The inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in 2007 was considered a novelty, invented because the major nations were playing a mixture of state, county and province-based competitions and the view was that franchise cricket was a short throw into the future.
India won a nail-biting final in the thin air of Wanderers from arch-rival Pakistan and the two biggest cricket-playing nations on the planet were forever smitten.
The IPL now boasts immense pay packets and staggering broadcast rights. Who’d a thought?
The name has changed since then. It is shorter, of course. T20 says it all. Who needs extra words and punctuation, there is no time for that in 120 balls.
Pakistan had their revenge in 2009 at Lords and the pace to monetise the shortest form ramped up. The game, like all elite sports, has evolved and will continue to do so, changing but perhaps not always getting better. The game has tended toward being “exhibition” cricket.
Bigger bats and shorter boundaries aren’t much fun for bowlers yet the trundlers and tweakers will be key components for the successful champions. On viewing of pre-tournament matches, it appears the pitches in Australia will be perfect … for batting.
Aaron Finch will be relying on Mitchell Starc in the T20 World Cup.Credit:Getty
While Australia have muddled their batting order, but hopefully not their tournament thinking of getting skipper Aaron Finch back into form, ultimately the David Warner-Finch nexus will be instrumental in taking maximum advantage of good batting conditions. If Warner falls inside the power play then Finch will be pressured to lift his strike rate.
If Finch can’t make starts early in the tournament, Australia may find themselves second-guessing the top order again with a leader second-guessing his spot. Although Australia are the champions playing on home turf, their advantage may be handicapped if Finch struggles.
Given batting will not be overly complicated by sideways seam or spin the playing field might be levelled somewhat as batters who hit hard and high through the line will be equally effective as those with touch, ramp, scoop and reverse.
Scoring rates and totals may be high but as with the Australia v England game last week in Perth, 200-plus might not be a sure winner. Under these homogenous conditions, the bowlers may have a chance of proving their worth in an unorthodox (for T20) manner.
Australian paceman Pat Cummins.Credit:Getty Images
Out-and-out speed might prove the difference rather than the current recipe of cutters, palm balls, fast spinners, knuckleballs, slow bouncers and back-of-the-hand work. In every form of cricket taking wickets is imperative as a way of slowing run rates and winning.
T20 is not an exception. Captains and coaches are always looking for any measure of an edge.
Fast bowling and leg spin have traditionally been successful in Australian conditions in longer forms, so why not in 20 overs when the pitches will be quick and the bounce high? Pat Cummins went primarily inswing with the new ball in Wednesday night’s game against England and blunted Jos Buttler and Alex Hales.
Adam Zampa’s wrist spin provides the counterpoint to the pace battery, and he took the wicket of Ben Stokes to put England in a hole.
South Africa pace bowler Kagiso Rabada.Credit:Getty
Serious pace matters, 140km/h and beyond will play. A serious difference in pace will also matter. Pakistan unveiled the “Punkha”, Sohail Tanvir in 2007 and his whirring swingers and dipping back-of-the-hand slower balls were crucial in them making the final.
In 2022, they will have another leftie with swing and genuine speed in Shaheen Shah Afridi. He boasts a Mitchell Starc-like yorker, a threatening bouncer and a knuckleball.
Throw in the hurrying Haris Rauf and put wristie Shadab Khan on at the other end and the combination can bear fruit.
If Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan continue their opening onslaughts Pakistan will be in the frame.
South Africa march out two lightning right-handers in Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje. The latter has been clocked over 150km/h. Their contrasting attack mate will be the only left-arm wrist-spinner in the tournament, Tabraiz Shamsi.
The Proteas have been a little light in the run-making department recently with Faf Du Plessis restricting his appearances to franchises but with Lungi Ngidi backing up the Rabada and Nortje duo they should be competitive.
The Kiwis once again look a big semi-final chance. Lockie Ferguson heaves the pill at 150km/h and they have yet another with devilish back-of-the-hand skills in Ish Sodhi. The partnership rather than the individual holds the keys.
The Windies’ 150 merchant is an Antiguan right-armer in the Andy Roberts mould, Alzarri Joseph and their wrist spin comes from rookie veteran Yannic Cariah. The Windies have to get through qualifying against Scotland, Zimbabwe and Ireland first but really have the firepower to get to the business end of the Cup.
England bring the heat with Mark Wood who has already shaken up the Australians recently and the vast experience of 240-game leggie Adil Rashid. A nice combination.
India’s ultra-competitive wrist spinner Yuzvendra Chahal will miss injured pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah honing in yorkers and making batters jump with his bumper and that solo omission may be enough to dampen their chances of repeating their 2007 triumph. Leftie Arshdeep Singh is the next quickest and has the next best yorker of their seamers.
Sri Lanka may surprise with the pace of Dushmantha Chameera and leftie Lahiru Kumara. Leggie Wandindu Hasaranga is world class although Sri Lanka have to get past Super 12 qualifying first.
The exception to this new, theoretical, margin-inducing rule of thumb is Afghanistan. Their strength comes through slow bowling, some of the best in the world. Rashid Khan, Qais Ahmad and Mujeeb Ur Rahman. It would be delicious if that triumvirate reigned – perhaps a true victory for better cricket.
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