Article Index

Top 11 Cricketers Who Retired Too Early – The Lost Generation of Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen, AB De Villiers, Hashim Amla, and Michael Clarke

by Nitesh Mathur | Sep 23, 2021 | Analysis, Article Index, World XIs - With Twists

Greatness.

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?

Also Read: 22 Unlucky Cricketers, Most Underrated Cricketers

Table of Contents

To Retire Or Not to Retire, That is the Question

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.

1. Michael Clarke (Australia)

Tests: 115 Matches, 8643 runs, 49.10 average, 329* best, 100s/50s – 28/27, 31 wickets

ODIs: 245 Matches, 7981 runs, 44.58 average, 130 best, 100s/50s – 8/58, 57 wickets

T20Is: 34 Matches, 488 runs, 21.21 average, 103.17 SR, 67 best, 50-1, 6 wickets

Cricketers Who Retired Trivia

Debut: January 18, 2003 (ODI)
Last Match: August 19-22, 2015 (Test)
Age Debuted: 21
Age Retired: 33
Why Did He Retire?

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.

Embed from Getty Images

2. Ryan Harris (Australia)

Tests: 27 Matches, 113 wickets, 23.52 average, 50.70 SR, best of 7/117 & 9/106, 4w/5w – 4/5

ODIs: 21 Matches, 44 wickets, 18.90 average, 5/19 best, 5w – 3

Cricketers Who Retired Trivia

Debut: January 17, 2009 (ODI)
Last Match: January 5-9, 2015 (Test)
Age Debuted: 29
Age Retired: 35
Why Did He Retire?

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.”

Embed from Getty Images

3. Sir Alastair Cook (England)

Tests: 161 Matches, 12472 runs, 45.35 average, 294 best, 100s/50s – 33/57

ODIs: 92 Matches, 3204 runs, 36.40 average, 137 best, 100s/50s – 5/19

Cricketers Who Retired Trivia

Debut: February 28 – March 4, 2006 (Test)
Last Match: September 6-10, 2018 (Test)
Age Debuted: 21
Age Retired: 33
Current Age:36
- Still playing for Essex and hitting centuries
Why Did He Retire?

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?

Embed from Getty Images

4. Sir Andrew Strauss (England)

Tests: 100 Matches, 7037 runs, 40.91 average, 177 best, 100s/50s – 21/27

ODIs: 127 Matches, 4205 runs, 35.63 average, 158 best, 100s/50s – 6/27

Cricketers Who Retired Trivia

Debut: November 17, 2003 (ODI)
Last Match: August 15-19, 2018 (Test)
Age Debuted: 27
Age Retired: 35
Why Did He Retire?

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.

Embed from Getty Images

5. Kevin Pietersen (England)

Tests: 104 Matches, 8181 runs, 47.28 average, 227 best, 100s/50s – 23/35

ODIs: 136 Matches, 4440 runs, 40.73 average, 130 best, 100s/50s – 9/25

T20Is: 37 Matches, 1176 runs, 37.93 average, 141.59 SR, 79 best, 50s – 7

T20s: 200 Matches, 5695 runs, 33.89 average, 136.89 SR, 115* best, 100s/50s – 3/35

Cricketers Who Retired Trivia

Debut: November 27, 2004 (ODI)
Last Match: January 02-04, 2014 (Test)
Age Debuted: 24
Age Retired: 33
Why Did He Retire?

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 scorer in 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.

Also Read: South African Cricketers Who Play For Other Countries: Labuschagne, Neil Wagner,…Can you Guess the Rest?

Embed from Getty Images

6. Graeme Swann (England)

Tests: 60 Matches, 255 wickets, 29.96 average, 60.10 SR, best of 6/65 & 10/132, 4w/5w/10w – 14/17/3

ODIs: 79 Matches, 104 wickets, 27.76 average, 5/28 best, 4w/5w – 3/1

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).

Embed from Getty Images

7. Saeed Ajmal (Pakistan)

Tests: 35 Matches, 178 wickets, 28.10 average, 65.10 SR, best of 7/75 & 11/111, 4w/5w/10w – 9/10/4

ODIs: 113 Matches, 184 wickets, 22.72 average, 5/24 best, 4w/5w – 6/2

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.

Embed from Getty Images

8. Morne Morkel (South Africa)

Tests: 86 Matches, 309 wickets, 27.66 average, 53.30 SR, best of 6/23 & 9/110, 4w/5w – 18/8

ODIs: 117 Matches, 188 wickets, 25.32 average, 5/21 best, 4w/5w – 7/2

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.

9. Hashim Amla (South Africa)

Tests: 124 Matches, 9282 runs, 46.64 average, 311* best, 100s/50s – 28/41

ODIs: 181 Matches, 8113 runs, 49.46 average, 159 best, 100s/50s – 27/39

T20Is: 44 Matches, 1277 runs, 33.60 average, 132.05 SR, 97* best, 50s – 8

T20s: 164 Matches, 4563 runs, 30.83 average, 126.04 SR, 104*, best, 100s/50s – 2/30

Cricketers Who Retired Trivia

Debut: November 27-December 1, 2004 (Test)
Last Match: June 27, 2019 (ODI)
Age Debuted: 21
Age Retired: 35
Current Age: 38
- Plays for Surrey in County Cricket
Why Did He Retire?

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.

Embed from Getty Images

10. AB De Villiers (South Africa)

Tests: 114 Matches, 8765 runs, 50.66 average, 278* best, 100s/50s – 22/46

ODIs: 228 Matches, 9577 runs, 49.46 average, 176 best, 100s/50s – 25/53

T20Is: 78 Matches, 1672 runs, 26.12 average, 135.16 SR, 79* best, 50s – 10

T20s: 333 Matches, 9318 runs, 37.57 average, 150.46 SR, 133*, best, 100s/50s – 4/69

Cricketers Who Retired Trivia

Debut: December 16-20, 2004 (Test)
Last Match: March 29-April 2, 2018 (Test)
Age Debuted: 20
Age Retired: 34
Current Age: 37
- Plays for RCB in the IPL
Why Did He Retire?

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.”

Embed from Getty Images

11. Graeme Smith

Tests: 117 Matches, 9265 runs, 48.25 average, 277 best, 100s/50s – 27/38

ODIs: 197 Matches, 6989 runs, 37.98 average, 141 best, 100s/50s – 10/47

T20Is: 33 Matches, 982 runs, 31.67 average, 127.53 SR, 89* best, 50s – 5

T20s: 86 Matches, 2389 runs, 29.86 average, 123.08 SR, 105, best, 100s/50s – 1/11

Cricketers Who Retired Trivia

Debut: March 7-11, 2002 (Test)
Last Match: February 27-March 4, 2014 (Test)
Age Debuted: 21
Age Retired: 33
Why Did He Retire?

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.

Embed from Getty Images

Chris Gayle (West Indies)

Tests: 103 Matches, 7214 runs, 42.18 average, 333 best, 100s/50s – 15/37

ODIs: 301 Matches, 10480 runs, 37.83 average, 215 best, 100s/50s – 25/54

T20Is: 74 Matches, 1854 runs, 29.42 average, 139.18 SR, 117 best, 100s/50s – 2/14

T20s: 446 Matches, 14261 runs, 36.94 average, 145.87 SR, 175*, best, 100s/50s – 22/87

Debut: September 10, 1999 (ODI)
Last Match: August 2, 2021 (T20I)*
Age Debuted: 20
Current Age: 42
- 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.

Embed from Getty Images

The Ones Who Survived

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)

2000-02 Generation: Chris Gayle, Shoaib Malik (Still Playing), Brendon McCullum (NZ), Shane Watson (Australia), Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh (India), Tillakaratne Dilshan (Sri Lanka), Hamilton Masakdza (Zimbabwe), Younis Khan, Misbah Ul-Haq, Shoaib Akthar (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).

Death of the All Format Player

Everything boils down to overkill of cricket and player burnout.

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.

© Copyright @Nitesh Mathur and Broken Cricket Dreams, 2021. Originally published on 09/23/2021. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Broken Cricket Dreams with appropriate and specific direction to the original content (i.e. linked to the exact post/article).

End of Cricket As We Know It? Pakistan, Postponement, Mental Health Crisis, and Overkill of Cricket

by Nitesh Mathur | Sep 20, 2021 | Analysis, Article Index, Miscellaneous

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.

Also Read: Structured Chaos Paves Way for World Cricket’s Changing Landscape

Scheduling Woes And The Overkill of Cricket

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?

Finally a non-COVID related threat. New Zealand pulled out of the Pakistan series minutes before the first match on tour citing credible security threat against the New Zealand team without sharing information with 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 team in 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.

© Copyright @Nitesh Mathur and Broken Cricket Dreams, 2021. Originally published on 09/20/2021. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Broken Cricket Dreams with appropriate and specific direction to the original content (i.e. linked to the exact post/article).

Think About It: India Are So Bad That They Are Actually Good

by Nitesh Mathur | Sep 14, 2021 | Analysis, Article Index, India

As acclaimed twentieth century writer Khalil Gibran once remarked, “Exaggeration is truth that has lost its temper.”

India’s improbable victory in the 4^th 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 21^st 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 4^th 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 4^th victory in Australia & England since December (and 8^th 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.

© Copyright @Nitesh Mathur and Broken Cricket Dreams, 2021. Originally published on 09/15/2021. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Broken Cricket Dreams with appropriate and specific direction to the original content (i.e. linked to the exact post/article).

Photo Courtesy: Photo by Sebastian Palomino from Pexels

Group B 2021 T20 World Cup Squads Dissected: Bangladesh, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Scotland—Can PNG Spring a Surprise?

by Nitesh Mathur | Sep 12, 2021 | Article Index

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!

Also Read:

Bangladesh T20 World Cup Squad

Batters	Spin Bowling All-Rounders	Medium Pace All-Rounders	Wicket-Keepers	Spin Bowlers	Fast Bowlers
Mohammad Naim	Shakib Al Hasan	Mohammad Saifuddin	Liton Das	Mahedi Hasan	Mustafizur Rahman
	Mahmudullah	Soumya Sarkar	Mushfiqur Rahim	Nasum Ahmed	Taskin Ahmed
	Afif Hossain		Nurul Hasan
	Shamim Hossain
				Aminul Islam	Rubel Hossain

Group B 2021 T20 World Cup Squads: Bangladesh

Mohammad Naim, 2. Liton Das, 3. Shakib Al Hasan, 4. Mushfiqur Rahim, 5. Mahmudullah (C), 6. Afif Hossain, 7. Nurul Hasan (WK), 8. Mahedi Hasasn, 9. Mohammad Saifuddin, 10. Nasum Ahmed, 11. Mustafizur Rahman

Average Age: 27
Unlucky to Miss Out: Tamim Iqbal (opted out), Mosaddek Hossain, Shoriful Islam
Surprise Inclusions: None
Watch Out For: Mahmudullah’s captaincy, Mahedi-Nasum-Mustafizur-Shakib on slow pitches
Current T20I Ranking: 6th

Recent Result: Won Vs Australia 4-1. Won Vs New Zealand 3-2.
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?

Oman T20 World Cup Squad

Batters	Spin Bowling All-Rounders	Medium Pace All-Rounders	Wicket-Keepers	Spin Bowlers	Fast Bowlers
Zeeshan Maqsood	Khawar Ali	Fayyaz Butt	Naseem Khushi	Ayan Khan	Bilal Khan
Aqib Ilyas	Nestor Dhamba	Mohammad Nadeem	Suraj Kumar		Kaleemullah
Jatinder Singh		Sandeep Goud			Sufyan Mehmood
Khurram Nawaz

Group B 2021 T20 World Cup Squads: Oman

Oman Probable XI

Jatinder Singh, 2. Khawar Ali, 3. Zeesan Maqsood (C), 4. Aqib Ilyas, 5. Mohammad Nadeem, 6. Suraj Kumar (WK), 7. Naseem Khushi, 8. Fayyaz Butt, 9. Bilal Khan, 10. Sufyan Mehmood, 11. Sufyan Mehmood/Ayan Khan

Average Age: 33
Unlucky to Miss Out:
Surprise Inclusions: Nestor Dhamba, Ayan Khan
Watch Out For: Bilal Khan, whose 4-23 against Hong Kong ensured Oman’s qualification.
Current T20I Ranking: 18th

Prediction: Rank 4th in Group B.

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

Average Age: 28
Watch Out For: Tony Ura. His teammate Amini described him as the most destructive batter in the Associate nations.
Current T20I Ranking: 16th

Prediction: Rank 3rd in Group B.

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.

Follow us here if you are on Medium or Bloglovin‘.

© Copyright @Nitesh Mathur and Broken Cricket Dreams, 2021. Originally published on 09/12/2021. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Broken Cricket Dreams with appropriate and specific direction to the original content (i.e. linked to the exact post/article).

Group A 2021 T20 World Cup Squads Dissected: Ireland, Namibia, Netherlands, Sri Lanka—Can Sri Lanka Spin Their Way Out of Trouble?

by Nitesh Mathur | Sep 12, 2021 | Article Index, T20 World Cup

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!

Also Read:

Ireland T20 World Cup Squad

Batters	Spin Bowling All-Rounders	Medium Pace All-Rounders	Wicket-Keepers	Spin Bowlers	Fast Bowlers
Andy Balbirnie	Simi Singh	Kevin O’Brien	Neil Rock		Josh Little
Harry Tector	Paul Stirling	Curtis Campher			Andy McBrine
	George Dockrell	Mark Adair			Barry McCarthy
	Gareth Delany	Shane Getkate
	Graham Kennedy		Loran Tucker	Ben White	Craig Young

Group A 2021 T20 World Cup Squads: Ireland

Ireland Probable XI

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
Current T20I Ranking: 12th

Recent Results: Won 3-2 Vs Zimbabwe
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)
Current T20I Ranking: 19th

Recent Results: Won Vs Uganda 3-0
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.

Sri Lanka T20 World Cup Squad

Batters	Spin Bowling All-Rounders	Medium Pace All-Rounders	Wicket-Keepers	Spin Bowlers	Fast Bowlers
Avishka Fernando	Wanindu Hasaranaga de Silva	Dasun Shanaka	Dinesh Chandimal	Mahesh Theekshana	Dushmantha Chameera
Bhanuka Rajapaksa	Dhananjaya de Silva	Lahiru Madushanka	Kusal Perera	Praveen Jayawickrama	Nuwan Pradeep
	Charith Asalanka				Chamika Karunaratne
	Kamindu Mendis				Binura Fernando
Pulina Tharanga				Akila Dhananjaya	Lahiru Kumara

Group A 2021 T20 World Cup Squads: Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Probable XI

Kusal Perera (WK), 2. Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 3. Avishka Fernando, 4. Dinesh Chandimal, 5. Dhananjaya de Silva, 6. Wanindu Hasaranga, 7. Dasun Shanaka (C), 8. Nuwan Pradeep, 9. Dushmantha Chameera, 10. Mahesh Theekshana, 11. Praveen Jayawickrama

Average Age: 27
Unlucky to Miss Out: Angelo Mathews (contract issue), Minod Bhanuka (not picked), Kusal Mendis, Niroshan Dickwella, Danushka Gunathilika (suspension)
Surprise Inclusions: Mahesh Theekshana
Watch Out For: Theekshana, Jayawickrama, and Hasaranga—the spin trio
Current T20I Ranking: 10th

Recent Results: Currently Losing 0-2 to South Africa, Lost 0-3 to England, Lost 1-2 to West Indies
Prediction: Rank 2nd in Group A

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.

Follow us here if you are on Medium or Bloglovin‘.

Group 2 2021 T20 World Cup Squads Dissected: India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, New Zealand—Asia Cup is Back!

by Nitesh Mathur | Sep 12, 2021 | Article Index, T20 World Cup

Group 2 2021 T20 World Cup Squads analysis time.

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!

Also Read:

T20 World Cup Groups

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).

Group A has teams Ireland, Namibia, Netherlands, and Sri Lanka, while Group B has teams Bangladesh, Oman, Papua New Guinea, and Scotland.

Group 2

Afghanistan

India

New Zealand

Pakistan

T20 World Cup 2021: Group 2 Table

The other group, Group 2, will have Australia, England, South Africa, West Indies.

Afghanistan T20 World Cup Squad

Batters	Spin Bowling All-Rounders	Medium Pace All-Rounders	Wicket-Keepers	Spin Bowlers	Fast Bowlers
Asghar Afghan	Mohammad Nabi	Gulbadin Naib	Rahmanullah Gurbaz	Sharafuddin Ashraf	Hamid Hassan
Usman Ghani	Rashid Khan		Mohammad Shahzad	Mujeeb Ur Rahman	Karim Janat
Hashmatullah Shahidi				Qais Ahmed	Naveen Ul-Haq
Najibullah Zadran					Dawlat Zadran
Hazratullah Zazai					Shapoor Zadran
			Afsar Zazai		Fareed Ahmad

Group 2 2021 T20 World Cup Squads: Afghanistan

Afghanistan Probable XI

Hazratullah Zazai, 2. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), 3. Usman Ghani, 4. Asghar Afghan, 5. Mohammad Nabi (C), 6. Najibullah Zadran, 7. Gulbadin Naib/Karim Janat, 8. Rashid Khan, 9. Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 10. Naveen Ul-Haq, 11. Qais Ahmed

Average Age: 28
Unlucky to Miss Out: Ibrahim Zadran, Amir Hamza, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Surprise Inclusions: Hamid Hassan, Mohammad Shahzad, Dawlat Zadran, Shapoor Zadran
Watch Out For: The Spinners—Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Qais Ahmed

Recent Result: Afghanistan won 3-0 Vs Zimbabwe in UAE
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.

India T20 World Cup Squad

Batters	Spin Bowling All-Rounders	Medium Pace All-Rounders	Wicket-Keepers	Spin Bowlers	Fast Bowlers
Virat Kohli	Ravindra Jadeja	Hardik Pandya	KL Rahul	Rahul Chahar	Jasprit Bumrah
Rohit Sharma	Axar Patel		Rishabh Pant	Varun Chakravarthy	Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Suryakumar Yadav	Ravichandran Ashwin		Ishan Kishan		Mohammad Shami

Shreyas Iyer		Shardul Thakur			Deepak Chahar

Group 1 2021 T20 World Cup Squads: India

Probable XI

Rohit Sharma, 2. Virat Kohli (C), 3. KL Rahul/Ishan Kishan, 4. Suryakumar Yadav, 5. Rishabh Pant, 6. Ravindra Jadeja, 7. Hardik Pandya, 8. Ravichandran Ashwin, 9. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10. Jasprit Bumrah, 11. Varun Chakravarthy

Average Age: 29
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.

Recent Results: Lost 1-2 to Sri Lanka
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?

Recent Result: Lost 2-3 Vs Bangladesh, Won 3-2 Vs Australia
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)
Surprise Inclusions: Asif Ali, Khushdil Shah, Azam Khan
Watch Out For: Azam Khan, the power hitter, has hit some big sixes in CPL 2021. Could be the finisher Pakistan are looking for.

Recent Results: Lost 1-2 against England.
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.

Follow us here if you are on Medium or Bloglovin‘.

« Older Entries

Next Entries »