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ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022: India to face Pakistan at MCG on October 23 (Tournament Thread)

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Waqasm75

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Excitement is building for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022, following the announcement of the fixtures for the October 16 – November 13 event. The world's best cricketers from 16 international teams will clash in 45 matches as the pinnacle global event in men’s T20 cricket comes to Australia for the first time.

In the First Round, 2014 champions Sri Lanka and Namibia will play the opening match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 at Kardinia Park, Geelong on Sunday 16 October. They’ll be joined by two qualifiers in Group A. Two-time champions West Indies will also start in the First Round, joined in Group B by Scotland and two qualifiers in Hobart.

In the Super 12, hosts Australia are in Group 1 with world number one England, New Zealand, Afghanistan plus the winner of Group A and the runner-up in Group B from the First Round. Group 2 features India, Pakistan, South Africa, Bangladesh, plus the winner of Group B and runner-up in Group A from the First Round.

Hosts and defending champions, Australia will play New Zealand in the opening match of the Super 12 at the SCG on Saturday 22 October in a re-match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 Final. The Black Caps will also face England at The Gabba on 1 November in a re-match of their epic semi-final encounter at the 2021 event.

Two of world cricket’s biggest rivals will go head-to-head at the MCG, with India taking on Pakistan on Sunday 23 October. It will be the first World Cup clash between the two nations at the MCG and comes before two more fierce rivals, Australia and England, meet at the same venue on Friday 28 October.

The state-of-the-art Perth Stadium will host a huge Sunday double-header on Sunday 30 October with South Africa taking on India in the evening match. Earlier in the day, Pakistan will be in action against the runners-up from Group A.

The semi-finals will be played at the SCG and Adelaide Oval on 9 and 10 November, respectively. It will be the first time the Adelaide Oval will host a World Cup semi-final.

The MCG will host the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 Final, which will be contested under lights on 13 November 2022.

Fans must register prior to 31 January to get the best chance of securing their seats, before tickets go on sale to the public on February 7.

International Cricket Council CEO Geoff Allardice said: ““T20 is the global growth format for cricket and the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 will play a huge role in inspiring our next generation of players and fans as the world’s best players descend on Australia and showcase the very best of our sport. The release of fixtures is always a great moment in the delivery of a World Cup as fans start to get excited about opening games, head to heads and knock-out stages.

“This schedule offers so much, from the 2014 Champions Sri Lanka opening the event, to our defending champions Australia starting with a rematch of the 2021 Men’s T20 World Cup Final against New Zealand and of course India taking on Pakistan at the MCG. We know that hundreds of thousands of passionate cricket fans will turn out to support every single one of the 16 teams across all seven of our host cities which is what makes it so special for the players. You only need to cast your mind back to the brilliant ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 in Australia to know that this is going to be a wonderful event for players and fans alike.”

ICC T20 World Cup Local Organising Committee CEO, Michelle Enright said; “The release of the fixtures gives fans the opportunity to start planning their T20 World Cup experience, which is now just 268 days away.”

“By having matches spread across the nation in seven host cities and making tickets accessibly priced, we are hoping as many people as possible will be able to experience the incredible atmosphere that international fans bring to global sporting events, as well as the unique, fast-paced and unpredictable nature of T20 cricket.”

“World Cups are about bringing people from all backgrounds and cultures together and we hope to safely host over 800,000 fans at Australia’s iconic cricket venues later this year.”

FIXTURE HIGHLIGHTS

Adelaide will see 10 different teams play Super 12 matches in a festival of cricket with India to feature on the first night at Adelaide Oval against Bangladesh on 2 November. Australia will be in action on a Friday night against local Adelaide favourite Rashid Khan and Afghanistan on 4 November.

Brisbane will host four Super 12 matches with Australia, England and New Zealand to feature on consecutive nights on October 31 and November 1 respectively.

2014 champions Sri Lanka will feature in the opening match of the event against Namibia at Kardinia Park, Geelong on 16 October 2022 in the First Round.

Hobart will see the power-hitters of West Indies play three First Round matches at Bellerive Oval, starting on 17 October 2022. Hobart will also host three Super 12 fixtures

The state-of-the-art Perth Stadium will host five Super 12 matches with defending champions Australia to play a night match against the winners of Group A on 25 October. Perth Stadium will also be lit up on the opening night of the Super 12 with world number one England taking on Afghanistan

Sydney will host a massive double-header on 5 November with England to take on the winners of Group A, before Pakistan take on South Africa in the evening match

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Hosts Australia will face New Zealand in the opening Super 12 game of the next ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in a repeat of the all-antipodean 2021 final.

The fixture list for the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia has been released, with the draw for the First Round and Super 12 groups also confirmed.

The tournament will run between Sunday 18 October and Sunday 13 November, with 16 teams set to compete and seven cities to host matches across Australia. Twelve of those 16 nations are already confirmed, with the final four to be determined by Global Qualifying.

The Super 12

England, New Zealand, Australia and Afghanistan have been drawn together in Group 1, with India, Pakistan, South Africa and Bangladesh heading into Group 2.

The Super 12 will start in dramatic fashion in Sydney with a meeting between the two finalists from the 2021 World Cup, with New Zealand facing defending champions Australia on Saturday 22 October.

And the excitement of the opening weekend doesn’t stop there, with India and Pakistan scheduled to meet on Sunday 23 October, the second day of the Super 12 stage, in what will be one of the most hotly-anticipated matches of the tournament.

The Super 12 will run for a fortnight, with the two groups set to reach their conclusion on the weekend of the 5th and 6th of November.

The Key Fixtures

In addition to the Australia v New Zealand and Pakistan v India matches on the opening weekend, a scattering of other fixtures stand out as likely key games in the Super 12 stage.

There will be a repeat of the 2021 semi-final between England and New Zealand when the two nations meet in an evening match at The Gabba on Tuesday 1 November in what is both teams’ penultimate group game.

And Pakistan are scheduled to face Bangladesh in Adelaide on the final afternoon of the Super 12 stage.

The First Round

The tournament will begin with a six-day group stage to determine the final four teams to qualify for the Super 12.

Sri Lanka and Namibia will be joined by two further qualifiers in Group A, with West Indies and Scotland drawn together alongside two additional teams from the Global Qualifier in Group B.

The First Round will consist of daily double-headers, held on alternate days at Hobart’s Bellerive Oval and Geelong’s Kardinia Park, with all Group A matches at the latter venue and all Group B matches held in the Tasmanian city.

All fixtures will be held between Sunday 16 October and Friday 21 October.

The winner of Group A and runner-up of Group B will join Group 1 in the Super 12 stage, with Group B’s winners and the second-placed team in Group A heading into Group 2.

The Knockout Stages

The Sydney Cricket Ground will host the first semi-final on Wednesday 9 November, with the second semi-final held the following day at the Adelaide Oval.

The final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 is scheduled for 19:00 local time at the 100,024-capacity Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The Tournament Venues

There will be seven venues in total at the tournament. Kardinia Park in Geelong will host six matches, exclusively in the opening week’s First Round, while Bellerive Oval in Hobart will host nine games in total, six in the first round and three further matches during the opening three days of the Super 12 stage.

The remainder of the Super 12 matches will be held at the following stadiums:

The Gabba
Perth Stadium
Adelaide Oval
Sydney Cricket Ground
Melbourne Cricket Ground

Pakistan fixtures:

October 23: Pakistan vs India
October 27: Pakistan vs B1
October 30: Pakistan vs A2
November 3: Pakistan vs South Africa
November 6: Pakistan vs Bangladesh

t20 programme.jpg
 
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It’s an easier group than last year dare I say.

Main question will be how Babar and Rizwan fare in Australia.
 
Yeah, this is going to be the most revenue generated game as always for the ICC! In Sha Allah Pakistan will come victorious this time again! 🇵🇰
 
There’s only 2 batsmen I back in Australian conditions, Sharjeel Khan and Ifthikar Ahmed. Both have to be picked, and Babar has to convince Ramiz Raja in allowing Sharjeel back into the team.

Our fast bowlers (Dahani, Rauf, Shaheen and Wasim jnr) will rip through India’s batting line up.
 
Pakistan need to think about a bowling combination , they do not need too many spin all rounders.

Ideally Pakistan should go with 3 fast bowlers and one fast bowling all rounder plus couple of spin batting all rounder.
 
Maher96 said:
It’s an easier group than last year dare I say.

Main question will be how Babar and Rizwan fare in Australia.
Click to expand...

They didn’t do well in the one high scoring match last time things don’t look good in Australia as matches likely will be high scoring.

The batting needs Haider to quickly develop in T20s an in form Umar Akmal Fakhar who’s in the team maybe Sharjeel but opening batsmen are secure a few power hitters who can hit fast bowlers.

The conditions will suit spinners less aswell our fast bowlers get hit around more by better teams hard to see us winning there.
 
Im asking because I am not sure, but is their a criteria, on how they make the groups.

Most sports go by rankings. I know after the 2011 world cup ICC kept putting India and Pakistan in the same group ( i understand why they do it too) its the match that generates the most viewership and Money. But at the same time they tend to give them easier groups as well.

By doing this they hope than India and Pakistan can play in the finals, if so that will generate more money and viewership than the original group stage match between the two nations.

The 2021 T20 World cup, was not a walk in the park, but to be fair Pakistan and India had an easier group.

Now the 2022 T20 World cup both India and Pakistan are in the same group, and both have easier teams in terms of conditions the matches are being played in. No England, No Australia, or No New Zealand who will be beast in those conditions are not paired with India or Pakistan.

Despite having an easier group it does not guarantee anything, as we saw what happened with India in the last world cup. But the hope of having two India vs Pakistan matches one during the group stage ( and one in the final ,since their in the same group they cannot meet each other in Semi-finals) Is a little messed up especially for the other teams, they have to have a harder task of making the finals. I get why ICC does it, but still

My question is that when the groups are made is the a criteria, as an example

Group 1 : ( 1st ranked team) ( 3rd ranked team) ( 6ht Ranked team) ( 7th Ranked team)
Group 2: ( 2nd ranked team) (4th Ranked team) ( 5th Ranked Team) (8th Ranked team)

or something to that effect

or do they simply make it that India and Pakistan are always in the same group, and based on conditions should play easier teams. That is what it seems like
 
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Justcrazy said:
Pakistan need to think about a bowling combination , they do not need too many spin all rounders.

Ideally Pakistan should go with 3 fast bowlers and one fast bowling all rounder plus couple of spin batting all rounder.
Click to expand...

They are already getting to this combination. The most likely bowling combination in Australia will be:

Shaheen
Rauf
Hasan / Dahani
Waseem
Shadab
Nawaz

plus Iftikhar as batting all-rounder.
 
Waqasm75 said:
October 23: Pakistan vs India
October 27: Pakistan vs B1
October 30: Pakistan vs A2
November 3: Pakistan vs South Africa
November 6: Pakistan vs Bangladesh
Click to expand...


Looks like the game against Bangla is on Nov 05. Please verify and update.
 
Seems an easy group . Pakistan must qualify semis easily here
 
ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022: India To Open Campaign Against Pakistan At MCG On October 23

The schedule for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 was announced on Friday. The Men in Blue will be locking horns against Pakistan in their first match of the tournament on October 23 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). The Men's T20 World Cup 2022 is slated to be held in Australia between October 16- November 13 and it will be played across seven venues -- Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Geelong, Hobart and Perth.

A total of 45 matches will be played across Adelaide, Brisbane, Geelong, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney, ensuring the same national footprint as the postponed 2020 event.

In the First Round, 2014 champions Sri Lanka and Namibia will play the opening match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 at Kardinia Park, Geelong on Sunday, October 16. They'll be joined by two qualifiers in Group A. Two-time champions West Indies will also start in the First Round, joined in Group B by Scotland, and two qualifiers in Hobart.

In the Super 12, hosts Australia are in Group 1 with world number one England, New Zealand, Afghanistan plus the winner of Group A and the runner-up in Group B from the First Round. Group 2 features India, Pakistan, South Africa, Bangladesh, plus the winner of Group B and runner-up in Group A from the First Round.

Hosts and defending champions, Australia will play New Zealand in the opening match of the Super 12 at the SCG on Saturday, October 22 in a re-match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021 Final. The Black Caps will also face England at The Gabba on 1 November in a re-match of their epic semi-final encounter at the 2021 event.

Two of world cricket's biggest rivals will go head-to-head at the MCG, with India taking on Pakistan on Sunday, October 23. It will be the first World Cup clash between the two nations at the MCG and comes before two more fierce rivals, Australia and England, meet at the same venue on Friday, October 28.

The state-of-the-art Perth Stadium will host a huge Sunday double-header on Sunday, October 30 with South Africa taking on India in the evening match. Earlier in the day, Pakistan will be in action against the runners-up from Group A.

The seven venues to host matches are Adelaide Oval, The Gabba, Kardinia Park Stadium, Bellerive Oval, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Perth Stadium and Sydney Cricket Ground.

The semi-finals will be played at the SCG and Adelaide Oval on November 9 and 10, respectively. The final will be contested under lights at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on November 13.

Defending champions Australia and runners-up New Zealand plus England, India, Pakistan, South Africa, Afghanistan and Bangladesh as the next highest-ranked teams have gained direct entry into the Super 12 stage of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022.

Sri Lanka, West Indies, Scotland, and Namibia have qualified but will start the event in the First Round. The four remaining spots at Australia 2022 will be filled via the ongoing qualification pathway, culminating in two global qualifying tournaments in early 2022.

International Cricket Council CEO Geoff Allardice in an official release said: "T20 is the global growth format for cricket and the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 will play a huge role in inspiring our next generation of players and fans as the world's best players descend on Australia and showcase the very best of our sport. The release of fixtures is always a great moment in the delivery of a World Cup as fans start to get excited about opening games, head to heads, and knock-out stages."

"This schedule offers so much, from the 2014 Champions Sri Lanka opening the event, to our defending champions Australia starting with a rematch of the 2021 Men's T20 World Cup Final against New Zealand and of course India taking on Pakistan at the MCG. We know that hundreds of thousands of passionate cricket fans will turn out to support every single one of the 16 teams across all seven of our host cities which is what makes it so special for the players. You only need to cast your mind back to the brilliant ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2020 in Australia to know that this is going to be a wonderful event for players and fans alike," he added.

https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/icc...to-face-pakistan-at-mcg-on-october-23-2720689
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Good opportunity for Pakistan to start the tournament with a bang.
 
it's going to be much more difficult to qualify for the semis this time round. South Africa have the perfect bowling line up for the conditions plus Rassie, De Kock and Miller all are quality with the bat. India on the other hand have won 5 off their last 6 games in T20Is within Australia.

We need to bring in Wasim Jnr and Dahani in place of Hassan and Imad. Hopefully Nawaz can also continue to show more ability with the bat and be a reliable 6 for us.

It's going to be tough but who knows
 
Hassan Ali is an impact player who kan win you matches single handedly. Let’s see how his form turns out the rest of the year, but imo he should be in team.
 
All fanzone and alcohol feee area tickets sold out for Pak -India.

General ticket sales dont even start till feb 9.

Scalpers are gonna make a fortune
 
I think South Africa will be a lot stronger this time round. That being said, they have been poor against us in ICC events for quite some time now, even with their ace team of AB, Steyn, Amla, Miller etc
 
This game v India on the 23rd is the biggest bargaining tool the PCB has in order to make sure CA do not abandon the Pakistan tour at all.

If I were Ramiz, I would completely boycott the World Cup if Australia pulls a fast one on us. I don’t think ICC and CA could dream of making this much money on a day!
 
Rana said:
This game v India on the 23rd is the biggest bargaining tool the PCB has in order to make sure CA do not abandon the Pakistan tour at all.

If I were Ramiz, I would completely boycott the World Cup if Australia pulls a fast one on us. I don’t think ICC and CA could dream of making this much money on a day!
Click to expand...

There is no bargaining tool, the decision to tour will not be affected by anything outside.
 
Rana said:
I think South Africa will be a lot stronger this time round. That being said, they have been poor against us in ICC events for quite some time now, even with their ace team of AB, Steyn, Amla, Miller etc
Click to expand...

Past history does not matter. What matters is on the day. If you are bringing past history then lets not forget they beat us in all 3 games when we were favorites in atleast 2 of 3 matches, 1992,1996,1999.
 
pakistanigoneaussie said:
All fanzone and alcohol feee area tickets sold out for Pak -India.

General ticket sales dont even start till feb 9.

Scalpers are gonna make a fortune
Click to expand...

Of course, India fans gotta hogg all the seats. Was planning to go, but by what you are saying, the 90,000+ tickets will be sold out in a few days...
 
Started to plan the trip.
Here is my initial schedule.

And I would love the feedback from Aussie members to see if there are any good tweaks required to make it more effective?

Arrive in Melbourne on Oct 21 (Watch India vs Pak on 23rd)
Leave Melbourne Nov 1st and arrive into Sydney, and watch Pak S/A on Nov 3 and also the Semis on the 9th)
Leave Sydney Nov 11th and Arrive Melbourne, and Watch final (Nov 13)
Depart Australia Nov 14 back to United States.


Ideally I wanted to see one more Aussie city, probably Brisbane or Adelaide or Perth.
Perth I know, could be a long and tiring flight, so that's kinda out.

How tight is this schedule to include Nov 1 Eng vs NZ Brisbane ?

Should I leave Melbourne earlier, say on the 29th, arrive into Brisbane, Watch the game on Nov 1st and try to leave on the same or next day to catch Nov 3rd game between Pak and S/A?

We are a family of 5 in this travelling trip, is Brisbane worth the hassle?
 
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Colorblind Genius said:
Started to plan the trip.
Here is my initial schedule.

And I would love the feedback from Aussie members to see if there are any good tweaks required to make it more effective?

Arrive in Melbourne on Oct 21 (Watch India vs Pak on 23rd)
Leave Melbourne Nov 1st and arrive into Sydney, and watch Pak S/A on Nov 3 and also the Semis on the 9th)
Leave Sydney Nov 11th and Arrive Melbourne, and Watch final (Nov 13)
Depart Australia Nov 14 back to United States.


Ideally I wanted to see one more Aussie city, probably Brisbane or Adelaide or Perth.
Perth I know, could be a long and tiring flight, so that's kinda out.

How tight is this schedule to include Nov 1 Eng vs NZ Brisbane ?

Should I leave Melbourne earlier, say on the 29th, arrive into Brisbane, Watch the game on Nov 1st and try to leave on the same or next day to catch Nov 3rd game between Pak and S/A?

We are a family of 5 in this travelling trip, is Brisbane worth the hassle?
Click to expand...

Just out of curiosity have you already purchased tickets for these games.
 
Maher96 said:
Just out of curiosity have you already purchased tickets for these games.
Click to expand...

Tickets are not out yet but I should be on the priority list.

Plus, Aussie grounds are huge with more than enough seating, and I don't anticipate much of an issue buying it directly from ICC or from third party vendors.

Last time, I was able to purchase tickets of all 5 games that I wanted to watch but apparently, the WC was moved out of Australia.
 
India Pak and SA all playing their last game on the same day should make things interesting if it comes down to nrr.
 
What is this garbage? ICC shouldn't be allowed to constantly fix these Pak v Ind games in tournaments.

India will already be planning for this match in meticulous detail. :)))
 
Bilal Ahmad15 said:
Of course, India fans gotta hogg all the seats. Was planning to go, but by what you are saying, the 90,000+ tickets will be sold out in a few days...
Click to expand...

Its all ridiculous.

I had acess to the presale and got some, but the general public are stuffed. I wouldnt be surprised if 80% of the crowd are indian
 
Kroll said:
What is this garbage? ICC shouldn't be allowed to constantly fix these Pak v Ind games in tournaments.

India will already be planning for this match in meticulous detail. :)))
Click to expand...

And Pakistan won't?
 
Colorblind Genius said:
Tickets are not out yet but I should be on the priority list.

Plus, Aussie grounds are huge with more than enough seating, and I don't anticipate much of an issue buying it directly from ICC or from third party vendors.

Last time, I was able to purchase tickets of all 5 games that I wanted to watch but apparently, the WC was moved out of Australia.
Click to expand...


Presale openeded on Friday, from what i can see everything is gone…


0F96582B-9FA2-4123-8C08-2277E011055E.jpg


0F96582B-9FA2-4123-8C08-2277E011055E.jpg
 
I am confused;

How are tickets already nearly sold out if the pre-sale and public sale tickets didn't even come out yet?

I looked at the official website for the tickets, and the only options that are available are the hospitality packages, no options for regular tickets
 
Bilal Ahmad15 said:
Where did you find that? I couldn't see that at all on the official site for tickets
Click to expand...

I had acess to the presale. They sent me a special link an hour after the fixtures were announced. This pic was taken later than night

I dont know if there was a limit to the presale tickets, but thats the standard MCG allocation, i think it may all be gone.

If so it is horrendous that the general public dont even have a chance
 
Maher96 said:
It’s an easier group than last year dare I say.

Main question will be how Babar and Rizwan fare in Australia.
Click to expand...

I think Babar will be fine he's better when thiers pace on the ball.

Rizwan plays the short ball quite well so he should also have success but it depends if they can get Pakistan off to good starts.
 
YousafTheBeast said:
There’s only 2 batsmen I back in Australian conditions, Sharjeel Khan and Ifthikar Ahmed. Both have to be picked, and Babar has to convince Ramiz Raja in allowing Sharjeel back into the team.

Our fast bowlers (Dahani, Rauf, Shaheen and Wasim jnr) will rip through India’s batting line up.
Click to expand...

Rizwan plays the short ball well so he should also have success.
 
Justcrazy said:
Pakistan need to think about a bowling combination , they do not need too many spin all rounders.

Ideally Pakistan should go with 3 fast bowlers and one fast bowling all rounder plus couple of spin batting all rounder.
Click to expand...

3 fast bowlers
Shaheen
Dahani
Rauf

Fast bowling all rounder
Wasim Jnr/Hassan Ali

Spin batting all rounders
Iftikhar
 
I am surprised as to why some are saying Pakistan has an easy group. First of all, they have India. Yes Pakistan just 152'd India, and India had a bad series against South Africa as well as a horrible t20 world cup, but they are still India, meaning the best all-format team in the world (although they have failed in the big knockout matches), and strong favourites for this T20 WC.

South Africa too will be a very tough team to beat. Despite all their issues with the board and players in the last year or so, it's impressive how they keep producing top quality players like Rabada, Markram, Nortje, Van der Dussen, De Kock. And South Africa was brilliant in the 21 T20 WC, very unlucky to miss out on the semi-finals. They will be just as good for this WC too, if not even better.

But then since the winner of Group B will go to Group 2, this means that there is a 99.9% chance of West Indies being in Group 2. And if so, this makes the situation for Pakistan a lot harder. Simply because the batting and power-hitting ability of West Indies is insane, and they have a long batting depth too, from Evin Lewis, Nicholas Pooran, Pollard (although Pollard is trash at international level), Rovman Powell, Shimron Hetmyer, Romario Sheperd, Odean Smith, and we saw what Akeal Hossein did a few days ago. So although West Indies don't have the best bowlers, their batting is deadly, lethal and strong enough to win the game by scoring massive. Australia wickets will suit West Indies a lot more compared to Dubai, whereas the same cannot be said for Pakistan.

The only Guaranteed wins Pakistan is getting is against Bangladesh and the other team that qualifies (assuming it's not Sri Lanka).

However, I think Pakistan is beating India since we all want to see them do the 152 repeat :ssa2
 
ICC MEN’S T20 WORLD CUP QUALIFIER A TO BEGIN IN OMAN ON 18 FEBRUARY

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier A supported by Dream XI, gets underway on 18 February in Oman with the hosts taking on Nepal in the opening game. The event is one of two global qualifiers that together form the final stages of the qualification process for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022.

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier A features hosts Oman, Bahrain, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Nepal, Philippines, and United Arab Emirates (UAE). Ireland and Oman had qualified for this tournament after being eliminated in the first round of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021, whilst Nepal and the UAE booked their slots via their rankings in the ICC MRF Tyres Men’s T20I Team rankings. The other participating teams qualified through regional qualifying tournaments held through the course of last year.

The teams in Qualifier A are divided into two groups of four. Each team will play all the other teams once in its group, followed by position classification matches. The two teams that reach the final will advance to the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia later this year.

Group A of the qualifier features Canada Nepal, Oman, and Philippines whilst, Group B features Bahrain, Germany, Ireland, and UAE.

The full schedule of the tournament is below:

3jePpaz.png


The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier B will be held from 11 – 17 July 2022 in Harare, Zimbabwe and will feature Hong Kong, Jersey, Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Uganda, the United States of America (USA) along with hosts Zimbabwe.

ICC Head of Events, Chris Tetley said: “70 teams started the qualification process for this event, and we’ve now reached the final stages with four spots at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 set to be decided in two global qualifiers starting with this one in Oman.

“With such a prize at stake, we’re anticipating top quality and competitive cricket as the teams battle to secure their place in the final and onto the plane to Australia later this year. Thanks to Oman Cricket, who are hosting their second ICC global event following last year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, for their support in planning what we trust will be another safe and successful event”.
 
ICC MEN’S T20 WORLD CUP QUALIFIER A: EIGHT TEAMS TO BATTLE OUT FOR TWO SPOTS IN MUSCAT FROM 18-24 FEBRUARY

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier A, supported by Dream 11, begins at the Oman Academy grounds in Al Amerat on Friday. A lot is at stake for the eight participating nations – Ireland, Nepal, UAE, Canada, Germany, Philippines, Bahrain, and hosts Oman – as they vie for the two spots available at the Qualifier A from 18 to 24 February.

The Qualifier A is one of the two global qualifiers that is part of the final stages of qualification process of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia. A total of 20 matches will decide the two teams that will travel to Australia for the pinnacle event in the shortest format of the game later this year as an intense and exciting battle of cricket awaits the fans across the world.

The eight-nation tournament features an experienced Ireland side, who are set to face a fight from an in-form UAE, hosts Oman, and Nepal as the quartet boast of experience at playing at the global stage. However, with teams like Canada, Germany, Bahrain, and the Philippines eager to showcase their mettle, there is a good possibility of few surprises in the coming week.

If Test-playing nation Ireland, the only Full Member nation, in the fray, begins the tournament as a favourite, there is a lot of excitement in the camp of debutants – Germany and the Philippines, who start the tournament as minnows, as this would be their first major event at the global stage.

Hosts Oman, who like Ireland, qualified for this tournament after being eliminated in the first round of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021, will be hoping to bank on their home ground advantage. Oman is pooled along with Nepal, who will be looking to qualify for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup for the first time since they made their debut in 2014.

Canada and the Philippines complete the Group A. Canada could be the surprise package in the Group A and matchups against the hosts and Nepal could potentially be decisive for the two teams that would make it to the semi-finals. In Group A, Ireland are the dominant unit and the UAE, who have been in a good form ahead of the event, are likely to push for the top-two spots.

Debutant Germany and regional team, Bahrain, are the other teams in Group B with Germany hoping to ring in a surprise or two. For Germany, it will be a new chapter in the history of the game, as they make their first ever appearance at a global qualifier, an achievement for an emerging cricket nation they share with the Philippines.

Hosts Oman take on Nepal in the opener on February 18 and all the games will be streamed live on FanCode in the Indian sub-continent and on ICC.tv across the rest of the world.

Nepal and the UAE sealed their places in the Qualifiers based on their rankings in the ICC MRF Tyres Men’s T20I Team rankings. The other four teams – Germany, Canada, Bahrain, and the Philippines – advanced through their regional qualifying tournaments held through the course of last year.

About the format

Each team will play all the other teams in the group once with the top-two teams advancing to the semifinals from the respective groups. The winners of the semi-finals will seal their spots in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia, a goal that all the eight teams will be fighting hard. A total of four games will be played on two grounds on the match days with Canada facing the Philippines to start their campaign on the adjacent ground.

The opening day’s fixtures also feature Ireland vs UAE in a high-octane game on the main Oman Academy 1 ground while Germany take on Bahrain in the second match of the afternoon session.

The Road to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022

A total of 16 teams will be vying for the four spots during the two Qualifiers – A and B – with Qualifier B to be held in Harare, Zimbabwe from July 11-17, 2022. The teams in fray for the two remaining seats in Harare are hosts Zimbabwe, Hong Kong, Jersey, the Netherlands, Paula New Guinea, Singapore, Uganda, and the United States of America (USA).

Seventy teams started the qualification process, and the two global Qualifiers will decide the final four teams that will be part of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia. For Oman, following the successful hosting of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 first round games last year, along with the opener, this is the second major ICC tournament.

Ahead of the Qualifier A, Oman also hosted a quadrangular T20 series involving four of the teams. Ireland, the UAE, and Nepal were the other sides. A total of six games were played from February 11-14. The warm-up series served as a good build-up with teams trying out different combinations ahead of the actual event and attempted to iron out their shortcomings. While the UAE and Ireland won two games each, Oman and Nepal tasted one wins each.

The quartet is expected to be the main rivals for a place in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup later this year, given the experience and exposure they have had in recent years. With the recent quadrangular providing a decent warm-up and other teams playing out few practice games, except for the Philippines, who arrived on Sunday to Oman, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier A - promises to bring some exciting and thrilling games over the next few days at the Oman Academy grounds.

Fixtures:

February 18th, Friday: 10:00 (local time start): Oman Academy 1: Oman v Nepal, Oman Academy 2: Canada v Philippines;

14:00: Oman Academy 1: Ireland v UAE, Oman Academy 2: Germany v Bahrain.

February 19th, Saturday: 10:00: Oman Academy 1: Oman v Canada, Oman Academy 2: Nepal v Philippines;

14:00: Oman Academy 1: UAE v Germany, Oman Academy 2: Ireland v Bahrain.

February 20th, Sunday: Rest Day.

February 21st, Monday: 10:00: Oman Academy 1: Ireland v Germany, Oman Academy 2: UAE v Bahrain;

14:00: Oman Academy 1: Nepal vs Canada, Oman Academy 2: Oman vs Philippines.

February 22nd, Tuesday: 10:00: Oman Academy 1: A3 vs B4 (3rd in Group A v 4th in Group B), Oman Academy 2: B3 v A4 (3rd in Group B v 4th in Group A);

14:00: Oman Academy 1: Semi-Final 1 (winner Group A v Runner-up Group B), Oman Academy 2: Semi-Final 2 (Winner Group B v Runner-up Group A).

February 23rd, Wednesday: Rest Day.

February 24th, Thursday: Oman Academy 1: 10:00: 5th and 6th Play off (Winner of A3 v B4 v Winner of B3 v A 4), Oman Academy 2: 7th and 8th Play off (Loser of A3 v A4 v Loser of B3 v B4).

14:00: Oman Academy 1: Final (Winner of A1 v B2 v Winner of B1 v A2), Oman Academy 2:3rd and 4th Play off (Loser of A1 v B2 v Loser of B2 v A1).

Participating squads:

Bahrain: Shahbaz Badar, Junaid Aziz Mohd Aziz, Waseeq Ahmed, Imran Javed Anwar, Prashant Kurup, Muhammad Younis, David Keelan Mathias, Umer Imtiaz, Sarfraz Ali (captain), Veerapathiran Sathaiyah, George Aaron Aaxtel, Haider Ali, Shahid Mahmood, Faiz Ahmed.

Canada: Navneet Dhaliwal (captain), Rayyan Pathan, Matt Spoors, Harsh Thaker, Ravinderpal Singh, Saad Zafar, Hamza Tariq, Shreyaas Movva, Salman Nazar,Junaid Siddiqui, Rishiv Joshi, Dilon Heyliger, Jatinderpal Matharu, Kaleem Sana.

Germany: Venkat Ganesan (captain), Michael Richardson, Dieter Klein, Fayaz Nasseri, Dylan Blignaut, Justin Broad, Nooruddin Mujadady, Vijay Shankar, Faisal Mubashir, Shoaib Azam Khan, Muslim Yar Ashraf, Sri Vishnu Baratheon, Talha Khan, Rasul Ahmadi.

Ireland: Andrew Balbirnie (captain), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Shane Getkate, Josh Little, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Craig Young.

Nepal: Sandeep Lamichhane (captain), Sharad Vesawkar, Gyanendra Malla, Dipendra Airee, Kushal Bhurtel, Arif Sheikh, Asif Sheikh, Abinash Bohara, Jitendra Mukhiya, Kamal Airee, Bibek Yadav, Lokesh Bam, Sagar Dhakal, Gulshan Jha.

Oman: Zeeshan Maqsood (captain), Syed Amir Kaleem, Muhammad Naseem, Jatinder Singh, Khawar Ali, Muhammad Nadeem, Ayaan Khan, Sandeep Goud, Kashyupkumar Prajapati, Kaleemullah, Bilal Khan, Ahmed Fayyaz Butt, Shoaib Khan, Khurram Khan.

Philippines: Jonathan Hill (captain), Dan Smith, Henry Tyler, Grant Russ, Richie Goodwin, Jordan Alegra, Sachin Biddappa, Vimal Kumar, Siva Mohan, Huzaifa Mohammed, Gurbhupinder Chohan, Muzammil Shahzad, Miggy Podosky, Hern Isorena.

UAE: Muhammad Waseem, Chirag Suri, Vriitya Aravind, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Ahmed Raza (captain), Zohoor Khan, Alishan Sharafu, Raja Akifullah, Karthik Meiyappan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Zafar Farid, Muhammad Boota, Muhammad Usman, Rahul Bhatia.
 
Pakistani supporters at the ICC 2022 T20 World Cup Thread

Who is planning on attending and which matches?

Disappointing to see there are still plenty of tickets available for all Pakistan matches (ex. India match).

Despite a lot of Pakistanis in Sydney, the Pakistan vs South Africa match is stiil more than half left unsold as of writing.
 
India’s selection conundrum: Who makes the T20 World Cup 2022 squad?

With just five months to go until the ICC T20 Men’s World Cup begins, the inaugural winners of the tournament have plenty of selection dilemmas to resolve.

India head into another ICC tournament with over a billion people expecting their highly-talented team to win some major silverware for the first time since lifting the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 trophy in England.

With T20I series coming up against South Africa, Ireland and England before the big dance, the real predicament for the sub-continent giants might be picking the right combination from an abundantly talented pool of players.

So, who could make the cut and book a seat to Australia later this year?

Are the top-three locked in?
On initial assessment, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli seem set to have their slots sealed on the team.

While these three might eventually be the chosen ones, the recent form of Sharma and Virat Kohli is a thing of concern. A combined tally of just two fifties in 28 innings between the duo, and a batting average of 19.14 for Sharma and 23.76 for Kohli in the IPL, has raised some serious red flags in a World Cup year.

If India do persist with this trio, it also means they would have three right-handers at the top.

Interestingly, six of the previous seven winners of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup had a left hand-right hand opening pair in the final with Pakistan (2010) being the only exception.

If not them, then who?
Enter Shikhar Dhawan and some wildcard options.

In addition to his consistent IPL numbers, Dhawan has a history of performing well at ICC events with an average of 53.70 in the ICC Mens Cricket World Cup and 77.88 in the ICC Champions Trophy. He won the Player of the Tournament award at the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 and also has fond memories on Australian soil with two ODI centuries and a T20I average of 33.87.

Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill, Devdutt Padikkal and Ruturaj Gaikwad who have performed well opening the innings for their respective IPL franchises could be potential options. The biggest concern with picking anyone from this batch is their lack of experience with the four combining for only 15 T20Is, with Kishan’s 10 T20Is making up the bulk of that tally.

Who takes up the finisher’s role?
Finding a consistent middle order and the impossible seeming task of replacing MS Dhoni’s finishing ability could continue to be a concern for India.

Over the last year, we have seen Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya taking turns to fill that void. While Pant would remain irreplaceable given he is the primary wicket-keeping option, the team would still need at least one more reliable finisher in their ranks.

In Pandya, India have a versatile floater who could bat in multiple positions depending on the match situation. Also unlike Iyer and Yadav, who have only played one game between them in Australia, the Gujarat Titans captain had an incredible tour Down Under in 2020.

Pandya averaged 105 thanks to two massive innings of 90 and 92* in the three-match ODI series, and also won the Player of the Series award in the T20I series win against the hosts. Confidence has never been an issue for the flamboyant all-rounder but his recently acquired captaincy role in the IPL seems to have refilled that tank to the brim.

A perfect mixture of form and experience, should India look for additional options, is Dinesh Karthik. Not only was he part of the title winning squads at both the T20 World Cup 2007 and ICC Champions Trophy 2013, he has also averaged 57.40 and scored at strike-rate of 191.33 for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in this year’s IPL.

He has made his case in the best possible way but will the selectors take a leap of faith and add Karthik to the World Cup squad?

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/2626426
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">“Countdown Starts”<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/100days?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#100days</a> to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/T20WorldCup?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#T20WorldCup</a> Thank you for the invitation <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ICC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Melbourne?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Melbourne</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Australia?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Australia</a> 16Teams 45games. Can’t wait <a href="https://t.co/TNlNApXlkC">pic.twitter.com/TNlNApXlkC</a></p>— Waqar Younis (@waqyounis99) <a href="https://twitter.com/waqyounis99/status/1545298255835443202?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
The final two spots for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia will be decided through the T20 World Cup Qualifier B semi-finals in Zimbabwe on Friday, 15 July.

In the fight for T20 World Cup tickets, Zimbabwe face 2021 participants Papua New Guinea, while the Netherlands stand in the way of USA’s lofty ambitions of their first global event.

The Netherlands may have avoided Zimbabwe by virtue of finishing top of their group undefeated, though Scott Edwards’ men face the tough proposition of a buoyant American side, who will no doubt fancy their chances at the Athletic Club.

Monank Patel’s men made headlines with a storming eight-wicket win over Jersey, underlined by a blistering century from left-handed opener Steven Taylor.

A mainstay of the USA side, Taylor brought up the three figures with a match-clinching six, hitting a total of 17 boundaries in his 55-ball stay. Making runs in USA’s comprehensive win over Singapore, Taylor then kept Zimbabwe on their toes with a knock of 46 (32).

The leading run-scorer of the tournament is joined by his skipper at the top of the order, and a well-set line-up underneath capable of accelerating in the middle and death overs.

The Dutch on the other end have been extremely tight with the ball, conceding just 317 runs across their three matches. Fred Klaassen’s return has provided a breath of fresh air for the men in orange, with his athletic left-arm medium fast bringing nine wickets at an average of under six.

The leading run-scorer in Group B, Dutch opener Max O’Dowd holds the key for his side, with the experience of Tom Cooper also crucial in the middle overs.

The USA are missing Ali Khan after his fractured forearm sustained earlier in the tournament, with D Siva Kumar his replacement in the squad.

Grouped alongside fellow 2021 tournament participant the Netherlands, it was always going to be a tough path for the Barramundis, who now must beat the tournament favourites in their own backyard at the Queens Sports Club.

Zimbabwe have been clinical in their campaign thus far, particularly with the bat through the experience of Sikandar Raza and Sean Williams. Wickets have not been abundant, but the Chevrons have kept things quiet with the ball to ensure their hot start.

Scraping through thanks to net run rate after a defeat to Hong Kong, Assad Vala’s side must first answer questions with the bat.

With the ball, the Barramundis may take a leaf out of Jersey’s book, after the Channel Islanders held Zimbabwe to just 146.

Chuggy Perchard deployed seven bowlers, including himself, holding the hosts to 115/7 in the 18th over, not allowing their opponents to settle with a bevy of bowling changes.

Vala has a number of options across spin and pace and may look to run with the same gameplan, though his men have been a little pricey, leaking 163, 160 and 186 with the bat in group action.

On the batting front, Vala is vital, though Tony Ura and Sese Bau have found form at the right time, and should help their skipper throughout the innings. Moving into the middle order, Ura’s 83 from just 33 balls, against Hong Kong, underlined his ability to motor.

The hosts are without Tendai Chatara (collarbone fracture) who went down on the field during their win against Jersey on matchday two.

The bottom four teams from the group stage will play in the start of the minor-placing phase, with Jersey taking on Uganda and Hong Kong meeting Singapore.

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/2678164
 
Congratulations to Zimbabwe and Netherlands for qualifying for the T20 WC. So the 4 teams to have qualified are Zimbabwe, Netherlands, UAE and Ireland. They will join Namibia, Scotland, Sri Lanka and West Indies in the first round of the WC.
 
ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022

NETHERLANDS AND ZIMBABWE QUALIFY FOR ICC MEN'S T20 WORLD CUP 2022

The Netherlands and Zimbabwe have qualified for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 after securing their places in Sunday’s Qualifier B Final in Zimbabwe.

The final line-up for the men’s event which started in April 2021 with 86 different teams vying for a spot to compete for the ultimate prize in T20 cricket, has now been confirmed with Netherlands and Zimbabwe joining hosts Australia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, England, Ireland, India, Namibia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates and West Indies.

The World Cup takes place in Australia for the first time ever between 16 October and 13 November 2022 across seven host cities, with Geelong and Hobart playing host to the First Round.

The final groupings for the Men’s T20 World Cup First Round will be determined through the outcome of Sunday’s final. The winner of Qualifier B will go into Group B with Ireland, Scotland and the West Indies. With the runner-up filling the final spot in Group A alongside Namibia, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates.

Netherlands defeated USA in the first semi-final as Bas de Leede starred with bat and ball for the Netherlands with a comprehensive seven-wicket victory over the USA.

The all-rounder took two for 23 as the Dutch took wickets at regular intervals after the USA had elected to bat first. An opening partnership of 51 between Steven Taylor (26) and Monank Patel (32) had given them a great start, but from then on, wickets continued to tumble as they were bowled out for 138 with two balls to spare in their innings.

In reply, Stephan Myburgh fell for a duck in the first over, bringing De Leede to the crease. And he proceeded to hammer an unbeaten 91 from just 67 deliveries to orchestrate a straightforward chase, adding 53 with Max O’Dowd (16) and an unbroken stand of 77 with skipper Scott Edwards (26no) to seal the win and qualification.

Netherlands captain Scott Edwards said: “The first word that comes to mind is relief. I think we’ve got a great squad but these sorts of tournaments are always tricky to get through, especially when only two teams are going. But I couldn’t be happier for the group, we’ve had an awesome tournament so far and I’m looking forward to the final in a couple of days.

“Zimbabwe are obviously a very strong side, we’ve watched them throughout the tournament and they are playing some good cricket but so are we. I think it will be a good game and hopefully we can get one up on them.”

In the other semi-final Zimbabwe came out on top with victory over Papua New Guinea. The game was in the balance for quite a while, but in the end, Zimbabwe’s batting swung it, PNG unable to chase down their target of 200 in a 27-run loss.

Regis Chakabva gave the hosts a good start after they chose to bat, with a quickfire 30 from 19 deliveries, with Craig Ervine (38) and Wesley Madhevere (42) continuing his good work. Charles Amini (2/28) helped stem the tide but a 14-ball 29 from Milton Shumba took Zimbabwe to an imposing 199 for five from their 20 overs.

That was going to take some chasing and PNG’s cause was not helped by Lega Siaka being run out off the first ball of the reply.

They quickly found themselves in trouble at 33 for three, but Amini (33) and in-form Tony Ura (66) hit back impressively. Ura needed just 35 balls as he threatened to upset the home side but when Ervine bowled him, it effectively sealed victory.

PNG kept battling but a couple of wickets for Blessing Muzarabani (2/24) ensured they would not get close as Zimbabwe set up a final date with the Netherlands.

Zimbabwe captain Craig Ervine said: “I’m almost lost for words. It was a massive fight from the boys, it wasn’t an easy semi-final even though we had set 200. I’ve got to give credit to everybody for being up for the fight.

“I’m ecstatic for the country, I think this is huge for Zimbabwe cricket and the next step is going to be on Sunday, winning the Qualifier. Then we look forward to the World Cup in October.”

In the day’s other two matches Uganda got the better of Jersey by five runs while Hong Kong beat Singapore by seven wickets.

The first of those matches went down to the wire, with Uganda picking up some crucial late wickets to deny Jersey a second win in as many days. Simon Ssesazi (30) and Ronak Patel (21) put on 46 for the first wicket as Uganda batted first but it took 26 from Juma Miyagi down the order to get them to a total of 110 all out from their 20 overs.

Benjamin Ward (3/16) was the pick of the bowlers for Jersey, who looked in total control at 75 for four in their chase. But when the partnership between Ward and Jonty Jenner (27no) was broken by Dinesh Nakrani (2/20), the wickets started tumbling. Jenner hung around but ran out of partners as Jersey finished up on 105 for nine.

The other match was a little more one-sided, Hong Kong comfortably chasing down Singapore’s total of 146. Yasim Murtaza (3/19) made inroads early on, and two wickets in four balls from Ehsan Khan (2/33) ended a 53-run partnership between Navin Param (33) and Janak Prakash (31), removing both men leg before.

In reply, Hong Kong skipper Nizakat Khan (81) provided the anchor innings which meant they were never in danger. Despite his dismissal with 13 still required, they cruised home with seven wickets and seven deliveries to spare.

ICC
 
I can not believe they are sold out of ALL seats in the stadium for this game.

I mean, this stadium can take up to 100,000 people - how many are going to travel to visit Australia for this game, and how many of the locals had t the mouse point ready on the buy button soon as tickets got released? All 100K seats sold in 10 minutes? What the heck ???
 
Zimbabwe has won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier B defeating the Netherlands and securing the final spot in Group B in the First Round at Australia 2022 alongside Ireland, Scotland and West Indies.

Australia will host the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup for the first time ever between 16 October and 13 November 2022 across seven host cities, with Geelong and Hobart playing host to the First Round.

Zimbabwe’s first match will take place on the second day of the Men’s T20 World Cup against fellow qualifier Ireland in Hobart on 17 October. The evening match will be played as part of a double-header, with West Indies taking on Scotland in the afternoon fixture.

Runner-up Netherlands will join Sri Lanka, Namibia and the United Arab Emirates in Group A, playing their first match on the opening day of the World Cup in Geelong against the United Arab Emirates. This will be an evening match following 2014 champions Sri Lanka facing Namibia in the T20 World Cup opener.

On a day of low-scoring encounters in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier B, hosts Zimbabwe secured a 37-run win over the Netherlands in the final despite being restricted to just 132 batting first.

Sikandar Raza was the hero for the home side, taking four for eight from his four overs during a spell in which the Dutch lost six wickets for just 17 runs.

Logan van Beek (3/18) had earlier played an important role for the Netherlands, removing both skipper Craig Ervine and Raza as Zimbabwe slumped from 93 for three to 132 all out.

In reply, the Dutch made a reasonable start, sitting at 45 for two before the wickets started tumbling, with Raza trapping Stephan Myburgh (22) leg before for his first wicket and arguably the most important of the match.

Zimbabwe captain Craig Ervine said: “It’s unbelievable. This is what we used to know Zimbabwe cricket to be like, all the supporters coming out and cheering for us. And over the past week, we’ve definitely given them something to cheer about. From the players’ point of view, it’s good to see the cheers and the happiness back in the crowd.

“We’ve just got to concentrate on what we have done over this week. The World Cup First Round is in October so there is plenty of time between now and then to have a chat and think about how we are going to go about that.”

Netherlands captain Scott Edwards said: “Both teams came out here to win and they were too good for us today. We got what we came here for in qualifying for the World Cup, it’s just a little bit disappointing that we couldn’t perform in the final.

“Each group (at the World Cup) has got its challenges so we’ll prepare for Australia and the teams we are playing against and see how we go.”

Elsewhere on the final day of action in Zimbabwe, Papua New Guinea squeezed past the USA in the third-place play-off, Uganda edged out Hong Kong in the battle for fifth and Jersey came seventh thanks to a win over Singapore.

Some brilliant bowling from Assad Vala (3/18) and Chad Soper (3/11) helped PNG defend a total of 97 against the USA, winning by five runs. Skipper Vala had made 15 with the bat and then played a crucial role with two wickets from his final over before Soper finished the job.

Uganda held on against Hong Kong for a four-run success, despite making just 102 for seven batting first. Cosmas Kyewuta (2/28) was the hero at the end, taking two wickets in the final over of Hong Kong’s reply.

Jersey enjoyed a relatively straightforward chase in their six-wicket win over Singapore, Nick Greenwood (48) and Jonty Jenner (39no) helping them chase down 141 with time to spare.

ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 Local Organising Committee CEO, Michelle Enright said:

“Today is an exciting day for fans with all 16 teams now confirmed for the first ever ICC Men’s T20 World Cup being held in Australia.

“We congratulate the Netherlands and Zimbabwe on making it through a challenging qualifying event and look forward to welcoming them to Hobart and Geelong respectively in the First Round.”
 
Imad Wasim in his interview

PakPassion.net: Can Pakistan defeat India again in the T20 World Cup in Australia?

Imad Wasim: The win against India in the 2021 edition of the T20 World Cup was an amazing experience and such 10-wicket wins happen very rarely, but it’s now in the past. We have to play to our best abilities and stick to our plans when we meet them again and then whether we win by 1 wicket or 10 wickets, a win is a win and we will take that. Given our potential, we can be competitive in 2022 in Australia just like we were in the UAE in 2021. Having said that, India had a bad day last time we played, and I expect them to come at us hard this time as they will be out for revenge. We will need to stay positive in such a case and raise our cricket standards and up our game on the day.
 
Oh dear!

==

In a shock move by UAE ahead of their T20 World Cup and Asia Cup campaigns, Ahmed Raza has been scrapped as captain.

The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) made the shock announcement in a press release following the side’s Cricket World Cup League 2 tri-series in Scotland, and ahead of the Asia Cup Qualifier in Oman.

Raza keeps his ODI captaincy, though the T20I reins have been handed to batter CP Rizwan, just three days before their match against Kuwait in Al-Amerat, and two months before their T20 World Cup campaign.

The Emirati board in the announcement expressed its desire to split white-ball roles.

“The committee believes, after extensive discussions, and following a detailed review of the side’s recent 50-over performance, by providing the respective Captain’s with a sole-format-focus it creates a strong leadership succession plan, and encourages a singular commitment to fine-tuning strategic on-field components of the game.

"UAE’s T20 game is in good-standing and has exceptional depth. This strategy comes at the optimal time to assess what is best for this format moving into the (ICC T20) World Cup and beyond. UAE’s High Performance unit believes this presents a solid opportunity to consider and open-up all options - player make-up and Captaincy - to take the game forward."

The timing by the board is a curious one, considering such a jarring change with important campaigns around the corner. On top of the decision coming so soon to important matches, Rizwan, the man trusted in the "succession plan", is a year older than the man he is replacing.

Raza led the side in arguably the toughest time of his nation’s cricketing history, with a fixing scandal in 2019 decimating the side.

Ahead of schedule, Raza and Emirati have enjoyed a prosperous 18 months. The senior team are in the mix for automatic qualification for the Cricket World Cup Qualifier next year on the 50-over side, and the T20I side were imperious in T20 World Cup qualification earlier in the year.

Raza has an outstanding record as T20I captain of the side, winning 18 of 27 matches at the helm. Since his permanent appointment in 2019, Raza's winning percentage in the format was an impressive 68%.

Raza only a matter of weeks ago told icc-cricket.com of his excitement of leading the team in Australia for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

“Your only focus is about going to the World Cup or getting to the World Cup, or getting to the world stage. I think as you mature as a player, as you mature as a person, then you want to dream bigger, think bigger.

“It's not just about making it to the World Cup, it's about making it to the Super 12s, making a few upsets there, making people talk about UAE cricket in the best possible way, which we all deserve and which this country deserves.

“Hopefully even when it comes to October, it won't just be about my story. It will be about the emergence of cricket and where UAE cricket is right now, and hopefully, we reach that level.”

Rizwan comes into the role having played just seven T20Is, scoring just 100 runs at an average of just 16.66.

UAE feature on the opening day of 2022 T20 World Cup action, meeting the Netherlands in Geelong in Group A of the first round.

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/2749160
 
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 is only 50 days away, with 16 international teams featuring the world’s best cricketers getting set for the global showpiece event in Australia that begins on 16 October. From one side of the country to the other, the T20 World Cup took to the skies in Perth and Sydney today as fans countdown to ‘The Big Time’.

In Sydney, Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja was at Sydney Harbour as the flags of all 16 competing teams were flown over the city and its world-famous landmarks, Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge.

In Western Australia, The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Trophy Tour, driven by Nissan, arrived in Perth with Shane Watson bringing the trophy to local fans via helicopter from iconic tourist destination, Rottnest Island. Fan groups from all six teams that are guaranteed to feature across five matches in Perth marched to Perth Stadium and had the chance to get a live glimpse of the prized silverware.

A countdown clock and mural was also unveiled in Geelong, where the opening match of the T20 World Cup will be played between 2014 champions Sri Lanka and Namibia on 16 October. The mural was painted by a local Sri Lankan artist and will remain at Kardinia Park Stadium following the completion of the T20 World Cup.

Earlier this week, additional standing room tickets were sold out to the highly anticipated India v Pakistan match at the MCG on Sunday 23 October.

Over 800,000 fans are anticipated to attend the T20 World Cup with childrens tickets to all Super 12 matches available for just $5, while adult tickets start from $20.

ICC Head of Events, Chris Tetley said: “There is a real sense of excitement and anticipation now we are just 50 days away from the start of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022. Today’s activities across Australia to celebrate the milestone highlight this is an event not to be missed. With all 16 teams confirmed and the finishing touches to event preparation being undertaken, I can’t wait for the cricket to start and to see who will claim the ultimate prize in T20 cricket.

‘There are still some tickets available for certain match days so anyone that wants to witness the world's best T20 cricketers in a World Cup should check the ICC website to make sure they don't miss out."

Australian cricketer and ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Multicultural Ambassador Usman Khawaja said;

“The T20 World Cup is a massive global event and the fact that 16 teams will all be playing across Australia at the same time is very special. What I’m excited to see as being a part of the T20 Champions programme is the fans of all the different teams coming to the stadiums to celebrate their heritage and passion for cricket.

“While Australia are the hosts of the event, this will be a home World Cup for people of all different backgrounds no matter where they are from. We’ve seen tickets sell out for the India and Pakistan match with over 80% of those fans living here in Australia. This shows how big the opportunity is for cricket to engage fans of all different backgrounds to be part of the Australian Cricket family.”

ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Local Organising Committee CEO Michelle Enright said:

“With only 50 days to go until the T20 World Cup, our message is that this is a World Cup for everyone. It will be an unmissable celebration of cricket and the many different cultures that makes up its extraordinary global fanbase.

“World Cups have an unrivalled ability to unite the country and to inspire the next generation. With kids tickets to all Super 12 matches at just $5, we hope as many families as possible are able to come and see the world’s best cricketers and share in the joy of live sport.”
 
The official warm-up fixtures for all 16 teams of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 have been announced, with matches to be played across Brisbane and Melbourne.

First Round teams will commence their preparations in Melbourne, with matches split between the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Junction Oval from 10-13 October.

Teams starting in the Super 12 stage will play all warm-up fixtures over two match days in Brisbane on October 17 and 19. These matches will be played at The Gabba and Allan Border Field.

The first warm-up fixture will feature two-time champions West Indies against United Arab Emirates at Junction Oval on 10 October, with each of the First Round teams to play two warm-up matches each.

Hosts Australia will play their only official warm-up fixture against India on 17 October at The Gabba. In addition to Australia, world number one India will face New Zealand on 19 October, also at The Gabba.

Warm-up fixtures will not be open to spectators, however the four warm-up matches at The Gabba on 17 and 19 October will be broadcast live by the ICC's Global Broadcast Partner Star Sports. Also, the ICC digital channels will feature live scores and match highlights for all matches.

As per previous ICC events, the warm-up fixtures will not carry official T20 International status.

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 begins on October 16 when Sri Lanka faces Namibia at Kardinia Park Stadium in Geelong.

ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 warm-up fixtures (All times are local):

10 Oct - West Indies v UAE, Junction Oval, 11h00
10 Oct - Scotland v Netherlands, Junction Oval, 15h00
10 Oct - Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe, MCG, 19h00
11 Oct - Namibia v Ireland, MCG, 19h00
12 Oct - West Indies v Netherlands, MCG, 19h00
13 Oct - Zimbabwe v Namibia, Junction Oval, 11h00
13 Oct - Sri Lanka v Ireland, Junction Oval, 15h00
13 Oct - Scotland v UAE, MCG, 19h00
17 Oct - Australia v India, The Gabba, 14h00
17 Oct - New Zealand v South Africa , Allan Border Field, 14h00
17 Oct - England v Pakistan, The Gabba, 18h00
17 Oct - Afghanistan v Bangladesh, Allan Border Field, 18h00
19 Oct - Afghanistan v Pakistan, The Gabba , 13h00
19 Oct - Bangladesh v South Africa, Allan Border Field, 18h00
19 Oct - New Zealand v India, The Gabba, 18h00
 
Not Pakistan v Afghanistan again

Not until the ICC sorts out their barbaric fans!
 
Saj said:
The official warm-up fixtures for all 16 teams of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 have been announced, with matches to be played across Brisbane and Melbourne.

First Round teams will commence their preparations in Melbourne, with matches split between the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Junction Oval from 10-13 October.

Teams starting in the Super 12 stage will play all warm-up fixtures over two match days in Brisbane on October 17 and 19. These matches will be played at The Gabba and Allan Border Field.

The first warm-up fixture will feature two-time champions West Indies against United Arab Emirates at Junction Oval on 10 October, with each of the First Round teams to play two warm-up matches each.

Hosts Australia will play their only official warm-up fixture against India on 17 October at The Gabba. In addition to Australia, world number one India will face New Zealand on 19 October, also at The Gabba.

Warm-up fixtures will not be open to spectators, however the four warm-up matches at The Gabba on 17 and 19 October will be broadcast live by the ICC's Global Broadcast Partner Star Sports. Also, the ICC digital channels will feature live scores and match highlights for all matches.

As per previous ICC events, the warm-up fixtures will not carry official T20 International status.

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 begins on October 16 when Sri Lanka faces Namibia at Kardinia Park Stadium in Geelong.

ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 warm-up fixtures (All times are local):

10 Oct - West Indies v UAE, Junction Oval, 11h00
10 Oct - Scotland v Netherlands, Junction Oval, 15h00
10 Oct - Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe, MCG, 19h00
11 Oct - Namibia v Ireland, MCG, 19h00
12 Oct - West Indies v Netherlands, MCG, 19h00
13 Oct - Zimbabwe v Namibia, Junction Oval, 11h00
13 Oct - Sri Lanka v Ireland, Junction Oval, 15h00
13 Oct - Scotland v UAE, MCG, 19h00
17 Oct - Australia v India, The Gabba, 14h00
17 Oct - New Zealand v South Africa , Allan Border Field, 14h00
17 Oct - England v Pakistan, The Gabba, 18h00
17 Oct - Afghanistan v Bangladesh, Allan Border Field, 18h00
19 Oct - Afghanistan v Pakistan, The Gabba , 13h00
19 Oct - Bangladesh v South Africa, Allan Border Field, 18h00
19 Oct - New Zealand v India, The Gabba, 18h00
Click to expand...

Even after the 7 t20's pakistan have a warm up against England? And their other one is against a minnow (no disrespect, but Afghanistan will not be competitive in Australia). While India get Australia and New Zealand.

All little things but they matter.
 
Forum363 said:
Even after the 7 t20's pakistan have a warm up against England? And their other one is against a minnow (no disrespect, but Afghanistan will not be competitive in Australia). While India get Australia and New Zealand.

All little things but they matter.
Click to expand...

I think you're stretching it here.

Pakistan play NZ prior to WC too and they'll get a full healthy England team in the warmups & hopefully/presumably with Shaheen back too. They'll get to face a team that relies on pace in England and spin against Afghanistan so it gives them a good idea how both will play in these condition.
 
​The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 is set to welcome fans of all ages and backgrounds, with over 500,000 fans already securing their place to the event that begins in one month’s time.

Fans from 82 different countries have purchased tickets to watch the world’s best players from 16 international teams, marking the return of full stadiums at ICC events for the first time since the Women’s T20 World Cup in 2020, which culminated with 86,174 fans for the final at the MCG.

Accessible pricing for families has seen over 85,000 children’s tickets sold, with tickets just $5 for kids at all First Round and Super 12 matches - adult prices start from $20.

The India v Pakistan fixture at the MCG on 23 October is sold out, with additional standing room tickets snapped up within minutes of going on sale. An official re-sale platform will be launched closer to the event, where fans can exchange tickets at face value.

Current ticket allocations are also all sold for the double-header at the SCG on 27 October featuring South Africa v Bangladesh and India v Group A runner-up. Fans are encouraged to join the waitlist in the event of additional tickets becoming available.

Only a very limited number of tickets remain for Australia’s opening Super 12 fixture against New Zealand at the SCG on 22 October, the double-header featuring Pakistan v Group A runner-up and India v South Africa at Perth Stadium on 30 October, and Pakistan v South Africa at the SCG on 3 November.

Tickets are still available for most matches, but fans are encouraged to act now to secure their seats.

ICC Men’s T20 World Cup CEO Michelle Enright said: “The response from fans has been exceptional and shows the excitement for what will be the biggest sporting event hosted in Australia this year.

“We’ve also seen a spread of support for different teams across the event, which is going to make for an incredible atmosphere at our matches with a strong mix of passionate fans at each venue. We’re particularly proud of our accessibly priced tickets for families and it’s great to see that so many kids are going to come out and experience a World Cup.

There are still some great tickets available, so I’d encourage everyone who hasn’t secured their seats to jump on board for what will be an unmissable event.”

ICC Head of Events, Chris Tetley said: “We are delighted by the uptake of tickets for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup with over 500,000 already being snapped up. The excitement is really building with just over a month to go and this World Cup is set to be an unmissable event. There are still some tickets available to buy, so fans should make sure they secure theirs while they are still available.”
 
Justcrazy said:
Pakistan need to think about a bowling combination , they do not need too many spin all rounders.

Ideally Pakistan should go with 3 fast bowlers and one fast bowling all rounder plus couple of spin batting all rounder.
Click to expand...

Pakistan dont bat any deep, mostly it is Babar and rizwan or bust... Probably now Shan Masood will be added to that list of runs scoring ..

So go with 4 fast bowlers (Shaheen, Naseem, Rauf , Hasnain/Dahani) with 1 spinner in Shadab
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">And just like that… Cricket is loading &#55356;&#57295; <a href="https://t.co/y84SmIrqFf">pic.twitter.com/y84SmIrqFf</a></p>— Melbourne Cricket Ground (@MCG) <a href="https://twitter.com/MCG/status/1574288353436246016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 26, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
With less than three weeks before the first ball of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, we take a look at the form of the 16 teams to compete in Australia.


Afghanistan

The turnover of players since the 2021 event and experimentation at the top of the order in their series defeat to Ireland makes predictions hard, though glimpses of quality at the Asia Cup may have answered a few queries.

On the batting side, Rahmanullah Gurbaz is enjoying a batting purple patch, while Najibullah Zadran is proving a more consistent performer in national colours. Given the hitting capabilities of those around him, Usman Ghani could make sense as a rare T20I anchor, while there are high hopes on Darwish Rasooli.

The emergence of Fazalhaq Farooqi likely gives them a pace bowling upgrade, and spin should be reliable through the regular contributors of Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman and the returning Qais Ahmad.

Results in the last 10 games (Most recent first)

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T20 World Cup 2021 performance

Knocked out in the Super 12 stage


Australia

The recent series against India has shown the defending champions boast a stronger squad for their home campaign, and even players outside of the T20 World Cup squad are making an impression.

Tim David has begun his career in Australian colours with aplomb, making a quick-fire half-century in his lower order role, combining well with ‘keeper Matthew Wade.

Though it could be the surprise emergence of Cameron Green at the top of the order that could lead to a late squad shuffle.

Thrown up the order as an experiment against a strong India side, Green has made two fifties in his three innings in replacing the resting David Warner.

The bowling corps look ready to emulate their 2021 success, with Josh Hazlewood perched at the top of the MRF Tyres ICC T20I bowling rankings.

Results in the last 10 games (Most recent first)

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T20 World Cup 2021 performance

Champions


Bangladesh

Losing to both Afghanistan and Sri Lanka at the Asia Cup and losing series to Zimbabwe and West Indies, Bangladesh are desperate for an uptick of form.

After inclement weather spoiled a training camp in Dhaka, the side are piecing things together with a series against fellow event competitors UAE, though the side are missing captain Shakib Al Hasan for the matches. Wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan leads the team, who won the first T20I by seven runs.

Afif Hossain saved Bangladesh’s blushes, making 77* from 55 balls after a recovery from 47/4 in the eighth over.

Mustafizur Rahman’s 2/21 (4) and three-wicket hauls from Shoriful Islam and Mehidy Hasan Miraz ensured the favourites snuck away with victory.

Bangladesh play Afghanistan and South Africa in warm-up fixtures.

Results in the last 10 games (Most recent first)

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T20 World Cup 2021 performance

Knocked out in the Super 12 stage

All the T20 World Cup squads

England

After home series defeats to South Africa and India, England are now in Pakistan, locked at 2-2 in a seven-match series.

With the side’s bowling attack leaking runs at times, new captain Jos Buttler, taking over from Eoin Morgan, will have work cut out for him in the field.

Luke Wood has emerged as a key player to bolster the side's bowling depth, with namesake Mark looking sharp upon his return from injury, clocking 156kph in the recent series. Adil Rashid has again shown his class in recent action.

Runs will be pivotal in England's campaign, and while Buttler himself holds the key, their task has not been made easier with the loss of Jonny Bairstow after a freak injury ruled him out of the event. The form of the previously-exiled Alex Hales is encouraging, and the right-handed opener is one of several English players with domestic T20 experience in Australia.

Results in the last 10 games (Most recent first)

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T20 World Cup 2021 performance

Semi-finalists


India

There’s no doubt India have the players to win the T20 World Cup - now the only question is finding the ideal line-up balance. KL Rahul's spot at the top of the order is by no means guaranteed.

Critically though on the batting side, Virat Kohli is peaking at the right time, with a colossal hundred against Afghanistan at the Asia Cup, and a half-century to push his side to a series victory over Australia. Suryakumar Yadav can lay claim to being the form player in the world with the bat, while a fit Hardik Pandya will no doubt boost the side's chances.

On the bowling side, Jasprit Bumrah was rested for the Australia series to build into his work, though it remains to be seen who out of Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, R Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal will stand along side him in the XI.

Ravindra Jadeja misses out with injury, with Axar Patel the closest in the squad to a like-for-like replacement.

Results in the last 10 games (Most recent first)

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T20 World Cup 2021 performance

Knocked out in the Super 12 stage


Ireland

With more than 20 T20Is played this year alone, no one can question Ireland's rigorous preparation. The side have lost a dozen of those matches however, with a record of just three wins in 12 matches against Full Member opponents.

As Kevin O'Brien makes way, the younger brigade have slowly made the side their own, with Gareth Delany now a key figure and Harry Tector performing in both franchise and international cricket.

Wicket-keeper Lorcan Tucker has emerged as another batter to step up with quick runs, beating out former Zimbabwe international PJ Moor, who was eligible for the tournament.

There are concerns of Paul Stirling's form though, only making double figures in one of his last six T20 innings at domestic level.

Ireland meet Namibia and Sri Lanka in warm-up action.

Results in the last 10 games (Most recent first)

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T20 World Cup 2021 performance

Knocked out in the first round


Namibia

Enjoying a breakout tournament of sorts last year, the Eagles come into the 2022 event in decent white-ball form.

Featuring more recently in 50-over cricket through League 2, the side also boast a recent T20I series win over Zimbabwe, though with the caveat that it was before Dave Houghton’s appointment as coach.

Veteran Craig Williams has announced his retirement, though the top order should be bolstered by Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton and Michael van Lingen continuing their development.

There are injury concerns for JJ Smit (knee) and Pikky Ya France (ribs), though both are tipped to be fit ahead of their tournament opener against Sri Lanka.

Results in the last 10 games (Most recent first)

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T20 World Cup 2021 performance

Knocked out in the Super 12 stage


Netherlands

It’s been a bumper home summer of international cricket for the Dutch, though most of the action came in the longer white-ball format through the ODI Super League.

The side lost both home T20Is against a travelling New Zealand side, the second in convincing fashion, though the side can take solace from enjoying a strong Qualifier campaign in Zimbabwe. The tournament hosts were the only side to beat the men in orange, with Logan van Beek and Fred Klaassen the only players at the tournament to take 10 wickets.

All-rounder Bas de Leede is fulfilling his potential as a generational talent, new skipper Scott Edwards has shown quality with the bat against Full Member opposition, and the side welcome back a number of UK-based players who missed international action due to county commitments.

Results in the last 10 games (Most recent first)

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T20 World Cup 2021 performance

Knocked out in the first round


New Zealand

New Zealand have lost just one T20I in 2022, the final match of a 2-1 series win in the West Indies.

Nineteen players have featured across the 10 matches this year, with Glenn Phillips (319 runs at 145.00 strike rate) a clear standout with the bat. Spin has led the way with the ball, with Ish Sodhi, Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell combining for 37 wickets across the year, though the likes of Trent Boult and Tim Southee, who have played three and two matches respectively, will no doubt feature more prominently.

Bracewell, Finn Allen and Lockie Ferguson replace Kyle Jamieson, Todd Astle and Tim Seifert from their 2021 campaign that saw them finish runners up behind Australia.

Results in the last 10 games (Most recent first)

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T20 World Cup 2021 performance

Finalists


Pakistan

Pakistan have shown their batting prowess time and again at the top of the order, though the performances by Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan mask some frailties in the lower order.

As rumours linger in regards to changes to the squad already named, Asif Ali at this stage is the man entrusted at the death, alongside the likes of Iftikhar Ahmed. Shoaib Malik's name as an eleventh-hour inclusion have been teased.

The country is sweating on the fitness of Shaheen Afridi, who has travelled to London to treat his knee injury. Fakhar Zaman misses through injury.

Results in the last 10 games (Most recent first)

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T20 World Cup 2021 performance

Semi-finalists


Scotland

The warm-up hit-outs against the Netherlands and UAE will be crucial for Scotland, who have played just two T20Is this calendar year - two heavy defeats to New Zealand.

The side have prioritised ODI cricket through League 2 on the path to CWC 2023, and have lost opener and former skipper Kyle Coetzer, who has retired from the format. Richie Berrington now leads the side.

Uncapped Brandon McMullen bolts into the squad after impressing in ‘A’ team matches and regional cricket as a genuine all-rounder, and joins a team looking to impress again after a strong 2021 campaign.

There are concerns of depth on the bowling front, with totals of 225 and 254 leaked against the Kiwis.

Results in the last 10 games (Most recent first)

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T20 World Cup 2021 performance

Knocked out in the Super 12 stage


South Africa

While South Africa’s upcoming three-match series against India will reveal more, there should be a quiet confidence in the Proteas camp after they won a T20I series in England recently.

Captain Temba Bavuma is ready after elbow surgery, though Rassie van der Dussen misses the tournament due to a finger injury.

After a lengthy Kolpak absence, Rilee Rossouw has made a stunning return to international cricket, headlined by a knock of 96* off 55 balls in the England series, and is a near guarantee to open the batting in their tournament opener on October 24. Aiden Markram showed his class at the IPL, as well as young gun Tristan Stubbs who bolts into the squad.

Results in the last 10 games (Most recent first)

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T20 World Cup 2021 performance

Knocked out in the Super 12 stage


Sri Lanka

It’s fair to say Sri Lanka were not favourites for the Asia Cup, and the tournament victory only proves the First Round entrants have the ability to push the very best.

The side had three players (Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis) all in the top six run-scorers at the tournament, while Wanindu Hasaranga proves to be a consistent performer near game-on-game.

The side may need to shake the rust of a lengthy absence off the field though, with almost a month separating their final victory over Pakistan and their warm-up matches against Zimbabwe and Ireland.

Results in the last 10 games (Most recent first)

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T20 World Cup 2021 performance

Knocked out in the Super 12 stage


United Arab Emirates

The UAE will lament a below-par Asia Cup campaign, losing to Kuwait and Hong Kong in the tournament Qualifier to finish third. The side had a more encouraging result in the first of two T20Is against Bangladesh, losing by just seven runs.

A side from the outside looking like it hasn’t quite decided on an XI for the first game, there have been positive performances from Chirag Suri at the top of the order, with Vriitya Aravind, the Player of the Tournament from their Qualifier campaign, sliding down from No.3 to No.4.

The squad is missing MRF Tyres ICC T20I ninth-ranked all-rounder Rohan Mustafa.

Results in the last 10 games (Most recent first)

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T20 World Cup 2021 performance

Did not qualify


West Indies

The men in maroon do not boast a great run of form in T20I cricket, losing six of their last eight matches, and all at home.

For their First Round adversaries, it might be the ideal time to strike, and the absence of Andre Russell, who was left out of the squad, may have also brought sighs of relief.

Fabian Allen and Hayden Walsh Jr are two other players to not make the cut, with the likes of Johnson Charles and Raymon Reifer included, and Evin Lewis returning.

Results in the last 10 games (Most recent first)

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T20 World Cup 2021 performance

Knocked out in the Super 12 stage


Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe's players have clearly bought into his system of cricket upon Dave Houghton's appointment, and the results reflect it after a series defeat to Namibia back in May.

They hit back with an emphatic Qualifier B campaign, going undefeated, before beating Bangladesh in a three match series.

Sikandar Raza could make a case as the world's form white-ball player, and new skipper Craig Ervine can entrust a bevy of players considering their plethora of bowling options.

Their victory in the third Super League ODI against Australia may have come in a different format, though a win against a strong side in Australian conditions can only be confidence-building one.

Results in the last 10 games (Most recent first)

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T20 World Cup 2021 performance

Did not qualify

ICC
 
Pakistan are favorites to win this one.

I expect Pakistan to beat India in WC more now that the streak has been broken.
 
Prize money announced for T20 World Cup 2022

ICC have announced the prize money for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022, with the title winners taking home a whopping $US 1.6 million.

The ICC announced that the winning side at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 in Melbourne on November 13 would receive prize money of $1.6 million, with the runners-up guaranteed half the amount.

At the end of the 16-team tournament that runs for nearly a month, the losing semi-finalists will each get $400,000 from the $5.6 million total prize pool.

The eight teams who exit at the Super 12 stage will receive $70,000 each. Like last year at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021, a win in each of the 30 games in the Super 12 phase will be worth $40,000.

The eight teams that made it directly to the Super 12 phase are Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa.

The other eight teams - Namibia, Sri Lanka, Netherlands, UAE in Group A and West Indies, Scotland, Ireland and Zimbabwe in Group B - are split into two groups of four and will play the first round. For any win in the first round, prize money of $40,000 will be awarded, with the 12 matches amounting to $480,000.

The four teams knocked out in the first round will get $40,000 each.

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https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/2811819?sf171042820=1
 
We take a look at five players that are expected to perform well during the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup in Australia.

1. David Warner (Australia)

Only Pakistan captain Babar Azam scored more runs than Warner at last year's event and the Australia veteran is generally a much better player when playing on home soil.

Warner hit three half centuries at last year's tournament and his 289 runs at an impressive strike rate of almost 150 was among the best for the leading players.

His imperious form was a major reason why the all-conquering Australia side was able to hoist the trophy at Dubai International Stadium.


2. Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka)

The Sri Lanka all-rounder has already shown his ability to save his best performances for the big occasion and you would have to think he could dominate for the island nation in Australia.

Hasaranga lit up the 2021 event by claiming the most wickets (16) by any player and backed up that performance by finishing Sri Lanka's victorious Asia Cup campaign as the Player of the Tournament.

The bigger grounds in Australia are sure to suit the 25-year-old and it's almost certain the star spinner will be among the leading wicket-takers again this year.


3. Jos Buttler (England)

While the England captain is currently battling an ongoing calf injury, we expect him to recover in time to spearhead the assault for the 2010 winners.

Over the last 12 months there has arguably been no one in the world in better form than Buttler, with the 32-year-old the only player to score a century at last year's event in the UAE and Oman.

Buttler hit a brilliant unbeaten 101* against Sri Lanka in Sharjah and looked to be in even better touch during this year's edition of the IPL when he reached triple figures on four occasions and scored a massive 863 runs for Rajasthan Royals.

His efforts during the home series against India and South Africa in July wasn't quite up to his lofty standards, but Buttler is sure to bounce back to his best in Australia.


4. Suryakumar Yadav (India)

The emergence of Suryakumar Yadav in 2022 has been amazing, with the in-form right-hander now arguably the most important player in Rohit Sharma's dominant side.

Yadav only managed to make four appearances for India at last year's edition of the T20 World Cup and his paltry return of 42 runs from three knocks barely ruffled any feathers in world cricketing circles.

But since then the 32-year-old has been a model of consistency and has now found himself rated as the No.2 T20I batter in the world on the latest rankings list.


5. Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)

You will struggle to find a more consistent T20I batter than the experienced Pakistan opener and it should come as no surprise to see he is now rated as the No.1 T20I batter in the world.

Rizwan's stability at the top of the order will be pivotal to Pakistan's chances of claiming the title in Australia and the 30-year-old will be out to replicate the excellent efforts he produced with the bat at last year's event.

At the 2021 T20 World Cup Rizwan hit three half centuries and a total of 281 runs at an average of 70, with team-mate Babar Azam and Australia’s David Warner the only players to score more heavily than the right-hander for the tournament.

ICC
 
From fabled rivalries and match-ups that could well decide further tournament progress, we take a look at some of the pivotal fixtures at the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup.

First Round

Sri Lanka v Namibia - Sunday 16 October - Geelong

The teams met in their tournament opener in last year’s campaign, and the pair meet again in the opening match of the 2022 edition.

While Namibia skipper Gerhard Erasmus took the positives from the encounter that primed them for the final two matches of the group stage last year, the Eagles will want to show how far they’ve come since their historic Super 12 qualification.

Asia Cup victors last month, Sri Lanka know their opponents will put in a stronger performance this time around, and can ill-afford a slip up early in the campaign.

Geelong’s Kardinia Park has only hosted one T20I, a Sri Lanka win over Australia back in 2017. Kusal Mendis was the only current squad member to play in the match.


West Indies v Scotland - Monday 17 October - Hobart

The fire of the 2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier will still be burning for the Scots, who fell to the West Indies in a heartbreaker on the path to the 2019 50-over event.

It’s the first meeting between the sides in any format since the encounter, and Scotland will certainly fancy their chances, facing a team perceived to be lacking the firepower of West Indies teams of old.

Scotland’s tournament opener last year was their famous win over another Full Member in Bangladesh, and the Hobart surface should also play more to Scotland’s liking.


Netherlands v Namibia - Tuesday 18 October - Geelong

The Eagles hold bragging rights after their win in the corresponding fixture last year, and the sides would likely need victory here if they are to progress to the Super 12s.

Namibia were well-calculated in their chase of 165 in the encounter, with David Wiese’s 66* (40) timing his run to near perfection around the batting work of skipper Erasmus and JJ Smit.

The Dutch have re-grouped after what was a tumultuous campaign last year, and should give a better account in Geelong.


Ireland v Scotland - Wednesday 19 October - Hobart

Two teams that know each other well and on a Bellerive Oval surface that should be conducive to a great match for the neutral, the all European-region affair should provide a unique spectacle.

Scotland are on the wrong side of a 7-3 head-to-head record between the teams in T20I cricket (two no results, one tie), though made a deeper run at the 2021 event.

Ireland are coming off a successful home series against Super 12 side Afghanistan, and have a point to prove after a First Round exit last year.


Scotland v Zimbabwe - Friday 21 October - Hobart

A potential decider for a Super 12 spot, Scotland will want to emulate their 2021 success, though Zimbabwe did not take part in the last competition cycle due to their ICC suspension, and provide a new challenge.

Zimbabwe are a side on the up after hiring Dave Houghton as head coach, and progress to the Super 12 stage will now be the minimum goal.

The Scots lost a home T20I series to Zimbabwe in 2021, and lost their only meeting at a T20 World Cup back in 2016.


Australia v New Zealand - Saturday 22 October - Sydney

A re-match of last year’s tournament final, played between trans-Tasman rivals, and as the Super 12 curtain raiser - there isn’t a whole lot more to throw in to sell this fixture.

The hosts have not lost to the Kiwis in the format on home soil, comfortably winning a rain-affected encounter at the SCG back in February 2018.

The biggest questions of Australia in the build-up will surround the composition of their batting order, with their first match selection revealing their hand. Tim David looks to be the biggest in for the side defending the trophy, though it will be the omitted player that signals how aggressive the side will be with the bat.


India v Pakistan - Sunday 23 October - Melbourne

When tickets went on sale for this fixture back in February, they sold out in five minutes.

Envious of the 100,000 in the venue, there will likely be over a billion pairs of eyes gazing on the Melbourne Cricket Ground for this eagerly awaited fixture.

If India needed any more motivation, their 10-wicket defeat to Pakistan last year should be the only team talk Rohit Sharma needs.

Multiple wickets in the Powerplay would be one avenue for India to avenge the 2021 defeat, exposing a Pakistan middle order struggling for runs.


South Africa v Bangladesh - Thursday 27 October - Sydney

Bangladesh were bowled out for just 84 in the meeting last year and will be desperate to provide a better account of themselves. South Africa by contrast have enjoyed a strong year in the format, and would likely need a win here to push their semi-final case.

Shakib Al Hasan’s side also have history against them, with the Tigers yet to beat South Africa in T20I cricket.


India v South Africa - Sunday 30 October - Perth

Both teams would have circled this one in the calendar, knowing that a victory here would go a long way to securing a semi-final spot.

The sides are currently sparring in a preparation T20I series in India and the Asian side were far too strong with an emphatic victory in that series opener.

South Africa would still have Pakistan in the way of their path to the final four, and the Perth surface may be more to the Proteas’ liking.


Afghanistan v Group A Winner - Tuesday 1 November - Brisbane

The first match of a Brisbane double-header, there are intriguing scenarios no matter who they face on November 1.

First Round Group A favourites Sri Lanka fell to Afghanistan in the Asia Cup opener in August, though Dasun Shanaka’s side hit back in the Super Four stage on their way to tournament victory.

Should another team top the First Round group, they’ll likely target Afghanistan as their best chance of a Super 12 victory.


England v New Zealand - Tuesday 1 November - Brisbane

Should the hosts do the early running in the group, the England/New Zealand fixture at The Gabba could become a de-facto quarter-final.

Featuring in opposite Super 12 groups last year, the teams only came head-to-head in the semi-final, with Kane Williamson’s side keeping an electric England batting unit relatively quiet.

Daryl Mitchell was emphatic in reply at the top of the order, making 72* (47), claiming Player of the Match honours as New Zealand reached the target of 167 with an over in hand.

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/2835547
 
The International Cricket Council has announced the 20 match officials for the First Round and Super 12s stages of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia.

In total, 16 umpires will officiate across the tournament with Richard Kettleborough, Nitin Menon, Kumara Dharmasena and Marais Erasmus having been the umpires in charge of the 2021 final which saw this year's hosts claim their first ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title.
It is an experienced group of umpires, with the same 16 selected as last year’s tournament which was held in the United Arab Emirates and Oman.

Chief Referee of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, Ranjan Madugalle, is part of a quartet of former international cricketers who make up the match referees for the eighth edition of the T20 World Cup. Sri Lankan Madugalle is joined by Andrew Pycroft of Zimbabwe, England’s Christopher Broad and Australian David Boon.

Pycroft will take charge of the tournament opener in Geelong on 16 October when Sri Lanka takes on Namibia in the First round with Joel Wilson and Rodney Tucker the umpires in the middle. Paul Reiffel will act as the TV umpire with Erasmus, occupying the role of the fourth umpire.

Erasmus, Tucker and Aleem Dar are all set to appear in their seventh ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, with Langton Rusere umpiring in his second World Cup of the year having stood in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022, including acting as reserve umpire for the final.

Rusere will be the TV umpire in place when Australia and New Zealand kick off the Super 12 round on 22 October in Sydney. The match is a replay of the 2021 final and Rusere will be joined by Adrian Holdstock and Dharmasena (on-field) and Richard Illingworth (fourth umpire).
Officials have been named for the entirety of the First Round and Super 12s, with the selections for the semi-finals and final of the tournament to be named in due course.

Adrian Griffith, ICC Senior Manager – Umpires and Referees said: "We are delighted to announce the match officials who will be officiating at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. This group are the very best from around the world and whilst it is a very challenging job with the eyes of the cricketing community focused on every decision, we know they will do an outstanding job and wish them the very best of luck.”

Umpires: Adrian Holdstock, Aleem Dar, Ahsan Raza, Christopher Brown, Christopher Gaffaney, Joel Wilson, Kumara Dharmasena, Langton Rusere, Marais Erasmus, Michael Gough, Nitin Menon, Paul Reiffel, Paul Wilson, Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough, Rodney Tucker
 
Cricket fans have been urged to use only official ticketing channels as they look to secure seats for the sold-out India-Pakistan T20 World Cup clash.

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup kicks off in Australia on 16 October, but the match between the two arch rivals at the 100,000-capacity Melbourne Cricket Ground on 23 October is the hottest ticket around.

While over 500,000 tickets have already been sold for the tournament through assigned ticket seller Ticketek, this is the only match which is a complete sell-out.

India and Pakistan haven't played a bilateral cricket series since 2013 due to political tensions.

The two countries squared off against each other last month in the UAE, but it’s been seven years since they played each other on Australian soil at Adelaide Oval in 2015.

‘It's unethical’

Pakistan fan Waqas, who did not wish to be identified, missed out on tickets and has been scouring social media for opportunities ever since.

“People are selling tickets for more than 15 times the original price, and they are still justifying it which is wrong,” he tells SBS Urdu.

He says one seller he found in a WhatsApp group quoted him a price of $500 for three category D tickets, which originally sold for $30 each.

“I think those who are selling tickets for such a huge price should be dealt with an iron fist.”

https://www.sbs.com.au/language/urd...s-sold-for-up-to-15-times-the-price/kxjys5jlu
 
HOW TEAMS HAVE QUALIFIED FOR THE ICC MEN’S T20 WORLD CUP 2022


The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 is looming with 16 nations descending on Australia to battle it out for the ultimate prize.

For some teams, this will be the start of their quest for World Cup glory but for others, it will be the culmination of what has already been a long journey.

Here’s how all the teams have made it to Australia.

Australia

As the host nation, Australia automatically qualified for this year’s edition. They will go in search of history on home soil and aim to become the first team ever to retain the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup trophy.

New Zealand

The top 11 teams from the previous ICC Men’s T20 World Cup qualify automatically for the next edition, with the top eight entering at the Super 12 stage. New Zealand automatically qualified by reaching the final last year and will now hope to turn over a new leaf in ICC major event finals.

England

Another automatic qualifier, England’s semi-final exit in 2021 was enough to ensure they’d have another crack this time around. The 2010 champions also reached the final in 2016, where they narrowly lost to the West Indies, and they will be hoping to avenge the disappointment of one year ago.

Pakistan

Pakistan’s spine-tingling run to the semi-finals in 2021 booked their place in Australia for 2022. They won all five of their group stage games for their best result since 2012 and will hope to keep up the momentum in search of a first title since 2009.

South Africa

The Proteas agonisingly missed out on a place in the semi-finals last year, but they comfortably ensured a place on the starting line in Australia.

South Africa have never won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, reaching the semi-finals on two occasions - in 2009 and 2014 - before losing to Pakistan and India respectively.

India

India finished third in their group last year and missed out on the semi-finals but it was still enough to automatically ensure their return to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Defeats to Pakistan and New Zealand condemned India to a Super 12 exit last year, but they’ll be more motivated than ever to put that right in Australia.

Afghanistan

Afghanistan booked their place in Australia automatically as one of the top eight sides from the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

A Super 12 spot gives them a good platform to try to reach the semi-finals for the first time.

Bangladesh

They finished bottom of Group 1 with five defeats and a top eight finish means Bangladesh have a chance to make amends, starting at the Super 12 stage.

They’ll have to overcome India, Sri Lanka, and South Africa among others to reach the knockout stages.

Sri Lanka

The 2014 champions qualified automatically for the 2022 iteration thanks to their fourth-place finish in Group 1 of the 2021 Super 12 stage.

It was enough to ensure that the Lions would be back again, where they must once more navigate the First Round and they will hope to do so with the same aplomb as they did last time.

West Indies

The only side ever to win the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup twice, it didn’t click for the West Indies in the UAE and Oman as they finished fifth in Group 1.

It saw them qualify for Australia, but they will have to negotiate the First Round to take a run at a third title.

Namibia

Namibia finished fifth in Group 2 in 2021, enough to automatically qualify for this year’s competition in Australia as one of the ninth to 12th placed teams.

A win against Scotland at the Super 12 stage put the shine on an already terrific maiden campaign for Namibia, and they will be back again in Australia looking to build on their maiden appearance.

Scotland

Scotland booked their place at the 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup after topping their group in the First Round of the 2021 edition.

An impressive six-run victory over Bangladesh meant they finished ahead of the Tigers, as both progressed to the Super 12 ahead of Oman and Papua New Guinea.

Ireland

Ireland booked their spot in Australia with a second-place finish in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier A.

While defeat to the United Arab Emirates may have denied Ireland the trophy, they ensured a sixth participation in the event.

Netherlands

Netherlands booked their tickets to Australia with second place in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier B.

A seven-wicket win over the USA in the semi-final ensured they’d be back for the 2022 edition after a challenging 2021 campaign.

United Arab Emirates

After playing host in 2021, the UAE ensured they’d be getting in on the action in 2022 with victory in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier A.

Victory over Nepal in the semi-final made sure that the UAE would be at their first T20 World Cup since 2015, before adding the gloss with victory in the final over Ireland.

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe’s 37-run victory over the Netherlands in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier B felt like a seminal moment for a country that has had a tough time at the crease in recent years, but have now bounced back in style with qualification to the World Cup.

ICC
 
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 warm-up fixture between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe has been rescheduled and will now be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Tuesday, 11 October at 14h30 local time.

The match was to be played on Monday, 10 October at 19h00 at the same venue as per the original schedule but the change has had to be carried out following a change in Zimbabwe’s travel schedule.

The eight teams featuring in the first round of the 16-team tournament play their warm-up fixtures from 10-13 October in Melbourne. The Junction Oval is the other venue that will host practice matches for the first round.

The warm-up fixtures for teams who have direct entries in the Super 12s will be played at two venues in Brisbane – the Gabba and the Allan Border Field – on 17 and 19 October.

The complete warm-up fixtures:

10 Oct - West Indies v UAE, Junction Oval, 11h00
10 Oct - Scotland v Netherlands, Junction Oval, 15h00
11 Oct - Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe, MCG, 14h30
11 Oct - Namibia v Ireland, MCG, 19h00
12 Oct - West Indies v Netherlands, MCG, 19h00
13 Oct - Zimbabwe v Namibia, Junction Oval, 23h00
13 Oct - Sri Lanka v Ireland, Junction Oval, 15h00
13 Oct - Scotland v UAE, MCG, 19h00
17 Oct - Australia v India, The Gabba, 14h00
17 Oct - New Zealand v South Africa, Allan Border Field, 14h00
17 Oct - England v Pakistan, The Gabba, 18h00
17 Oct - Afghanistan v Bangladesh, Allan Border Field, 18h00
19 Oct - Afghanistan v Pakistan, The Gabba 13h00
19 Oct - Bangladesh v South Africa, Allan Border Field, 18h00
19 Oct - New Zealand v India, The Gabba, 18h00
 
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