From the game’s international heavyweights, to the challengers entering the first round, the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is sure to excite.
The 2021 edition of the Men’s T20 World Cup will be hosted by the UAE and Oman, moving away from its original destination – India. The tournament will get underway on 17 October and will conclude the following month on 14 November.
As the anticipation builds up before the first ball is bowled, we take a look at how the 16 that have qualified – eight for the first round and eight straight through to the Super 12 stage – are stacking up ahead of the marquee T20 tournament.
FIRST ROUND
Sri Lanka
Outside the top eight of the men’s T20I Team Rankings at the cutoff date, Sri Lanka have a tricky tournament path, entering at the first round and needing a top-two finish in their group to enter the Super 12 phase. Despite going down 3-0 in their recent away series to England, Kusal Perera’s men have shown glimpses of quality in patches and will have a chance to tune-up with a home series against India in July.
Bangladesh
With two ODI Super League wins against Sri Lanka and the boost of a returning Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh will be quietly confident of a strong T20 World Cup display despite entering in the first round. The team struggled in a 0-3 T20I series defeat to New Zealand earlier in the year, though 21-year-old Mohammad Naim showed promise at the top of the order in a baptism of fire and their bowling attack should enjoy the friendlier conditions at the World Cup. A trip to Zimbabwe is pencilled in for the side in July, with three T20Is at the end of their tour a good chance for players to put their hand up for the tournament.
Ireland
A mix of golden age mainstays and young talent, Ireland qualified for this year’s tournament by topping their group at the Global Qualifier on net run rate, even after dropping matches to Canada and UAE. Last playing a T20I back in March 2020 – a three match series they lost 2-1 – Andy Balbirnie’s men will host South Africa and Zimbabwe for three T20Is each in the lead-in to the tournament.
Netherlands
Defeating hosts UAE in the playoff stages to enter the tournament’s first round, the Netherlands went on to win the Qualifier in 2019, and will be arguably the strongest Associate outfit come October. Fighting on the ODI World Cup Super League front with two wins from three against Ireland and a tour to South Africa in September, Ryan Campbell’s men will be juggling both white-ball formats. Expect them to leave no stone unturned in their preparation, continuing to experiment and build team depth with a large group of players.
Scotland
Coming back from a fourth-place finish in Group A of the Global Qualifier, Scotland reached the T20 World Cup the hard way, winning a do-or-die playoff against UAE in Dubai. The Scots have stuck to a core group of ever-presents, with ICC Associate Player of the Decade Kyle Coetzer likely to lead out a side with the collective experience of over 400 T20Is. Fixtures have been few and far between for the team during the pandemic, though they ended a wait of over 500 days without a match, splitting a two-match ODI series with the Netherlands 1-1 back in May.
Namibia
After achieving ODI status earlier in 2019, Namibia capped off a near-perfect year by beating Oman in the playoff stage of the Qualifier to book their ticket for the upcoming tournament. Captain Gerhard Erasmus is one of the classiest players in the Associate game, and leads one of the strongest outfits the nation has ever put together. With individual talent throughout their playing eleven, Namibia are certainly dark horses to progress into the main group stage.
Oman
A revelation at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2016, Oman had two bites of the cherry in the Playoff stage to qualify for this year’s tournament, beating Hong Kong after falling to Namibia on their first attempt. Khawar Ali and Jatinder Singh will look to blaze at the top, while Aqib Ilyas’ more measured approach should carry the team through the middle overs. Khawar’s leg-spin will be utilised by captain Zeeshan Maqsood, who has pacemen Mohammad Nadeem, Fayyaz Butt and yorker specialist Bilal Khan at his disposal.
Papua New Guinea
The team affectionately known as the Barramundis leapt to the top of a strong Group A and were the first team to book their World Cup spot at 2019’s Qualifier. That was thanks largely to their opening pair of captain Assad Vala and Tony Ura, who averaged 46.66 for the first wicket at a run rate of 8.34. A versatile outfit with the ball, Vala has a plethora of options at his disposal, and could utilise seven or eight bowlers in any given match.
SUPER EIGHT QUALIFIERS
India
Originally slated to host the tournament, there will now have to be a change in strategy for Virat Kohli and his team ahead of the showpiece event in the UAE. Currently number two in the rankings, India are well stacked in terms of depth in all their departments ahead of the game. Their players will have some T20 match practice ahead of the tournament, with the IPL concluding days before the start of the World Cup in the UAE. In terms of form, they last beat England 3-2 in a five-match T20I series in their home conditions in Ahmedabad. Their best performance to date remains the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2007, where they were crowned Champions.
West Indies
Boasting a fearsome batting line-up and a plethora of world-class all-rounders, the two-time defending champions will pose a major threat to any opposition. Champions in 2012 and 2016, the Caribbean outfit are currently involved in an engrossing T20 series against South Africa in their home conditions. The series is tied at 1-1 with three matches to go. They will also play two high-profile series against Australia and Pakistan before the start of the tournament.
England
After their triumph in the 2019 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, England will be looking to back that success up in the 2021 T20 World Cup with the same group of core players. Eoin Morgan’s men were in ominous form in the recently concluded T20I series against Sri Lanka, completing a 3-0 clean sweep. England’s greatest moment in the tournament came in 2010 when they were crowned champions in the Caribbean.
Australia
The Australians will hope to end their drought in the men’s tournament, having failed to win a single edition so far. Aaron Finch’s men last played a T20I series against New Zealand, losing 3-2. They will soon have upcoming assignments against the West Indies and Bangladesh, where they will aim to fine-tune their game ahead of the tournament.
New Zealand
The Kiwis will have their confidence sky-high, have recently tasted glory as the inaugural champions of the ICC World Test Championship. Having sealed the victory, they will now aim to make it two ICC tournament victories in a row at the T20 World Cup. The Kane Williamson-led side last played a T20I series against Australia, winning it 3-2. They reached the semi-finals in 2007 and 2016, which remains their best performance at the tournament.
South Africa
The Proteas are undergoing a period of transition in all forms of the game. Temba Bavuma’s men are still trying to figure out their best combination heading into the tournament and they will have a few more matches to go to get things right. South Africa are currently involved in a five-match T20I series against the West Indies, which is levelled at 1-1. They reached the semi-finals in 2009 and 2014.
Pakistan
Babar Azam’s men will be heading into the tournament, quietly confident of tasting glory. The men in green have some dangerous campaigners in their ranks, including the skipper, who is one of the best in the business. They last played a series against Zimbabwe, winning it 2-1. They also have an away assignment coming up against England. They won the tournament in 2009.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan will rely upon their battery of spinners and some dangerous hitters to make a serious impact in the tournament. They recently whitewashed Zimbabwe 3-0 in a T20I series and well fancy their chances in the UAE, where the conditions will be helpful. They have failed to qualify out of the group stage so far in the T20 World Cup, but will hope for a turnaround in the upcoming edition.
