’ 135*, Jack Leach’s glasses, Nathan Lyon’s run out opportunity, and Tim Paine’s missed DRS review. A 76* (62) partnership for the final wicket. Oohs & Aahs. Reverse sweeps, scoops, and hoicks. Just a great day to be a cricket fan. One of the greatest innings of all time.
Commentary/Winning Moment
“Cut away. Cut away for 4. What an innings. What a player. Take a bow Ben Stokes. The Ashes well and truly alive because of one cricketer & that cricketer is Benjamin Stokes.” (Nasser Hussain) Entire Day 5 minute highlights
Significance
This series had so many moments. Stuart Broad 23 wickets & dismissed Warner 7 times. Steve Smith’s legendary masterclass was breathtaking. 774 runs, 3 tons, 3 fifties, best of 211, 110.57 average. Jofra Archer’s Test debut, Smith’s concussion, and Marnus Labuschagne’s entrance as cricket’s first concussion substitute—353 runs, 4 fifties at 51.00. Not a bad start, I say. Ideal beginning for the World Test Championship, a 2-2 Ashes series.
Match Summary: England: 204 & 313; Sri Lanka: 318 & 200/6
Player of the Match: Shannon Gabriel
The Tension
It was a Test match that went all the way to session 3 of Day 5, which became a common theme for Test matches post the COVID break. After Shannon Gabriel’s 9-fer & #1 all-round Jason Holder had given West Indies the advantage, they characteristically lost it on the final day. The Windies had collapsed for 27/3 in a chase of 200. Then an inspirational 95 by Jermaine Blackwood 2.0 brought WI back with the supporting cast of a hobbling John Campbell & the engine room—Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich, and Jason Holder.
Commentary/Winning Moment (None other than than Ian Bishop)
“Victory for the West Indies. A most significant moment for Jason Holder and his team. Great credit to their skill, their commitment. The West Indian people and world credit owes them a great debt…” Commentary Video
Significance
The coronavirus had hit and ravaged the world. Worldwide lockdown was in-effect and sports had closed its doors for months. Thanks to the West Indies & England cricket boards, players, the support staff, & essential works, cricket made a comeback via bio-bubbles.
Match Summary: New Zealand: 431 & 180/5 declared; Pakistan: 318 & 200/6
Player of the Match: Kane Williamson
The Tension
With a chase of 373 at hand in tough New Zealand conditions, Pakistan were 4/2 at tea on Day 4.One of those one-sided home victories for New Zealand again? Not this time. Not with Fawad Alam. With support from the ever dependable trio Azhar Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, and Faheed Ashraf, Alam scored 102over 6 and a half hours. Yet a Pakistan-esque collapsed followed after surviving 123.3 overs. Pakistan lost with only 4.4 overs to go. What a jumping catch by Santner as well for the last wicke.t. The drama.
Commentary/Winning Moment
“[Catch it] Oh he’s done it. He’s pulled a hander! Mitchell Santner has done it! Mitchell Santner has finished the game for New Zealand. Look at the scenes!” Commentary Video
Significance
Last match of the decade. Turning point for Test cricket. Brilliant rearguard effort despite the loss. And Fawad Alam. What a story. Dropped after 3 Tests despite scoring a 168 on debut. Criticized for scoring hard, ugly runs with a weird stance. Left out for a decade. . Grinded in domestic cricket. Runs after runs. Till he could be ignored no more. Has now scored 4 hundreds since his comeback. Patience is, indeed, the key to success.
India had won the 2018 series 2-1 on the back of Pujara’s toil – 521 (1258). Could they repeat the magic in 2021 with Warner & Smith?
It began with the 36 All-Out at Adelaide. Spectacular bowling performance from Australia. Then Rahane’s century & calm captaincy rejuvenated India at Melbourne. Show of resilience and immense mental strength followed from Vihari-Ashwin after the Pujara-Pant show to secure a draw in Sydney. Finally the young brigade breached the Gabba Fortress. Shubman Gill, Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar, Mohammad Siraj, and Rishabh Pant the stars.
Commentary/Winning Moment
“Pujara, to a younger generation is just a curiosity. As the game moves more and more towards T20, which is the modern savior of our game, the word resilience starts to go out because there is no time for resilience. ” – Harsha Bhogle on Pujara in Amazon Prime’s The Test
Significance
The 2018 victory was the first instance an Asian team has won a Test series in Australia. The 2021 series? Arguably the best Test series since Ashes 2005—This series had everything—bowling excellence, centuries, youngsters, experience, banter, sledging, draws, collapses, and chases. Even with a so-called injured ‘third string,’ squad, whenever India were down, they came back with new hope & stars.
Match Summary: Sri Lanka: 135 & 359; England: 421 & 76/3
Player of the Match: Joe Root
The Tension
The Joe Root Vs Lasith Embuldeniya series. On paper, does not look too close, but the 1st Test was actually engrossing to watch. In chase of 74, England were 14/3 with Joe Root run out (the only way he can get out these days). Jonny Bairstow & Dan Lawrence took England home but the tension was high. 4 innings, 446 runs for Root, 15 wickets for Embuldeniya. Individual brilliance.
Commentary/Winning Moment
“Massive, massive. This is massive. England in a spot of bother.” (After Root’s dismissal) Commentary Video
Significance
Start of Root’s magical year; English fan stranded in Galle cheers from the fort; England won the series 2-0 to extend their overseas winning streak to 5 after they had won 3-1 in South Africa earlier. They would win another in Chennai before Axar Patel decimated England’s subcontinental dreams. (England had also won the 2018 tour of Sri Lanka 3-0 in this same timeframe).
Match Summary: Bangladesh: 430 & 223/8 declared; West Indies: 259 & 395/7
Player of the Match: Kyle Mayers
The Tension
Imagine that you are not sending your 1st XI to Bangladesh, a spin-heavy nation that has had an impeccable record in the past 5 years. No expectations before hand.Bangladesh would have been happy with their effort with centuries from Mehidy Hasan Miraz & Mominul Haque. They even declared in the second innings.
A successful chase of 395 runs followed in 127.3 overs with twodebutants, Kyle Mayers (40 & 210*) & Nkrumah Bonner (86)sealing it for the West Indies with a remarkable partnership of 216 runs. Fourth innings match-winning double century on debut in the subcontinent. Wow.
Commentary/Winning Moment (Ian Bishop Again)
“A win to warm the hearts of every West Indian wherever you are in the world! New heroes have emerged from the ashes..” Commentary Video
Significance
West Indies won the series 2-0 in Bangladesh with a depleted squad. The greatest chase of all-time?
Match Summary: India: 217 & 170; New Zealand: 249 & 140/2
Player of the Match: Kyle Jamieson
The Tension
Under difficult batting conditions and rain all around, both teams fought it out till the very end. The WTC Final was expected to be a boring draw two rains and bad light. Instead, it became a thriller that went deep into Day 6, final session. With a chase of 139, Latham-Conway had departed to spin trial by R Ashwin. Reversed DRS decision, maidens, and a dropped catch later. At 44/2, anything could have happened the way Ashwin was bowling. When the time came, the experienced duo Kane Williamson & Ross Taylor came together, soaked in the pressure, and after took New Zealand home safely.
First major victory for Kiwis in an ICC event. BJ Watling retires on a high, Taylor-Williamson finish, Jamieson shines, 6th Day finish, rain—what else do you need?
Memorable Moment: Kemar Roach & understudy Jayden Seales seal a 1-wicket victory in a tense finish; Both teams with a chance of victory at the end of the fourth session
Match Summary: Pakistan: 217 & 203; West Indies: 253 & 168/9
Player of the Match: Jayden Seales
The Tension
168 target. West Indies collapse to 16/3. After a classic 55 by Jermaine Blackwood, West Indies slip to 114/7. Pakistan needed 3 wickets. West Indies 54 runs. Then Kemar Roach came to the party and had to the take the responsibility of ‘batting with the tail.‘. Roach’s 30* and a valiant 17-run partnership between the mentor-protege pair, Roach-Jayden Seales guided West Indies to a memorable 1-wicket victory.
Match Summary: India: 217 & 203; England: 253 & 168/9
Player of the Match: KL Rahul
The Tension
Day 5, All Results possible. England Favorites. India, not known for their tailender run-machines, unleash Mohammad Shami (56*) & Jasprit Bumrah (34*). 89* partnership as India declared with 2 sessions to go. Then, the pacers fire in unison as India wreck England for 120.
Commentary/Winning Moment
“Unbelievable performance from India. They were up against it. England were favorites coming into Day 5. Kohli an his men have turned it all around.” Commentary Video
Significance
Victory at Lord’s. Another display of fighting it out and not giving up for Team India. Australia tour was not a fluke. This Indian team is on the rise.
Match Summary:India 345 & 234/7 declared; New Zealand 296 & 165/9
Player of the Match: Shreyas Iyer
The Tension
By Tea on Day 5, the main batters for New Zealand—Latham, Williamson, and Taylor had all departed. Somerville’s 36 (125) delayed what seemed inevitable for India. Little did India know that they would run into Test debutant Rachin (Rahul + Sachin) Ravindra—18* (91) & Ajaz Patel 2* (29) to hold out for a memorable draw.Add bad light to the drama as well.
Commentary/Winning Moment
“For a long period of time, New Zealand have struggled to find wins or draws in this country. There is a lot of respect between these two sides. Lot of respect between the skippers.” Commentary Video
Match Summary:New Zealand 328 & 169; Bangladesh 458 & 42/2
Player of the Match: Ebadot Hossain
The Tension
After Bangladesh took lead in the first innings, but Will Young-Ross Taylor had taken NZ to 136/2. In the next hour, 136/3, 136/4, 136/5, 154/6, 160/7, 160/8, 161/9, 169/10. The hour that changed it all feat Ebadot Hossain.
Commentary/Winning Moment
“There it is! Finds the gap and Bangladesh have finally conquered the World Test Champions. And have their first ever Test victory over New Zealand, home or away. It has taken 16 attempts against New Zealand but historic ground has now been broken.” Commentary Video
Significance
The greatest comeback of all time? World Test Champions, undefeated at home for a few years, against a team not known for winning overseas. The best part of all? Bangladesh dominated the entire Test and new heroes emerging—Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Mominul Haque, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Liton Das, Mehdiy Hasan Miraz, Ebadot Hossain. No Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, & Mahmudullah, and Mushfiqur Rahim only scoring 12 & 5.
Match Summary:Australia 416/8 declared & 265/6 declared; England 294 & 270/9
Player of the Match: Usman Khawaja
The Tension
England 3-0 down in the Ashes series. Very likely the series could have become 5-0. First innings, Australia scored 400+, courtesy Khawaja’s comeback century. England came out with a positive attitude, with Jonny Bairstow recording England’s first ton of the series. Khawaja followed with another ton, which set the Test beautifully for Day 5, fifth session. Last batter to go, Labuschagne and Steve Smith bowling leggies in tandem. Against Stuart Broad & jimmy Anderson. Mouthwatering stuff.
“Last ball…He’s done it! He’s survived it. England have survived it. They’ve batted out the day. They’ve batted a hundred and two overs.
Significance
Last shining moment for the Broad-Anderson duo? In terms of Test cricket, this week (starting on January 43rd, 2022) was the peak. NZ vs Bangladesh, Ashes 4th Test, and Ind vs SA 2nd Test, all classic thrillers.
Match Summary:India 202 & 266;South Africa 229 & 243/3
Player of the Match: Dean Elgar
The Tension
India had won the first Test of the series comfortably. This was India’s best chances to conquer South Africa. Successful overseas victories in Australia and England, an unparalleled depth, and a South Africa team at their lowest point. In a low scoring series, 202 & 266 were decent scores. Day 4, 240 monumental target for SA against a bowling line up of Bumrah-Shami-Thakur-Siraj-Ashwin, and what happens? Elgar takes body blows, does not hesitate, and makes a glorious 96*. No captain Kohli. India succumbs to defeat by 7 wickets.
Commentary/Winning Moment
“That’s it! History has been made at the Wanderers. and South Africa have fought back brilliantly! Take a bow, Dean Elgar….Fantastic effort, leading from the front. He’s worn a few on the body but hasn’t bothered him. Shown character and desire, grit & determination to get his team over the line. And set up the series beautifully.” Commentary Video
Significance
A win against India at Wanderers at last. First 200+ chase for SA in a decade. After losing the first Test of a series, this was truly a comeback of the ages. India missed their golden chance due to some tough cricket from the Proteas. Third Test, captain Kohli came back. Rishabh Pant scored 100*, but Keegan Petersen’s 72 & 82 meant that SA chased 212/3 yet again.
Match Summary:Australia 337/9 declared & 216/7 declared; England 297 & 245/9 declared
Player of the Match: Heather Knight
The Tension
Heather Knight’s Test, but Australia had the upper hand. After they declared for 216/7 in the 2nd innings, England took on the challenge for the chase of 257. At 218/3 with Nat Sciver & Sophia Dunkley, it seemed that England might win this. But Alana King, Beth Mooney’s catch, Sutherland’s bouncers, and a run out ensured England’s collapse. Last ball, full toss, England 245/9. The narrowest of draws.
Commentary/Winning Moment
“And it’s a full toss. It is a drawww! And it is one of the very best Test matches we have seen in women’s Ashes.
Significance
In Women’s Test cricket, this was a friendly reminder that Test cricket can flourish if given the chance and plenty of opportunities, both at the domestic and international level. With focus on the 4-day vs 5-day debate, this Test came at hte right time.
Why Are We Seeing Close Test Matches So Frequently?
For an away team to win a Test match, it takes an immense amount of effort and equal amount of fightback from the home team. Hence, winning an away Test usually means going deep into the 4th of 5th Day, which makes for an interesting viewing. On the other hand, home team in friendly bowling conditions mean Test matches can end within 3-4 days (even 2 days).
More away victories or draws means more close Test matches.
Dismal 2010s
What do you remember about Test cricket in the 2010s? Mitchell Johnson 2013, the advent of the Day-Night Test, Smith-Warner saga, South Africa’s blockathon in Delhi, and excellence from the South African team, Dale Steyn, Anderson-Broad, Boult-Southee, Starc-Hazlewood-Lyon-Cummins, Jadeja-Ashwin, Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Steve Smith, and Kane Williamson.
Above all, though, I remember disproportionate margins by which home teams won. India losing in England 0-4 (with RP Singh flying from Miami due to excessive injury list) & Australia 0-4 (2011). India came back to England with 1-3 (2014), and 1-4 (2018). Their record in South Africa and New Zealand, remains disastrous till today. England and Australia were either swept apart or struggled to make a mark in India or Bangladesh. Meanwhile, Pakistan had made UAE their fortress under Misbah-ul-Haq.
Post the 2010-12 England generation (think Alastair Cook Ashes 2010 & England victory 2-1 in India), except for South Africa, no other team seemed competitive overseas. Only Faf du Plessis’ Adelaide debut & England’s defiance via Matt Prior against New Zealand (2013) stretched to the end of Day 5.
From the list above, we can see that the tide is finally turning. Even in England’s disaster tour of India earlier this year (1-3), they won the first Test in Chennai.
Rise of Away Wins, Sporting Declarations, and Pakistan/West Indies
So why have we seen a resurgence of overseas victory?
It can be attributed to 4 factors – (1) Increase depth in cricket teams in general, (2) sporting declarations (#1, #2, #5, #8, #13, #15, #17), (3) captains like Virat Kohli focusing their resources and energy on Test cricket, (4) the rise of the West Indies/Pakistan.
One might argue that West Indies still have a dismal Test record. However, we can see that they made it in this list 3 times. They have definitely become a competitive force under Jason Holder although consistency is now needed. ‘Second tier Test’ teams like West Indies, Pakistan, Bangladesh, South Africa and Sri Lanka punching above their weights and winning overseas matches adds to the excitement (A Relegation-Promotion System in the World Test Championship might help out).
Anyway, here is to more great Test matches. Yes, live audience in Test cricket is decreasing and overkill of cricket/new formats might threaten Test Cricket, but as long as the cricket is good, Test matches will remain alive.
