Beware of Australia in the World T20
India, Pakistan, England, West Indies... Each edition of the World T20 has given us a different world champion.
The 5th edition of the championship gets underway tomorrow, starting off with a qualifying round that will involve 8 teams. This year's World T20 is larger than all the previous T20 championships, involving 16 teams.
So who are your favorites?
Will one of the previous champions take the title home? Or will we see yet another new T20 champion being crowned? Or do one of the associates stand a chance of creating a massive upset in the most unpredictable format of cricket?
Shahid Afridi has made a sweeping statement that Pakistan has the best limited overs team in the world. Confident statements have also come from Pakistan skipper Mohammad Hafeez and coach Moin Khan.
All this with good reason too.
Pakistan has been one of the most successful teams in World T20 competitions. They are the only team that have played the semi final of all 4 editions. They have also played in two World T20 finals, winning one of them.
Their success percentage of 63.5 is the second best success percentage in World T20 games. They are behind only Sri Lanka, who have a success percentage of 66%. Even though Sri Lanka have not won the World T20 ever, they are the only other team to play two finals.
MS Dhoni has also made confident statements saying that IPL experience will be enough for India to compete against other more experience teams.
India, despite winning the inaugural World T20, have not had a good time in World T20s. They have not been able to make it to the semi finals of either of the past three editions.
While Afridi's and Dhoni's warnings may have not been taken seriously, the one warning that everyone should seriously is Shane Watson's.
"I think the versatility of this squad (is) more than any squad that I've played Twenty20 cricket for Australia. Certainly in all conditions against any opposition we can match up really well, I think it gives us more of a chance to be able win it."
Those were Watson's words as Australia prepared for the World T20 with a few T20 matches against South Africa.
Watson has been a part of all 4 World T20 competitions and he has experienced Australia failing to win any of them. A surprise considering the success Australia has achieved in all other formats of the game.
Watson' words should be taken seriously by all teams as they really do have a lot of firepower in their squad.
Australia has got some dangerous players who have the ability to play at levels that may not be matched by their opponents.
The sort of firepower they have in their batting and bowling that can easily take the game away from any team.
David Warner, Shane Watson, Aaron Finch, Glenn Maxwell, Brad Hodge, George Bailey, Cameron White, James Faulkner...
Just reading those names sends chills down my spine.
I seriously believe that each of those batsmen have the ability to send every single ball they face sailing over the ropes. Every single ball.
Bowlers will have to bowl exceptionally well to contain these Australian batsmen.
Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc give Australia arguably the best new ball attack in the World T20 competition. Add Coulter-Mile and Brad Hogg to that mix and you find a very well balanced bowling attack.
Many believe that subcontinental teams will be the most dangerous in this World T20 given the conditions in Bangladesh, but I really think that it is Australia that all teams need to be scared of.
Beware of Australia!
The 5th edition of the championship gets underway tomorrow, starting off with a qualifying round that will involve 8 teams. This year's World T20 is larger than all the previous T20 championships, involving 16 teams.
So who are your favorites?
Will one of the previous champions take the title home? Or will we see yet another new T20 champion being crowned? Or do one of the associates stand a chance of creating a massive upset in the most unpredictable format of cricket?
Shahid Afridi has made a sweeping statement that Pakistan has the best limited overs team in the world. Confident statements have also come from Pakistan skipper Mohammad Hafeez and coach Moin Khan.
All this with good reason too.
Pakistan has been one of the most successful teams in World T20 competitions. They are the only team that have played the semi final of all 4 editions. They have also played in two World T20 finals, winning one of them.
Their success percentage of 63.5 is the second best success percentage in World T20 games. They are behind only Sri Lanka, who have a success percentage of 66%. Even though Sri Lanka have not won the World T20 ever, they are the only other team to play two finals.
MS Dhoni has also made confident statements saying that IPL experience will be enough for India to compete against other more experience teams.
India, despite winning the inaugural World T20, have not had a good time in World T20s. They have not been able to make it to the semi finals of either of the past three editions.
While Afridi's and Dhoni's warnings may have not been taken seriously, the one warning that everyone should seriously is Shane Watson's.
"I think the versatility of this squad (is) more than any squad that I've played Twenty20 cricket for Australia. Certainly in all conditions against any opposition we can match up really well, I think it gives us more of a chance to be able win it."
Those were Watson's words as Australia prepared for the World T20 with a few T20 matches against South Africa.
Watson has been a part of all 4 World T20 competitions and he has experienced Australia failing to win any of them. A surprise considering the success Australia has achieved in all other formats of the game.
Watson' words should be taken seriously by all teams as they really do have a lot of firepower in their squad.
Australia has got some dangerous players who have the ability to play at levels that may not be matched by their opponents.
The sort of firepower they have in their batting and bowling that can easily take the game away from any team.
David Warner, Shane Watson, Aaron Finch, Glenn Maxwell, Brad Hodge, George Bailey, Cameron White, James Faulkner...
Just reading those names sends chills down my spine.
I seriously believe that each of those batsmen have the ability to send every single ball they face sailing over the ropes. Every single ball.
Bowlers will have to bowl exceptionally well to contain these Australian batsmen.
Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc give Australia arguably the best new ball attack in the World T20 competition. Add Coulter-Mile and Brad Hogg to that mix and you find a very well balanced bowling attack.
Many believe that subcontinental teams will be the most dangerous in this World T20 given the conditions in Bangladesh, but I really think that it is Australia that all teams need to be scared of.
Beware of Australia!
.jpg)
Agreed...
Sans South Africa, the team that has dominated the oppositions in recent past has been Australia. And once they get going, they are literally unstoppable.
Sans South Africa, the team that has dominated the oppositions in recent past has been Australia. And once they get going, they are literally unstoppable.