Wisden india extra issue 9

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MARCH IS S U E 9 ,

E M O H S E M CO

T20

NDIA I 6 1 ERVIEW 20 20 T SAD INT A R P D H L S E OR VENKAT TS H ICC W IG L H 014 HIG W

T PREVIE

MEN TOURNA

2016

S XI LEGEND

2007-2

ISSUE 9, MARCH 2016

WHAT’S INSIDE

ISSUE 9, MARCH 2016

T20 XI THAT COULD‘VE BEEN

EDITOR’S NOTE

Can MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh do it again for India?

Dileep Premachandran |

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Captained by Richards, with the firepower of Lara, the pace of Garner and the guile of Akram

Manoj Narayan |

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EMBRACING THE ASSOCIATES Exposing non-Test nations to a higher standard of play between global competitions is vital to sustain their interest and talent

Sidhanta Patnaik |

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ICC’S BALANCING ACT David Richardson: “Vital to find a balance between the amount of T20 cricket played relative to the other two formats”

Shamya Dasgupta |

GAME ON FOR INDIA, INDIAN FANS

The lead-up to the sixth edition of World T20 has been anything but encouraging, but with issues resolved, expect a cracker of a contest

R Kaushik |

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YOUNG SIDE PLAYS SMART Venkatesh Prasad remembers the highs of the 2007 win, Dhoni’s captaincy, the Pakistan rivalry, and India’s focus on the bowl-out

Karthik Lakshmanan

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SPIN WARS: A NEW DAWN The twirlymen adapted to a changing game, bringing in variations and honing their art to be match-winners in the 20-over game

AN ASIAN EDGE (OR NOT)

IPL has given foreign players new insight into playing in India, even as unpredictability of the format throws conditions out of the equation

Shamya Dasgupta |

Disha Shetty |

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THE T20 VISION SPECIALISTS

The likes of Bravo, Nehra and Watson, who almost exclusively play the 20-over format, are testament to a changing game

Karunya Keshav |

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THE WORLD T20 GROUNDS World T20 2016 fixtures and the seven stadiums that will play host to the men‘s games | 20 & 21

Edited by: Karunya Keshav Designed by: Ashish Mohanty Additional content by: Nisha Shetty, Himanish Bhattacharjee and Aishwaaryaa H Pictures published as part of T20 Comes Home courtesy of Getty Images, AFP, BCCI and Wisden India Archive.

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EDITOR’S NOTE Dileep Premachandran

The agony. More. Then, an extra dollop of misery. And finally, the ecstasy. When it comes to global events, Indian cricket has seen more heartache than joy. In 1987, in what turned out to be Sunil Gavaskar’s final appearance in India colours, Graham Gooch swept the hosts out in a World Cup semifinal. Just under a decade later, Aravinda de Silva’s sparkling cameo, on a Kolkata pitch that turned square, ensured a similar fate. In 2006, India won their opening game at the Champions Trophy, but lost the next two to be onlookers for the tournament’s final stages.

Redemption was arrived at the hard way. After a tie against England and a loss to South Africa, India had to beat Australia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka back-to-back to win the 2011 World Cup. Australia hadn’t lost a knockout game since 1996. Pakistan had ended their unbeaten run in the group stages and were on a Shahid Afridi-led roll, while Sri Lanka had mastered the art of peaking at the right time on the big stage.

Both in the quarterfinal, when Yuvraj’s bended-knee celebration heralded a successful run chase against Australia, and in the final, when MS Dhoni’s rifle crack down the ground ended 24 years of hurt, India had to do it the hard way, chasing big totals against quality opposition. For Sachin Tendulkar, top scorer in the 1996 and 2003 campaigns when glory just eluded the side, it was the pinnacle of a career that had taken in more than 600 international games.

Time is now almost up for the Dhoni-Yuvraj generation, and a World Twenty20 on home turf offers the inheritors of the Tendulkar flame a chance to leave behind one more hallowed memory. Dhoni has won it all – the World Twenty20 (2007), the World Cup (2011) and the Champions Trophy (2013) – but as twilight descends after a couple of seasons of discontent, millions of fans will wonder if he has one last hurrah in him.

For the associate nations, this could be the final chance to stake a firm claim for greater space at the top table. In a format conducive to upsets, the ‘lesser’ nations will look to Netherlands, Afghanistan, Ireland and others to emphasise why the full member nations shouldn’t be given a free pass to World Cups and other tournaments. With associate teams unlikely to play any part in the 2019 World Cup, it’s impossible to overstate just how significant this tournament is for them.

If they create a big flutter, the campaign for greater fairness will gather momentum. Fail, and cricket might forever be doomed to be an old boys’ club. How grimly ironic it would be if that was to happen in the country that once played such a major role in dismantling the old cabal.

ISSUE ISSUE7,8,FEBRUARY MARCH 2016 2015

6 ICC WORLD T20

GAME ON FOR INDIA AND INDIAN FANS The lead-up to the sixth edition of the World T20 has been anything but encouraging, but with issues resolved, expect a cracker of a contest R Kaushik

F

rom a modest, uncertain start in 2007, the ICC World T20 has come to establish itself as a prominent stop in the international cricket calendar.

It won’t be an exaggeration to state that the success of the inaugural edition stemmed not just from its novelty value but also from the manner in which a young, fearless, unfancied Indian team under first-time skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni scythed through the draw.

An India v Pakistan final, at a venue as far removed from the subcontinent as possible but otherwise subcontinental in every

way conceivable, must have been beyond the imagination of even the most creative scriptwriter. The New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg was awash in the Indian saffron-white-and-green, with the Pakistani green only marginally overshadowed; the teams rode on a groundswell of emotion before India sneaked home by five runs, which was perhaps just the shot in the arm Twenty20 cricket needed in its infancy at the global level.

It is no secret that India were reluctant participants in South Africa. In a direct acknowledgement of what they thought of the format, the Board of Control for Cricket

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DHONI’S CHARGE India’s title run in 2007 ensured the 20-over game took deep root in the Indian psyche.

in India ‘rested’ their batting superstars, and whether through accident or design, entrusted Dhoni with a formidable array of talent that thrived in Durban in particular during the early phase.

Yuvraj Singh’s sensational assault on England – which fetched him six sixes in one Stuart Broad over and the still untouched record for the fastest T20I fifty, off just 12 deliveries – and the twin victories over Pakistan ensured that the 20-over game had taken deep root in the Indian psyche. By the time the Indian Premier League came around the following year, India had taken the T20 version to heart. For all the criticism of the so-called bullying tactics of the BCCI, world

cricket needs India to be the driving force.

Once the IPL established itself as the premier domestic competition in the world with an international flavour, the 20-over shootout was in safe hands.

Given India’s unqualified initial rejection of T20 cricket, it might appear a stretch to Once the IPL established itself as the premier domestic competition in the world with an international flavour, the 20-over shootout was in safe hands.

suggest that the World T20 has come home, finally, in its sixth edition. But in more ways

ISSUE 9, MARCH 2016

8 ICC WORLD T20

than one, it has actually come home as Dhoni seeks to become the first captain to lead his team to the title in their own backyard, much like he had done in 2011 when India regained the 50-over World Cup after 28 years.

The World T20 is no longer just a threeweek bash – a qualifying competition has been put in place to facilitate the presence of associate nations. The six qualifiers will join Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in the first round of the competition, with the table-topper of each of the four-team groups making it through the Super 10s. It might appear an

flux. Especially in this version where there is full freedom to express oneself, Caribbean flair, which for a while has been restricted to limited-overs cricket, has made a serious impact. Had West Indies been forced to send out a second-string team, it would have undermined cricket in the islands more than the World T20 itself. Already, the tournament is the poorer for the absence due to various reasons of Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine and, to a lesser extent, Darren Bravo.

The West Indian imbroglio hasn’t been the only stumbling block in the months leading up to the competition.

Continued doubts over Non-India games may be played before fairly empty the preparedness of stands. That won’t be a great advertisement for Indians’ the Delhi and District professed love for cricket, though the truth of the matter Cricket Association to is that Indian fans are more in love with their own team host matches meant and players rather than the sport as a whole. the sale of tickets for the World T20 didn’t unwieldy process, but one of the avowed aims take off until a fortnight before the opening of the T20 game is to popularise the sport game, on March 8. This has effectively thrown beyond traditional pockets. To that extent, a spanner in the works of fans from outside the progress from the qualifying competition the subcontinent desirous of travelling to of Oman and Hong Kong, specifically, must be India to back their teams – the Barmy Army construed as a step in the right direction. in particular would have been hit hard by the last-minute sale – which could then mean that The lead-up to the tournament has been several non-India games are played before anything but encouraging. West Indies fairly empty stands. That won’t be a great players had their customary run-in with their advertisement for Indians’ professed love for board over pay issues, and while a tenuous cricket, though the truth of the matter is that compromise has been reached for the time Indian fans are more in love with their own being, world cricket can ill afford having the team and players rather than the sport as a one-time powerhouses in a constant state of whole.

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be bursting at the seams on March 19 when the two teams lock horns in the Super 10s – all decks seem to have been cleared for a crackerjack three and a half weeks. Much of the focus will, understandably, be on the men’s game. That said, the women will be keen to build on the recent gains they have made. The plethora of ODI and T20I games being played in different parts of the world in preparation for the Women’s World T20 is an emphatic statement of intent as the chasing pack desperately seeks means to derail Australia’s designs of a four-peat.

STATE OF FLUX West Indies, the 2012 champions, had a run in with the board over pay.

With the West Indian conundrum seemingly settled, ticket sales well under way, the Feroze Shah Kotla muddle resolved and the Pakistan government giving its national team the allclear to travel to India – tiny Dharamsala will

No matter what else, the success of any tournament is linked directly to the progress of the home team, and bums on the seats at venues. Television rights and tournament sponsorships might have taken away the relevance of gate collection, but like the 50over World Cup in the Caribbean showed in 2007, there is no joy in playing in front of empty galleries. As a commercial enterprise, the World T20 2016 might already be a winwin, but its actual success will be measured by the overall response of the Indian fan, and by how far the Indian team goes. As simple as that. vvv

DID YOU KNOW

The very first match of the inaugural World T20 in 2007 was a run riot; there were 36 fours, 18 sixes and 413 runs as South Africa overhauled West Indies’ 205 for 6. Eight years down the line, you’d assume taller totals than that have been breached, but it remains the highest successful chase in World T20 history.

ISSUE 9, MARCH 2016

2007

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YUVRAJ V BROAD

Of all the things Yuvraj Singh has achieved in his illustrious career, his master stroke on September 19, 2007 will probably remain the most memorable moment for those who watched him bat that night. It was on this day at Kingsmead in Durban that Yuvraj etched his name into the record books by hitting six consecutive sixes off the bowling of a hapless Stuart Broad. His 14-ball 58 took India to an 18-run win, keeping their hopes of a place in the semi-finals alive.

After a heated exchange with Andrew Flintoff between overs, Yuvraj swung the first delivery of Broad’s final over over mid-wicket, sending the ball outside the stadium. The second was flicked behind square-leg for six more. On the third, Yuvraj backed away and carved the ball over the covers. A shell-shocked Broad changed his angle to around the wicket, but erred in length. A full toss outside the off stump was slashed over backward point. On bent knee, Yuvraj heaved the next one over midwicket for his fifth six. Broad trundled in, delivered a halfvolley and turned his head as Yuvraj smashed the last one over mid-wicket to make it six sixes off the over.

- Himanish Bhattacharjee

2009

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AFRIDI ALL THE WAY

Batting first in the 2009 final at Lord’s, Sri Lanka struggled from the beginning.

Abdul Razzaq picked up three wickets in an incisive opening spell to reduce them to 32 for 4, while Shahid Afridi, with figures of 1 for 20, was Pakistan’s most economical bowler. Kumar Sangakkara (64 off 52) and Angelo Mathews (32 off 24) put on an unbroken 68-run stand for the seventh wicket, boosting Sri Lanka’s total to 138 for 6.

Pakistan started well, Kamran Akmal keeping the scorecard ticking with Shahzaib Hasan for company. But with the two dismissed in quick succession, Sri Lanka suddenly looked in control.

It was then that Afridi took charge. He scored a fine 40-ball 54, putting on an unbroken 76-run stand with Shoaib Malik (24 off 22 balls).

The winning run came off a leg-bye and Afridi quickly switched to his signature pose, arms and legs stretched out, before collapsing in a mid-pitch embrace with Malik as the rest of their teammates rushed to join them.

- Himanish Bhattacharjee

ISSUE 8, 9, MARCH 2016

12 ICC WORLD T20

AN ASIAN EDGE (OR NOT)

IPL has given foreign players new insight into playing in India, even as the unpredictability of the format throws conditions out of the equation Shamya Dasgupta

“W

e are always a top contender when it comes to the shorter format.

Also [with] the World Cup being held in India, the spinners will come into action and that gives us added benefit. And also the exposure of playing IPL over here – out of eight seasons we have played seven here – all of that will count,” said MS Dhoni on February 14 this year.

Earlier, in December last year, Virat Kohli had said, “So many players all around the world have played in the IPL for so many

years now, they are pretty familiar with Indian conditions. It’s not such a big home advantage anymore and especially with formats like T20 where the game is so quick.

So, any team could be a favourite.”

Kohli was speaking at the end of the South African tour of India, which ended with the home side winning the four-Test series 3-0.

However, South Africa had won the limitedovers leg of the series – 2-0 in the three Twenty20 Internationals and 3-2 in the five One-Day Internationals – prior to the Tests.

Just two months later, right after India had swept the three-T20I series in Australia and then beaten Sri Lanka at home 2-1, Dhoni sat

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AT ‘HOME’ South Africa’s top T20 players are among the most widely travelled.

behind that mic in Visakhapatnam. Between them, Kohli and Dhoni touched upon two talking points that are bound to come up during the 2016 ICC World T20 depending on how things pan out: 1. Home advantage, familiarity with conditions; and 2. The role of the subcontinental T20 leagues – chiefly but not just the IPL – in giving outsiders a new level of familiarity with the conditions here.

Some of the best players in the world, especially the best T20 players among them, whether batsmen or bowlers, make a beeline for India in the not-terribly-hospitable months of April and May every year, travel endlessly from one corner of the country to another, to play the IPL. It’s a fantastic tournament, they

say whenever you ask them. They talk about interacting and spending time with players from the rest of the world, the opportunity for Indian youngsters to match themselves against international stars, and, of course, the money, which is pretty awesome. Along with all of that, they figure out what the pitch in New Delhi is like and that the ball flies “India are architects of their own

downfall. You have created a scenario where our players can play in your conditions at the IPL.”

off the bat better through the Bangalore sky and spin is in when at Eden Gardens. Simply,

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Wankhede Stadium is not as ‘away’ for Chris Morris as Willowmoore Park in Benoni is for Mohammed Shami.

That should explain why the South Africans had a good time of it in the limited-overs games in India late last year and also why West Indies – their top T20 players are among the most widely travelled in the world – dominated the 2012 edition of the World T20 played in Sri Lanka.

(a) familiarised everyone with everywhere, and (b) taken away the home advantage of the non-European teams, because their best players all play in Europe. At the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, the Brazilians were about as ‘at home’ or not as the Iranians.

No disputing de Villiers’s statement, but, to be fair, that’s just one side of the story. Despite the familiarity-with-the-subcontinent factor, Sri Lanka and India contested the final of the 2014 edition in Bangladesh. And Sri Lanka Just after that limited-overs series between reached the 2012 final and Pakistan the India and South Africa, Fanie de Villiers told semifinal, where Sri Lanka, the hosts, beat them. Two out of four semifinalists is a fair One man or a five-minute stretch of play can swing the number, one that doesn’t result of a T20 game, often throwing the conditions out prove or disprove any of the equation. theory.

The Times of India, “In the past, we haven’t lost against India, we have lost against the conditions. India aren’t good overseas, they are only good in their own conditions.

They are basically the architect of their own downfall because you have created the scenario [IPL] where our players can play in your conditions.”

What de Villiers says sounds like the football logic in recent years. No host nation has won the World Cup since France in 1998, and one of the reasons cited by observers is that the increase in numbers of players across the world in different leagues have

Above all, there is no denying the unpredictability of the format: The fact that one good over – and, therefore, one bad over – can change the game, the possibility of one man making a massive difference, a five-minute stretch of play swinging the result of a game … often throwing the conditions out of the equation.

“What the shortest format really does is it narrows down the difference between the two teams. What you have to do is keep the big hitters out of the game. Also, the knockout games, you have to be at your best. Once the knockout stage starts it is more like lottery cricket. To be consistent is something that

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THE T20 VISION SPECIALISTS

The likes of Bravo, Nehra and Watson, who almost exclusively play the 20-over format, are testament to a changing game Karunya Keshav

O

n February 17, 2005, in Auckland, cricket history was made and it looked like an ABBA-themed high school reunion. Stephen Fleming & Co. were bringing 80s back in all its big hair, bandana and beige glory as New Zealand played Australia in the first ever Twenty20 International.

Australia easily defended their score of 214 for a 44-run victory. But, as the Wisden Cricketers Almanack remarked, “neither side took the game especially seriously”. Ricky Ponting, man of the match for his unbeaten 55ball 98, thought it “difficult to play seriously”.

“If it does become an international game,” he said, “then I’m sure the novelty won’t be there all the time.”

Ponting has, of course, since been proved to have as much foresight as the Decca Records suits who declared that “the Beatles have no future in show business” because “guitar groups are on the way out.” For, 11 years and a few moons later, we’re still dancing to the T20I tune and we love it, yeah, yeah, yeah.

As the cricket world prepares for the sixth edition of the ICC World T20, the 20-over game is Serious Business.

Nobody takes the T20 format more seriously

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BACK TO FUTURE New Zealand played Australia in the first Twenty20 International on February 17, 2005.

than the cricketers. Why, a good number play little other cricket, for reasons varied – age, ability, money, the selectorial cold shoulder...

A noticeable population of T20 specialists will carry their countries’ campaigns in the March-April tournament in India, their swashbuckling presence on the global stage a statement on the effect its shortest format is having on the game.

Day International since the World Cup last year. Chris Gayle, destroyer of bowlers’ self worth in T20 leagues world over, has blamed a bad back for keeping him away from Tests since September 2014. Dwayne Bravo quit Tests in 2015, over four years after he played his last five-day game, and has been out-offavour with the board since the abandoned tour of India in 2014.

Darren Sammy, the captain of the side, retired from Tests in May 2014 after he was replaced as skipper, and hasn’t played a One-

“This T20 competition has messed our cricket up,” Clive Lloyd, chairman of selectors, said at a lecture last year. “Someone like Andre Russell, I spoke to him only a month ago and said you can get into our Test side because you are one of the best allrounders

Nowhere is this more starkly felt than in West Indies, the 2012 champions, where players and the board lurch from one crisis to the next, with the 20-over game the frequent battleground. Six of the players in West Indies’ original 15-member squad for the tournament were uncontracted, not having featured in the longer formats for a while.

Opportunities in domestic T20 leagues, though, have been lucrative, also serving to keep them on the radar for West Indies T20I games, whatever their differences with the board may be.

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in the world. A couple of weeks later he told me he has got a bad knee and could only play one-dayers. It’s such a waste that we have a guy who could be a great cricketer who is now not thinking of playing both formats.”

For their part, the players see little choice.

“We’re all committed to West Indies cricket, but sometimes with the way we’ve been treated over the years, sometimes we second guess and ask ourselves, why should we actually fight with West Indies’ cricket (the administrators) when the rest of the world are opening their hands for us?” Bravo,

technically as well, to be at my best in Test cricket,” said Shane Watson announcing his long-format retirement after the Ashes 2015.

The 34-year-old Australia allrounder, plagued by injuries in a 14-year career, didn’t make the cut for the one-day squad, but took over T20I captaincy duties against India in January and gave an emphatic statement of intent with a 71-ball 124. He was the most expensive buy at the IPL 2016 auction, picked up by Royal Challengers Bangalore for Rs 9.5 crore.

In fact, the shortest format affords veterans the best chance to extend their career. At 36, Ashish Nehra’s body may longer hold up against A good number of T20 players feature in little other the rigours of spending cricket, for reasons varied – age, ability, money, the more than three hours selectorial cold shoulder... on the field – his last ODI was at the World Cup 2011, his last Test the highest wicket-taker in IPL 2015, had over a decade ago, when his current bowling been quoted as saying last year when an partner Jasprit Bumrah was 10 – but since his inexperienced West Indies were having a return to the Indian side in January, the leftdifficult time in Australia. arm pacer has made those three hours count.

“The format suits him,” said MS Dhoni, his While choice and circumstance have captain. “He effortlessly bowls at decent pace combined to make T20 the winner in the and can swing the ball. All of that together tussle between club and country among really helps us.” the Caribbean players, for some of other countries, the 20-over game is the only one Injuries have slowed Lasith Malinga, but Sri they can play.

Lanka cannot do without their T20I captain’s remarkable ability to send down yorker after “I don’t have that real fight in me, especially yorker at the death if they are to retain the for Test cricket, knowing the lengths physically title they won in 2014. With Malinga having that I’d have to go through, mentally and picked up 24 wickets in 15 games at a bowling ISSUE 9, MARCH 2016

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WORLD T20

ICC WORLD T20

is very important,” said Dhoni at the same time as he said his piece about being a “top contender”.

Lottery cricket. Over a 20-over shootout, with most major teams boasting of a battery of big-hitters and at least a couple of bowlers – pacers and spinners – who have cracked the T20 code of slower bouncers and wide yorkers (is it a yorker at all if it’s not aimed at the toes?), the difference between sides has diminished to a great extent. And, just like that, the difference conditions make, too, have diminished. But not vanished altogether.

Knowing the layout of your friend’s house because you visit her frequently isn’t quite the same as actually growing up there, is it?

And, as an example, knowing that spinners are usually effective in India isn’t good enough if you don’t actually have an outstanding spinner in your ranks.

The 2016 edition of the World T20 will be the first one to be played in India, on grounds where the IPL matches are played and would be played soon after the World T20. The true test of all the theories and conjecture will be now – after all, none of the other leagues attract as much top-notch overseas talent as the IPL does. If India win, they repeat their 2011 50-over World Cup feat and also buck the trend of host nations not winning the tournament [see box]. If they, or one of the other subcontinental teams don’t win, well, Messrs Kohli and de Villiers knew what they were talking about, right? vvv

2007 1

Hosts: South Africa Winners: India Other subcontinent teams: > Pakistan (runners-up), > Sri Lanka and Bangladesh (Super 8s)

2009

Hosts: England Winners: Pakistan Other subcontinent teams: > Sri Lanka (runners-up), > India (Super 8s) and > Bangladesh (group stage)

2

2010 3

Hosts: West Indies Winners: England Subcontinent teams: > Pakistan and Sri Lanka (semifinals), > India (Super 8s), > Bangladesh and Afghanistan (group stage)

2012

Hosts: Sri Lanka (runners-up) Winners: West Indies Other subcontinent teams: > Pakistan (semifinals), > India (Super 8s), > Bangladesh and Afghanistan (group stage)

2014 5

Hosts: Bangladesh (Super 10s) Winners: Sri Lanka Other Asian teams: > India (runners-up), > Pakistan (Super 10s), > Afghanistan, Nepal, Hong Kong and UAE (qualifiers)

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NICHE SKILLS Dwayne Bravo (R) and Ashish Nehra proved their T20 worth in the IPL.

average of 18.5 during Mumbai Indians’ IPL 2015 title-winning campaign, his country’s expectations from him aren’t unjustified.

And watching the runs flow off Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene’s blades as they ply their trade in domestic circuits post-retirement, any Sri Lankan would be forgiven for wishing that they had taken a leaf out of Shahid Afridi’s book and delayed T20 retirement for one last shot at glory.

In a format where there is no margin for

error under pressure and experience is the most useful twelfth man, the T20 specialist is a pragmatic extension of teams’ horsesfor-courses philosophy. It could, however, be equally argued that their very presence is short-sighted. There is a space for the Pietersens, McCullums and Sangakkaras in T20 cricket; but its international stage cannot be the waiting room to retirement. As for a young star, a T20I experience should be the start of an education, not the finish line. T20 cricket can be a mythmaker – but can it build a legacy? vvv

ISSUE 9, MARCH 2016

MUMBAI

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WANKHEDE

ICC WORLD T20

GROUP 1 March 16, 7.30pm

West Indies v England March 18, 7:30pm

South Africa v England March 20, 3pm

South Africa v TBD SEMIFINAL 2 March 31, 7pm

TBD v TBD

BANGALORE

DELHI

M CHINNASWAMY

FEROZ SHAH KOTLA

GROUP 1

GROUP 1

March 20, 7.30pm

March 23, 3pm

Sri Lanka v West Indies

England v TBD

GROUP 2

March 26, 7.30pm

March 21, 7.30pm

Sri Lanka v England

Australia v TBD

March 28, 7.30pm March 23, 7.30pm

India v TBD

South Africa v Sri Lanka SEMIFINAL 1 March 30, 7.30pm

TBD v TBD

MOHALI PCA STADIUM

GROUP 2 March 22, 7.30pm

March 27, 7.30pm

New Zealand v Pakistan

India v Australia

March 25, 3pm

Australia v Pakistan

GROUP 2

March 16, 3 pm 21

GROUP 1

Pakistan v TBD

March 17, 7.30 pm

Sri Lanka v TBD

March 26, 3 pm

FINAL

April 3, 7 pm

TBD v TBD

KOLKATA EDEN GARDENS

TBD v New Zealand

NAGPUR VCA STADIUM

GROUP 1 March 25, 7.30pm

South Africa v West Indies March 27, 3pm

TBD v West Indies GROUP 2 March 15, 7.30pm

India v New Zealand

DHARAMSALA HPCA STADIUM

GROUP 2 March 18, 3pm

Australia v New Zealand March 19, 7.30pm

India v Pakistan

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22 22 ICC WORLD T20

T20I XI THAT COULD HAVE BEEN

Captained by Richards, with the firepower of Lara, the pace of Garner and the guile of Akram Manoj Narayan Compiling a Twenty20 XI of players of the bygone era – it isn’t the first time this has been undertaken, and it won’t be the last, or the most definitive. There will always be arguments and counter-arguments on the names that make it. The debate will be lively.

This time around, we are going with players who have played post the 1970s, which automatically excludes Don Bradman – yes, we can already sense the disgruntlement. We’ve also excluded any player who has been fielded in a Twenty20 International. It was tricky. Despite the filters, there were still too many options, one as compelling as the next one.

Here’s what we ended up with.

K SRIKKANTH

Even back in the 1980s and 90s, bowling to Srikkanth was a frustrating exercise. With duplicate deliveries, you could either scalp him or end up in the stands. He was an entertainer – not just with the bat, that too – and was considered a natural in the One-Day International format thanks to his explosive, swashbuckling approach to batting. His role was to provide quick foundations for an innings, as he did during India’s triumphant 1983 World Cup win, and his role in this team would be the same, especially given the throng of big-hitters to follow.

But there’s no risk of him being shadowed by all the big names – he is tailor-made for the Twenty20 format.

BRIAN LARA There are few batsmen who have a penchant for scoring as big and as fast as Brian Lara. Many of his exploits have come in the Test format, in which he will hold the record for the highest individual score – 501 not out – for the foreseeable future. He was formidable in ODIs as well, scoring 10,405 runs in 299 matches at 40.48, with 19 centuries. Had he been born a generation later, he would have perhaps shadowed Chris Gayle. His nimble footwork and lightening quick execution would have made the purist happy; his stance, with bat raised like a guillotine, would have added significant glamour quotient to the team.

23 VIV RICHARDS (CAPT) The thought of a Viv Richards at his peak playing the T20 format holds such possibilities of beauty, that perhaps it is fitting it will forever remain immaculate potential.

Arguably the most destructive batsman in history, and with a persona that is the stuff of legend, his big-hitting would have been well showcased in the format. In this team, he would come in at first drop, and his stride down to the centre itself would arrest any momentum the opposition musters. In 187 ODIs, he averaged 47 at a ballistic strike-rate of 90. Imagine, then, what it would have been in T20s?

JONTY RHODES Rhodes became part of cricketing folklore with that runout of Inzamam-ul-Haq in the 1992 World Cup. But more significant was the fact that the standards he set in the field, over a career curated from hard work, inspired a generation of youngsters willing to put their bodies on the line to prevent even a solitary run. Apart from his obvious quality in the field, Rhodes was also a fine limited-overs batsman. He averaged a respectable 35.11 in 245 ODIs and was also a practitioner of the quick single – an understated asset for any T20 batsman. He would be the man for the sticky situations, in this side.

GARRY SOBERS The most valuable member of a T20 team is always the allrounder. So, naturally, the greatest of them all would be the first name to be jotted down while compiling this team. But where do you start with Sobers? He would bowl all of leftarm spin, wrist spin and tricky medium pace. He was a livewire in the field. He was a menace with the bat, and at one point possessed the highest total in Tests with a 365 against Pakistan. He was also the first batsman to hit six sixes in an over. There was nothing the man couldn’t do – he was as proficient in other sports. AB de Villiers who?

IAN BOTHAM Before Kevin Pietersen made dominating headlines a thing, there was Ian Botham. He was a maverick. One day, he could throw caution to the winds and rip apart the most accomplished opposition. At other times, he would shockingly plunder bottomless depths. He was the epitome of self-belief, and his cricketing prowess was all too evident – he was the fastest to the double of 1000 runs and 100 wickets. His batting was based on power, and a thwack could end several rows behind the fence, while with the ball, the batsmen needed to be constantly on guard. His presence in this team adds some much needed glamour.

ANDY FLOWER (WK)

Adding further steel to this formidable line-up is he of grit and spirit. Flower is perhaps more known for his time as coach of England, but as a player, he was as consistent as they come and is one of Zimbabwe’s best players in history. In 213 ODIs, he has 6786 runs at 35.34 and a decent strike-rate of 74.59. He would don the wicket-keeping gloves in this side, and can be promoted up or down the order as required.

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24 24 ICC WORLD T20 SHANE WARNE

He doesn’t just add to the list of world-beaters on this team, he also adds to the list of characters. His personality only makes his overflowing cornucopia of talent more effective. Warne revitalised legspin and made it glamorous, especially by producing moments like that ‘ball of the century’ to Mike Gatting in 1993, and is perhaps responsible for future generations taking up the art. He ended as the second-highest wicket-taker in Test history with 708 scalps. In ODIs, he had 293 wickets in 194 matches, and will be the only specialist spinner in this side teeming with legends.

MALCOLM MARSHALL Of the plethora of legendary fast bowlers to emanate from the Caribbean, it is said that Malcolm Marshall is the finest of them all. He wasn’t the paciest, but he was accurate. And boy, did he know how to wreck havoc. He swung it both ways, possessed a bouncer that could knock one’s head off and mixed that all with sharp thinking to outdo batsmen. He was also courageous – at Headingley in July 1984, he broke his left thumb but played on to take 7 for 53 against England.

Had he been part of the T20 generation, perhaps there would have been no notion that it isn’t a bowler’s game. His was one of the first names in this team.

JOEL GARNER Since the arrival of the T20s, one bit of bowling that has become a prerequisite for every paceman is the yorker. There is no one who did that better than Joel Garner. At 6ft 8in, he delivered them as though from the stars. It came down with biting pace, and the batsman always had to be wary of the toe-crushers. In the 1979 World Cup final, his unhittable yorkers helped him pick up 5 for 38. Furthermore, his bouncers would rear shockingly from just short of a length, given his gigantic height. He would make an excellent death overs specialist.

WASIM AKRAM He is the second-highest wicket-taker in ODIs with 502 scalps in 356 matches at 23.52 and a purr-worthy economy of 3.89. As much as that statement throws light on the marvel that was Wasim Akram, it doesn’t do justice to him. He was so much more than just figures.

His mastery over the ball was unparalleled, and he could swing it both ways, at times in one delivery. He was a game changer, as was evident when he had Allan Lamb and Chris Lewis dismissed in successive deliveries to help Pakistan win the 1992 World Cup final. And he was a handy bat: he has a mammoth 257 against Zimbabwe to his name. Even in this team of legends, he would stand out.

MARK GREATBATCH (12TH MAN) New Zealand‘s Mark Greatbatch was a solid Test batsman, but he was made for the limited overs. He was one of the first pinch-hitters in ODIs, and could give the ball an almighty whack. He was capable of digging deep with the bat in times of trouble. His excellence in the field further adds to his potential T20 calibre.

SQUAD: K Srikkanth, Brian Lara, Viv Richards, Steve Waugh (capt), Garry Sobers, Ian Botham, Andy Flower (wk), Shane Warne, Wasim Akram, Malcolm Marshall, Joel Garner. 12th man: Mark Greatbatch.

2010

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A WIN FOR ENGLAND

England, despite being the country where cricket originated, had never won an ICC world trophy. That changed in the World T20 2010, when they defeated Australia at the Kensington Oval. Craig Kieswetter (63) and Kevin Pietersen (47) powered their side to an easy victory with a fantastic 111-run partnership.

overs. A rear-guard action from David Hussey (59), Cameron White (30) and Michael Clarke (27) helped propel the Australian total. But Kieswetter and Pietersen’s second-wicket stand took the game away from Australia as England romped home by seven wickets. Fittingly, it was Paul Collingwood, the England captain, who scored the winning runs.

England took control of the match at the outset, reducing Australia to 8 for 3 in two

- Himanish Bhattacharjee ISSUE 8, 9, MARCH 2016

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EMBRACING THE ASSOCIATES

Exposing non-Test nations to a higher standard of play between global competitions is vital to sustain their interest and talent Sidhanta Patnaik

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few thrilling games can be expected when Ireland, Afghanistan, Scotland, the Netherlands, Hong Kong and Oman, along with Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, compete in the first round of the ICC World Twenty20 2016 for two qualifying spots to the Super 10s. The competition is one of only two platforms – the other being the 50-over World Cup where getting a berth is tougher – for associate nations to be seen by a wider audience. The context pumps up the players, who are largely semi-professionals, to shake things up a little.

Every World T20 has indicated the growing

potential of non-Test playing nations.

Scotland reduced Pakistan to 116 for 6 in the inaugural event in 2007 before losing their way. The Netherlands rocked England’s boat first with a last-ball win at Lord’s in 2009, and then produced an encore in Chittagong in 2014. Even in their defeats in 2010 and 2012, Afghanistan’s fighting spirit was noteworthy.

Nepal impressed, and Hong Kong scripted a memorable two-wicket win against hosts Bangladesh in the last edition. Then there is Ireland, who need to play against tougher opposition consistently for the game to go to the next level in their country.

The problem is that the associate teams

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AN EDUCATION The likes of Oman will try to reduce the gap with more established teams.

– now with a far busier calendar because of the International Cricket Council’s various developmental tournaments – play so little against Test nations outside the world events that there is no definitive scale to measure their progress. The stagnation makes every ICC event a new start for them, and it doesn’t add depth to cricket’s landscape.

Surely ICC would not want another Kenyalike slide under its watch. Meanwhile, the AllStars Series in the United States of America late last year showed there is a huge appetite for T20 cricket in non-traditional markets, which remain untapped.

It is the prerogative of the parent body to encourage the Test teams to engage smaller nations outside of World Cups with more focus on T20s because that’s the format where the chance of making an immediate impact is real.

By providing Afghanistan a home ground in Associate teams play so little against Test nations outside world events that there is no definitive scale to measure their progress.

Noida, the Board of Control for Cricket in India have opened a door to new possibilities. As

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Mahendra Singh Dhoni said during the 2015 World Cup, a packed schedule doesn’t allow India to play more matches against associates, but by being based in India, Afghanistan could test themselves against representative sides, such as India A or the domestic champions, who are equally competitive.

Not only will such matches reduce the skills gap between associate and top teams and help in improving the profile of world events over time, but will also allow more players from smaller teams to have bigger individual aspirations.

Like Ryan ten Doeschate, who has won the Indian Premier League with Kolkata Knight Riders, Mohammad Nabi, Kevin O’Brien and associate players like them will have a prominent chance to be noticed by franchises across the globe. The knowledge transfer by being a part of multicultural leagues and playing under pressure in front of packed houses regularly is invaluable.

That apart, whether cricket in the T20 format should be a part of the Olympics to give teams like China, whose initiation to the game is crucial, an additional carrot continues to be debated. If hasty steps are not taken, then the best talents from associate and affiliate nations could drift away into other ventures because of boredom, and lack of recognition and reward. That cannot be good for the future of cricket. vvv

I was just thinking of our victory against England in the last edition today. But it took place in 2014, and it deserves to stay there. We need to focus on the present, and maybe repeat the feat if we can. Us smaller nations, when we get a chance to play at a world event, it’s as good as a world cup final for us.

- Anton Roux, Netherlands coach

We know we have not had the best of World T20s in the past, but we are not dwelling in that much. The World Cup in Australia and New Zealand gave us great exposure. We were gutted not to win a game or two, but from then on, we have been pushing hard, working on training drills and tweaking things that we believe will help us in this world event.

- Grant Bradburn, Scotland coach

I know what road lies ahead. It is a very hard and strenuous one. I think there should be so much of planning and strategy that must be put in and it is going to be a very challenging task. We need to have our bench strength, we need put so many little things right.

- Duleep Mendis, Oman coach

2012

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GAYLE GOES GANGNAM

When West Indies won the ICC Champions Trophy 2004, the players were over the moon. And they celebrated as such. Every member in the West Indies camp joined Chris Gayle for his energetic rendition of the viral hit Gangnam Style, an eccentric song

by South Korea artist Psy, bringing a carnival-like atmosphere to the R Premadasa stadium.

The players, led by Gayle, had brought a vibrant brand of cricket to the tournament, making it rain sixes. In the semifinal against Australia, for instance, Gayle had needed just 41 balls to smash 75. Talk about style.

“We’re going to relive it every day of our lives. This is the best moment for me in any cricket. This here (the trophy) is for the Caribbean people. West Indies fans all over the world have been craving success. I know they’re partying from Jamaica down to Guyana. And we know how to party. I think they’ll need a lot of bartenders,” said a delighted Darren Sammy, the West Indies captain, after that final.

- Himanish Bhattacharjee

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ICC’S BALANCING ACT

David Richardson: “Important that we find a balance between the amount of T20 cricket played relative to the other two formats” Shamya Dasgupta

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t’s World Twenty20 time again, cricket’s biennial acknowledgement of the significance of the shortest format of the game. The top international teams don’t play a lot of T20 cricket, even though the lead-up to the March-April fest in India was chock-a-block with fixtures around the world. Why, even the Asia Cup was given a makeover, swapping formats to make it more relevant.

Most T20 cricket is played at the franchise level. Critics would say that that’s good enough; the international calendar is far too full anyway. Yet, this is the format that attracts the most fans, and is probably the best option

in cricket’s attempts to globalise. As we head into the sixth chapter of the World T20, Wisden India caught up with David Richardson, the former South Africa wicketkeeper and, since 2012, the chief executive of the International Cricket Council. It is, after all, an excellent time to ask him what the ICC think of T20 cricket, what space they want to give the format in the overall game, and what the future of T20 looks like. Excerpts: A lot has changed since the 2007 World Twenty20. There are things the ICC want to achieve with all their tournaments and other programmes. What are the plans with this edition?

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a special experience for all involved, whether you are a player, an umpire, a spectator or a fan following the game on TV or on your laptop, phone or tablet. Through the playing conditions (rules) and the preparation of pitches, we aim to encourage an exciting, attacking brand of cricket. We are confident that with the added intensity that nation v nation competition inevitably brings to the contest, the cricket at the ICC WT20 2016 will be exhilarating and of the highest quality.

Through this and through our TV broadcast, the event app and other activations on our various digital platforms, the WT20 will, I am sure, attract record-breaking attendances, viewership and following.

You mention the intensity of nation v nation contests, but we still don’t have a lot of bilateral T20Is, usually one or two or three at the end of the Tests and ODIs. It’s not directly the ICC’s to address, but is that something you think about?

T20 CHALLENGE “There are some who argue that T20Is should be limited to ICC events.

One size will not fit all.”

T20 cricket is the vehicle the ICC is using to globalise the game. The WT20, being both a combined men’s and women’s event, has been hugely instrumental in attracting new players and fans to the game from across the world, both male and female. The shorter format has been especially successful in attracting a younger audience. If we can attract and inspire these youngsters to the game through T20 cricket, they will also grow to appreciate and love the longer versions.

With all ICC events, our objective is to deliver

There are some who argue that T20 cricket should be limited to domestic T20 events and the ICC WorldT20 only, and that no bilateral international T20 cricket should be played.

Others argue we should be playing less Test and ODI cricket and more T20Is. This is driven by demand and varies from country to country. Whilst one size will not fit all, if we are to find a way of ensuring that all three formats of the game survive well into the future, it is important that we try and find a balance between the amount of T20 cricket played relative to the other two formats.

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2014

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FAULKNER V SAMMY Darren Sammy is not very expressive, but on a fabulously entertaining evening at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium on March 28, 2014, the West Indies captain produced a fantastic cameo against Australia, and then broke into an unrestrained jig as he let flow pent-up emotions.

Before the game, James Faulkner had said he didn‘t „particularly like“ the West Indies players. As it turned out, George Bailey, the Australia captain, gave Faulkner the ball with West Indies needing 12 runs to win off the last over. After two dot balls, Sammy smashed Faulkner‘s third and fourth delivery over the boundary boards for two massive sixes, consigning Australia to their second consecutive loss in the tournament. „Like I said in the pre-match press conference, talk is cheap,“ Sammy told reporters moments after his feat. „Cricket is a game of action. You can talk all you want but it is the action that matters.

West Indies acted today. It feels very good to bring it home. We fought for it.

Faulkner will not like us anymore.“

- Himanish Bhattacharjee

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Is there a bit of resistance on the part of the authorities to give too much space to T20 cricket, which is still perceived by many people as ‘not’ cricket?

It is not about resistance, it is more about identifying and recognising the demand for T20 matches on the one hand but then making sure that some element of balance is maintained so that all formats of the game are allowed to flourish.

What do the numbers say – how does T20 cricket match up with ODI cricket? Is there a possibility of the number of ODIs going down and T20Is going up in the near future?

Over the last four years (2011 to 2015), outside of ICC events, 165 Tests, 450 ODIs and 217 T20Is were played. In the next four years, 214 Tests, 351 ODIs and 143 T20Is have been scheduled. But the ICC is currently reviewing the structure and scheduling of bilateral cricket, so the numbers and ratios may change in the future, recognising, however, that it will always be important to maintain some form of balance if all three formats are going to continue to flourish.

The franchise-based T20 leagues: It’s not a secret any more that more and more players are shifting towards them. Are the DID YOU KNOW

ICC concerned or is it up to the respective boards to address this?

This raises an important issue. There is a trend developing for players to be choosing participation in lucrative domestic leagues rather than bilateral international cricket.

This is a concern to the ICC and its members and must be viewed in the context of a wider statement of fact that bilateral international cricket is in effect facing competition from the very successful ICC events and domestic T20 leagues, and is at risk of losing its profile and value. The ICC has recognised that it needs to address these structural issues and a review of the structure and scheduling of international cricket is currently being conducted.

We currently have some exciting and entertaining international series taking place across all three formats and the MRF rankings do a great job in creating some context. However, the issues with the current international calendar are no secret – the game needs a world Test competition; the aim should be to create more competitive series with context beyond the result of that series, the top players should be incentivised to choose international competitions above domestic events.

The total prize money for the Women’s World T20 in 2016, which will be distributed between the winners, runners-up, losing semifinalists as well as each team for every group match win, is US $400,000 – still less than what India alone pocketed for winning the World T20 back in 2007 (US $490,000).

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Bilateral ODI and T20 cricket should have direct relevance to qualification for the ICC CWC and WT20 events respectively, with easily understood merit-based qualification pathways. All developing countries should have clear pathways to competing at the highest levels.

In summary, whilst the detail may be complicated, and there would be many options to consider, the solution to these issues could be expressed quite simply, that is, to find an appropriate model for and introduce a world Test competition and proper qualifying leagues for the ICC ODI and T20 events.

The members have agreed that a collective approach to scheduling international cricket is necessary and that ICC should, in consultation with all its stakeholders, put together proposals for consideration which (a) address the appropriate positioning of the three formats – i.e. how much of each format should be played and by how many teams, (b) assess how much cricket should be played as part of structured competitions DID YOU KNOW

(and what those competitions might look like) and how much cricket should continue to be arranged bilaterally; and (c) set out an appropriate funding model to underpin the agreed structures.

This review has been identified as a priority for 2016.

Continuing from the previous question – the West Indies situation, with more and more players choosing to be T20 freelancers, even if it’s not expressly spelt out; is there a role ICC could play in West Indies cricket in some way?

It is important that all members are accountable and responsible for their own performances. The West Indies is more than capable of looking after itself.

Obviously, the ICC is available to assist if requested and where possible.

I think the West Indies would be one of the big beneficiaries of a successful review of the structure and scheduling of international cricket. vvv

‘Twenty20’ had to beat off competition from ‘Cricket Lite’ as the name of the format. According to Stuart Robertson, the former ECB marketing manager credited as the brainchild of the game, a media gathering in 2002 was asked to propose names and three to four variations of Twenty20 were suggested. All’s well that ends well as World Cricket Lite just doesn’t have the same ring to it.

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YOUNG SIDE PLAYS SMART

Venkatesh Prasad remembers the highs of the 2007 win, Dhoni’s captaincy, the Pakistan rivalry, and India’s focus on the bowl-out Karthik Lakshmanan

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t would perhaps not be wrong to say that India’s victory in the inaugural edition of the World Twenty20 changed cricket forever. It led to tremendous popularity of the format in India, in turn leading to the formation of the Indian Premier League.

Venkatesh Prasad, who remembers the tournament as if it happened only yesterday.

In a chat with Wisden India, the former Indian medium pacer talks about the side’s preparations, the India-Pakistan final, the unforgettable Joginder Sharma over, and more. Excerpts:

But they did have a bowling coach in

The first memory that comes to my mind is obviously the newness of the format – it was something we were never exposed to. Nobody, nobody in the world gave us a chance. That’s the first thing that comes to my mind. After that obviously the India-Pakistan match, the

It’s almost impossible to imagine now that not many gave India a chance to go far in the tournament. They had played only one Twenty20 International before the tournament, had a new captain and a young side, and no coach.

What’s the first memory that strikes when you think about the World T20 2007?

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TENSE WIN “You should give credit to Dhoni because he took the game to the last.”

bowl-out, the final… but the whole point is that nobody even spoke about India at home if I’m right.

Nobody gave India a chance, but how was the mood in the Indian camp? Quietly confident?

No, no, no, no. The point is that we had a new captain in MS Dhoni and we all just wanted to have fun. We wanted to compete, there’s no doubt about that. From a coaching staff point of view, what I felt is we needed to play smart.

Today, if you ask me what’s important in T20 cricket, I’d say you have to play smart cricket.

India had played just one T20I before the World T20. How did you as a coach formulate strategies for something so new?

The challenge was of course in terms of format, yes. But in terms of line, length and other things, you just had to focus because you cannot afford to give room to the batsmen.

It’s like the one-day game. No matter which format it is, I’ve always felt you have to bowl a tight line and length, especially in the shorter formats. If you bowl a good line and length and still get hit, it’s a good shot. As simple as that.

You go back and bowl the same ball. You have to make sure you have the variation. Whether

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it’s a T20 or ODI, that is the whole point.

You’ve got to have variations and know when to use them. You’ve got to have the tactical acumen as a player. You have to know when to use what. Even if it’s a one-day game, and let me say why I keep going back to the oneday game – you need to analyse the different phases of the game, and you also have to know what you’ve got in your armoury, so that you can bring it on when needed.

You mentioned the bowl-out against Pakistan. India used non regular bowlers like Robin Uthappa and hit everything on target.

Was a bowl-out part of the preparations?

everybody bowled in the contests, and over a period of time, we kept making mental notes.

This guy has a straight-arm action and the chance of him hitting the stump is much more than someone bowling with a side arm and so on. So that’s how we fixed our bowlers for the bowl-out. And who would believe it – we had a bowl-out in our very first game!

At which point in the tournament did India believe they could win it? Was there any specific trigger point?

As far as the games are concerned, we were just taking it one at a time. Not even once did we think that we would win the tournament.

When I say that, it means we were taking it one “We wanted to do the basics and play proper cricketing game at a time. shots when everybody else was trying those lap shots and so on. We wanted to bowl straight. Our game plan was as simple.”

It was practised. When we saw the playing conditions, one of the things we noticed was the bowl-out in case of a tie. I don’t know how many teams would have felt that there could be a chance of a tie, right? And this is in the T20 format, in the first ever tournament. But it’s what I felt as a coach, we felt as a coaching staff and management.

Since it came under my purview, being the bowling coach, what I said is – for the heck of it, let’s have a contest after every nets session between the batsmen and the bowlers. So

Because we played against Australia, South Africa, England, Pakistan… beating all these fantastic teams in our very first exposure to T20s was amazing.

So we wanted to keep it simple. We wanted to do the basics and play proper cricketing shots when everybody else was trying those lap shots and so on. And when it comes to bowling, we wanted to bowl straight. Our game plan was as simple.

The final – India v Pakistan. Talk us through the build-up to the big game.

The India-Pakistan final was a sort of icing on the cake. Beating Pakistan in the beginning of the tournament and then beating South

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Having said that, there was obviously a lot of expectation. I need to be very honest in accepting that we were all very tense.

At one stage during the match, we felt we could lose the game, especially when Misbahul-Haq was batting. I think a lot of credit has to go to the players, no doubt, but also to Dhoni.

He was new as a captain and it was the World Cup, but he was very cool and not perturbed at all. He made his bowling changes properly.

STICKING TO PLAN As bowling coach, Venkatesh Prasad felt the need to practise for a bowl-out.

Africa, England and Australia, and then again playing Pakistan in the final… you can’t expect a better story than that.

“I don’t think it was very well thought out, as far as giving the last over to Joginder Sharma was concerned. But this is why you should give credit to Dhoni because he took the game to the last. He didn’t want his weaker bowlers at the last. He got Harbhajan Singh in the 18th over and somebody else (S Sreesanth) in the 19th. So what he was trying to do was take the game to the end and then see what happens. That was an amazing thought and that’s exactly what MS Dhoni did. And to all our luck, efforts, practice and planning, the result was outstanding.

How were the celebrations?

DID YOU KNOW

Zimbabwe have the most number of players (six) in their World T20 2016 squad who were part of the inaugural World T20 squad in 2007. Bangladesh and West Indies are close behind with five familiar faces each, while four Indians and three Pakistanis are still around this time. Sri Lanka, South Africa and New Zealand have two each from the Class of 2007, while Australia, England and Scotland have none.

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Nothing at all, absolutely. We won the final and did a lap of honour, which was outstanding. We thanked the thousands of fans at the ground and millions of spectators across the world. It was actually like playing in India. Especially the match against South Africa in Durban, it was like playing in India.

In fact they themselves mentioned it – Shaun Pollock said they felt they were playing in India when in Durban, so that’s how it was.

It was a very young team, there should have obviously been a lot of dressing room fun…

There were quite a few [stories] but I won’t tell them (laughs). It was intense as well.

What did the win mean for you personally?

You played two World Cups yourself.

It was fantastic. We did have a great chance of winning the World Cup or coming to the final in the 1996 World Cup, but that wasn’t to be. We lost to Sri Lanka in the semifinal and that was as close as I could get. But even as a player, I always believed in staying in the present. That’s what I did personally – be in the present, planning for the opposition tactically and so on.

The whole point was that we could achieve what we achieved only because of planning.

Instead of thinking too much, we understood that thinking about the process was extremely important. That’s what I kept on doing, that’s what we kept on doing. It worked perfectly for us – for a young side to express themselves like that was fantastic. vvv

There have been only nine tied matches in T20I history; three were World T20 matches, with one decided by a bowl-out and two decided by a Super Over. New Zealand have been involved in five tied T20I games, the most by any country, including the two World T20 games decided by a Super Over, against Sri Lanka and West Indies in the 2012 edition of the tournament.

The World T20 trophy is the only missing silverware in Australia’s cabinet, having never won in the previous five editions of the tournament. In fact, Australia’s first game in the inaugural World T20 in 2007 ended in a five-wicket loss to Zimbabwe. Australia had won the 2007 World Cup only a few months earlier, but this was a format they are yet to crack.

Associate teams have defeated a Testplaying nation five times in World T20 tournaments. In 2007, Ireland beat Bangladesh and the Netherlands stunned England. In 2014, Hong Kong pipped Bangladesh, Ireland edged ahead of Zimbabwe and the Netherlands once again knocked over England.

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SPIN WARS: THE NEW DAWN

The twirlymen adapted to a changing game, bringing in variations and honing their art to be match-winners in the 20-over game Disha Shetty

S

ince the inception of Twenty20 cricket, it was speculated that the format would prove to be a death knell for bowlers, especially if you were a spinner. That there was no way the spinners would survive the onslaught of bulky bats and small boundaries. And it was just a matter of time before spinners would be extinct in the format.

So it was, initially. Spinners were put under immense pressure right from ball one as batsmen danced down the track to loft them over the ropes. The spinners, for their part, retreated into a defensive shell soon after being hit and would fire in, providing

no air whatsoever. What followed was more demoralising: With the pace on the ball, the batsmen would go all out hitting shots from third man to fine leg.

However, over the years, spin has turned out to be the X-factor for most successful teams. Spinners evolved, conceding fewer runs than pacers and making plans to deceive batsmen. “When T20s first started, everyone thought spinners would be cannon fodder,� recalls Murali Kartik, the former India left-arm spinner. “But now, many spinners bowl a couple of overs in the Power Play. Taking the

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MATCH-WINNERS India’s spin duo of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja stifled the Australian batsmen.

pace off the ball has worked really well for them.”

It did not happen overnight, though.

Spinners, considered the cerebral bowlers, mixed their pace more frequently and played with their lengths to different batsmen to avoid getting hit all over the park.

“Ultimately, it was a question of survival for the spinners. They realised that to stay in the game, they’d possibly have to do something that wasn’t attempted early on,” says Kartik.

“One of the key things the good spinners realised was that whatever way you bowl in Tests or ODIs, it predominantly doesn’t work in this format. Good spinners were able to

figure out which delivery to bowl to which batsman at what time. Everything is specific.

I could possibly bowl a flighted delivery to a batsman when he has just walked in, let’s say for an MS Dhoni or a Yuvraj Singh in the 18th over. That same ball, it could be the perfect delivery in a four-day situation, but because of the mindset of the batsman in T20, it could go out of the park.”

“Good spinners realised that the way you bowl in Tests or ODIs doesn’t work in T20s. The perfect delivery in a four-day situation, becuase of the mindset of a batsman, could be hit out of the park. ”

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The change in trend was evident during the 2012 World T20 in Sri Lanka, where the likes of Ajantha Mendis, Saeed Ajmal and Sunil Narine – practitioners of unorthodox spin – proved that they not only possessed the craft to escape the batting carnage but also emerged as match-winners.

But T20 was not all about the success of the unconventional and mysterious spinners.

In the 2014 World T20 in Bangladesh, Amit Mishra showed there could be room for an orthodox legspinner as well; he struck gold by finding the right pace and areas to bowl

is such that batsmen have no fear; they step out, they play sweeps, reverse sweeps, paddle sweeps … so, as a bowler, you have to have the variations, and also have the control. You shouldn’t bowl different balls only because you know how to bowl them. Keep it simple.

Have the variations, but use them as surprise weapons.”

As spinners flourished in the format, they also made a healthy ascend in the T20I rankings for bowlers. At the time of writing, the top five were all spinners: Narine, R Ashwin, Shahid Afridi, Sachithra Senanayake and Graeme Cremer.

Rather unusually, only In a format where predictability is intolerable, spinners two pace bowlers added an extra dimension to their armoury by making feature in the top ten at late adjustments to each delivery. the moment.

on his way to becoming India’s second-best bowler in the tournament.

In a format where predictability is intolerable, spinners added an extra dimension to their armoury by making late adjustments to each delivery – a quality that Saqlain Mushtaq, the legendary Pakistan offspinner, swears by.

“In the modern-day game, you need to mix it up all the time, because if you don’t have variations, you have nothing,” says Mushtaq. “I think the main thing is your mind, your brain.

You shouldn’t get too excited. The game today

When captains see opposition teams opening the bowling with a spinner, or opting for three spinners, it encourages them to try out the same depending on the conditions. The biggest takeaway from India’s 3-0 win in the T20I series against Australia in January was that spinners had started winning them matches not only in the favourable conditions of the subcontinent, but also overseas. Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, India’s go-to bowlers in the recent past, stifled the Australian batsmen on their way to combined figures of 24-0-185-9.

In the recent T20I against Sri Lanka in Ranchi, defending 197 to win, Dhoni sprung a

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Ashwin removed a returning Tillakaratne Dilshan second ball, and went on to strangle Sri Lanka, returning 3 for 14.

In the helpful conditions of the subcontinent, there will likely be more of them on the wicket-takers list at the World T20.

Over a past couple of years, though, spinners have come under increased scrutiny for their actions; some of them, including Narine, have served suspension before returning with a remodelled action. With continuing scrutiny, some of them might have to adapt further to this next challenge they face.

SUNIL NARINE The top T20I bowler has been under scruitiny for his bowling action.

surprise by opening the bowling with Ashwin, who had troubled Sri Lanka’s batsmen even on the Pune green top in the previous match.

Barring the exception of Narine, a T20 specialist, Kartik believes that good spinners who have done well in Tests and four-day matches have adapted well in the shorter formats. “Quickest off the blocks in terms of survival instincts, they’ve managed to try and figure out what is going to work for them much better than anyone else.”

Far from being extinct, the twirly men have thrived in an inhospitable environment. vvv

DID YOU KNOW

In the inaugural World T20 in 2007, Yuvraj Singh famously hit Stuart Broad for six sixes in a single over. Such a walloping could have done irrevocable damage to a then 21-year-old’s confidence, but Broad’s overall tournament record of 30 wickets in 26 games – the sixth-best figures in World T20 history – proves that one bad day isn’t necessarily the nail in the coffin.

Fw Sports And Media India Private Limited Wisden House, 13/A,1St Cross, Lavelle Road Bangalore 560001, India extra@wisdenindia.com