Summary
The 2016 World t20 is upon us. Having gone through a qualifying stage, Bangladesh and Associate side Afghanistan are the two through to join the remaining eight full members in the Super Ten stage.
150 players have been named across the ten squads, with a number of sure-things and surprises along the way. Here, I look at an XI of players I think are worth monitoring throughout the duration of the tournament. There is one player per nation, plus an extra one for hosts India.
1) Johnson Charles (West Indies)
Charles looks set to be Lendl Simmons' direct replacement at the top of the order after the in-form opener was forced to withdraw through injury. Charles has competition for the opener's spot, however, with St Lucia Zouks' teammate Andre Fletcher and rising star Evin Lewis also in contention.
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| Charles has big Lendl Simmons sized shoes to fill in the upcoming World t20 (PHOTO: Jan Kruger-IDI) |
The 27-year-old has opened in the warm-up matches against India and Australia, alongside Chris Gayle and all-rounder Jason Holder. It is doubtful, however, that Holder will be given a further chance to chance his arm at the top of the order in a David Willey-type pinch hitting role.
Charles has a respectable t20 and t20I record, averaging just over 20 for both. In t20Is, the St Lucian has two half-centuries to his name, with a high score of 84 in 22 innings. His strike rate of 114.32 is not huge, but the 27-year old has the power and ability to score quickly at the top of the innings.
In the first two editions of the Caribbean Premier League, he has built an enterprising and consistent opening partnership with Fletcher. The two scored a combined 601 runs in 10 innings in last year's tournament, with Fletcher second top scorer with 369. Charles played aggressively at the top of the order, giving his side a roaring start - he had a strike rate of 153.64 to go with the 232 runs he scored.
2) Mohammad Shahzad (Afghanistan)
Shahzad is one of Afghanistan's star players, giving them quick starts at the top of the order. He has a very good t20I record, having scored 1287 runs in 44 innings to date. He is an aggressive hitter and strikes at 136.04 in t20Is.
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| Shahzad has power and aggression at the top of the order - he will be one of the key players for the only Associate nation in the Super Ten stage (PHOTO: Christopher Lee-IDI) |
More recently, the 28-year-old starred with the bat once more, striking a quickfire 40 off 23 balls as Afghanistan set Zimbabwe 187 to reach the Super Eight of this year's World t20. That innings at the start again set the precedent and in turn allowed the hitters down the order to march Afghanistan towards victory.
3) Sabbir Rahman (Bangladesh)
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| Sabbir Rahman heads into the Super Ten stage in brilliant form (PHOTO: Munir Uz Zaman) |
One of a new wave of young, exciting Bangladeshi cricketers, Sabbir Rahman is in excellent touch entering the Super Ten stage. Rahman was only behind Hong Kong's Babar Hayat in the Asia Cup leading scorers, collecting 176 in five innings. Striking at 123.94, Sabbir passed fifty just once, scoring 80 against Sri Lanka. In that innings, the 24-year-old rescued his side as they slipped to 2-2 and 26-3 and dominated a fourth wicket stand of 82 with Shakib Al Hasan.
Sabbir's t20 record is exceptional, averaging an impressive 30.4 over the course of his 70 innings, passing fifty on ten occasions. In terms of t20 internationals, Rahman's record is equally respectable, averaging 33.06 in 21 innings. It is a testament to the batsman's quality that he is able to convert his impressive domestic numbers onto the international scene - and bettering them.
4) Colin Munro (New Zealand)
Another form batsman and one of the most dangerous at the moment. Munro has unveiled his already-apparent talent on the international scene in the last year, striking a fierce 14-ball half century against Sri Lanka in January. In the preceding t20I, the first in the series, Munro again took on the Sri Lankan bowling, scoring 36 off 26 deliveries. The following week saw Munro decimate yet another bowling attack, this time that of Pakistan. The left-hander struck 56 off just 27 balls, including six maximums.
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| Munro's form at the top of the order is a huge positive for New Zealand following the retirement of Brendon McCullum (PHOTO: Hagen Hopkins) |
Munro continued his liking of Sri Lankan bowling last Thursday, scoring 67 off 34 balls as New Zealand amassed a mammoth 226-4 in their 20 overs. The 29-year-old also continued his strong liking of clearing the boundary, smashing seven sixes in his 44 minute stay at the crease.
Having been picked up by Kolkata Knight Riders in the recent IPL auction, Munro will be hoping to continue his destructive form in India and prove to the KKR selectors he is worthy of a starting spot.
5) Yuvraj Singh (India)
A hugely-talented batsman who has been terrorising opposition attacks for nearly 20 years is still in the Indian national team. A player who seems to lose form as much as he gains it, Yuvraj is a player who has a wealth of experience in his locker. He has made a strong comeback after being diagnosed with cancer in 2012.
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| Yuvraj is a veteran at internatioal level, although this could be his last major tournament with India (PHOTO: Jan Kruger-IDI) |
That is something the enigmatic left-hander has the ability to do, although his weakness against the short ball is something that has led to his downfall over the course of his career. This may well be Yuvraj's last chance at a major tournament and he will be hoping to create more legendary moments in his home country.
6) Dasun Shanaka (Sri Lanka)
Shanaka is a hugely exciting talent and one that is definitely one to watch in this year's World t20. He has converted both of his half centuries, scoring 123 and 131* for Sinhalese Sports Club.
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| Dasun Shanaka will be certainly one to keep an eye on this Wt20 (PHOTO: Munir uz Zaman) |
His 123 came from just 46 balls and featured a Sri Lankan-record 16 sixes - just one behind Chris Gayle's overall record of 17. Striking at an incredible 267.39, the 24-year-old favoured the aerial route, hitting just two fours as he helped his side to 251-6 in their 20 overs. Just seven days earlier, Shanaka had scored an unbeaten 131 off just 48 balls in Colombo. He still managed 12 maximums, along with ten boundaries as he finished with a strike rate of 272.91.
Such hitting has seen him embedded into a new-look Sri Lanka team, although he hasn't quite managed to live up to the hype yet. In eight t20I innings, Shanaka has just 76 runs to his name at a disappointing strike rate of 89.41. He has, at least, managed to continue his four to six ratio, clearing the ropes six times, with just two boundaries.
7) Hardik Pandya (India)
Pandya is another, like Shanaka, who is one to watch closely. Another fast bowling all-rounder, Pandya is somewhat of a rarity for India in that respect. After (unsuccessfully) trialling Stuart Binny in the seam bowling all-rounder slot, Pandya's emergence in last year's IPL was a joy for all Indian cricket fans to behold, especially Mumbai Indians' fans.
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| Hardik Pandya is an exceptional young talent (PHOTO: Gareth Copley) |
India can now claim to have an answer to Ben Stokes, James Faulkner and Andre Russell, a bowler who bowls with good pace and aggression along with a player who can clear the fence with ease and take the game away from the opposition.
He hasn't quite got to show what he can do with the bat in international cricket just yet, batting just five times in 11 matches with an average of 12.4. That hasn't stopped him racking up a strike rate of 147.61 and a high score of 31. His bowling statistics are significantly more respectable and show him in a fantastic light. The 22-year-old has taken ten wickets in the 11 games he has played and has a tidy economy rate of 7.11.
Pandya's overall t20 record speaks for itself, however, with the all-rounder averaging a brilliant 30.38 in 39 innings, having passed fifty on five occasions. Similarly, his bowling is similar to his international record, with his economy rate just a little higher at 7.19. Pandya is certainly one to watch at both this World t20 and the upcoming IPL.
8) Ashton Agar (Australia)
Agar burst onto the international scene in July 2013 when he scored 98 in his debut Test innings, batting at number 11. If that innings, scored in the First Test in the 2013 Ashes Series, was not extraordinary enough, the fact that the next Test he played afterwards would so far prove to be his last makes it all the more incredible.
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| Will Australia give Agar a chance to show what he can do? (PHOTO: Jan Kruger-IDI) |
The 22-year-old only made his t20I debut on the 6th March against South Africa, although it was a relatively forgettable experience as he felt the full force of a David Miller blast. Miller faced 10 of Agar's 12 deliveries, striking 23 runs to leave the debutant with figures of 2-0-25-1, with Miller finally succumbing to the left arm spin and finding Glenn Maxwell at long off.
Agar would be a useful option for Australia given his ability with the bat and the option of spin that he gives Steve Smith. However, it remains to be seen as to whether Australia will take a relative gamble on the youngster playing in his first international tournament.
9) Kagiso Rabada (South Africa)
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| Kagiso Rabada is a huge fast bowling talent, at just 20 years old (PHOTO: Gallo Images) |
Rabada has emerged as an elite young fast bowling talent since his international debut in November 2014. Since then, Rababa has gone on to represent his country 33 times, evenly split over the three formats. The 20-year-old is now an integral part of the South African bowling lineup, helping to take the pressure off Dale Steyn.
Rabada has taken at least one wicket in his last five t20I matches, against Australia and England. This will be Rabada's first major international tournament and it will be intriguing to see how the youngster fares in Indian conditions and during the pressure cooker that is a World t20.
10) Mohammad Amir (Pakistan)
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| Mohammad Amir has made a devastating return to international cricket (PHOTO: Hagen Hopkins) |
A huge amount of the spotlight has been placed on Mohammad Amir in the last few months. Despite opposition from internationals such as Mohammad Hafeez, Amir has returned to international cricket with Pakistan following his five year ban for spot fixing. Amir, like Rabada, was an elite young fast bowling talent before he was roped into bowling no balls by captain Salman Butt.
Now, however, Amir's talent is once again on full view for the world to see. The 23-year-old had an exceptional Asia Cup, recording some stunning numbers in the four games he played. Amir took seven wickets at an average of 11.57 and a brilliant economy of just 5.06. This kind of form is no different to that of five years ago and the left-armer will be looking to make a similar Asia Cup-style impact on this World t20. Amir had all the potential in the world back in 2010, he now has an opportunity to reignite his international career.
11) Reece Topley (England)
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| Reece Topley, with his 6'7" frame and left-arm action, gives England a different dimension in their attack (PHOTO: Gareth Copley) |
Topley had always been on the England radar since bursting onto the county scene with Essex back in 2011. A tall, strapping fast bowler, Topley generates good pace and bounce and simply offers a different dimension to England's attack. Although he is essentially the only England player in the squad who would not be classed as being at least a bowling all-rounder in terms of batting ability, Topley's bowling capabilities have seen him all but cement a place at number 11 in the England limited overs sides.
The 22-year-old has taken two wickets in each of the two warm-up matches that England have played in the last week, so heads into the tournament in wicket-taking form. He has performed admirably in his international career thus far, although he was unfortunate to come across an in-form Chris Morris as he attempted to win England the first t20I against South Africa in the last over, with the Proteas requiring 15 off the last over.
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