We’re down to the final four of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, with England taking on New Zealand and Australia meeting Pakistan for the two tournament final places.
We look at where it went right and wrong for the eight teams eliminated from the Super 12s
SUPER 12 TEAMS
Group 1
SOUTH AFRICA
Third in Super 12 Group 1 – eight points – NRR 0.739
Highlights
Unfancied heading into the tournament, South Africa went on to win four of their five games, only missing out on the semi-finals by net run-rate. By the time they were eliminated it was clear they were a good enough team to win the whole thing.
Under pressure after a narrow final over first-up defeat against Australia, the Proteas went on to win four matches on the bounce, including a nerve-wracking victory over world No.1s England.
While that victory proved bittersweet, the Proteas fittingly got a moment to celebrate right at the end as Kagiso Rabada claimed a hat-trick.
What went wrong
It’s perhaps harsh to pick apart South Africa’s campaign in minutiae given their 80 per cent win record, though Temba Bavuma’s men will lament their sluggish start in a defeat to Australia.
Despite limiting the net run rate damage by pushing the match to the final over in a strong bowling performance, South Africa’s batting frailties were exposed early, unable to regroup in an innings of 118/9.
From there, the team was forced to play catch-up, under the pressure of needing four results and other matches going their way. They managed the four victories but it wasn’t meant to be in the end.
A look to the 2022 T20 World Cup
Performing admirably in slower conditions, South Africa should take solace in the fact that next year’s tournament in Australia should favour their fast bowling attack, and their top order yearning for pace onto the bat.
In saying this, the role of the No.7 batter, who will most likely be filled by an all-rounder, needs solidifying. On the bowling side of this particular role, Dwaine Pretorius showed the ability, and would be in the mix again at 33 years of age. A stronger player with the bat may bolster the side, and instill the top order with more confidence to play in a slightly more expansive manner.
SRI LANKA
Fourth in Super 12 Group 1 – four points – NRR -0.269
Highlights
Entering at the First Round in this year’s tournament, Sri Lanka weren’t among the favourites but there are signs that their re-build, particularly with the bat, may not take as long as some might think.
Through the emergence of Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Charith Asalanka, Dasun Shanaka and Mickey Arthur have been rewarded for their no-stone-unturned approach to finding the next best thing. Pathum Nissanka, already making a name for himself at the Test level, also showed glimpses of better days to come in the format.
Wanindu Hasaranga lived up to the hype in his biggest test on the international scene yet, taking a tournament-best haul of 16 wickets, while the signs from Maheesh Theekshana are good, even if opposition batting line-ups now have a better look at his variation.
What went wrong
There were serious improvements with bat and ball at this year’s edition but there is still room to grow.
With plenty of pace and a beguiling set of spinners, Sri Lanka often excelled with the ball through the early and middle overs but they’ll want to fine tune their approach at the death where opposition batters often found the rope with more ease.
With the bat, things never quite clicked at the top of the order, with Asalanka and Rajapaksa often required to rebuild and reignite the innings.
A look to the 2022 T20 World Cup
Having impressed so many, Sri Lanka will be buoyant going into their next 12 months of cricket.
It’s important they maintain that momentum through the year because they are likely to find things tougher in Australia, where conditions will not be as hospitable to their spinners.
The Sri Lankans will once again start the tournament in the first round as they are currently ninth on the MRF Tyres ICC T20I rankings with no matches left to play before the qualification cut-off date of November 15.
WEST INDIES
Fifth in Super 12 Group 1 – two points – NRR -1.641
Highlights
It was a tough campaign for West Indies but there were signs of better things to come.
Making their tournament debuts, Evin Lewis (29), Nicholas Pooran (26) and Shimron Hetymyer (24) all had their moments. Hetmyer’s 81 in a losing cause against Sri Lanka, Pooran’s 46 in the same match and game-turning 50 against Bangladesh and Lewis’ 56 against South Africa were all serious innings.
While it was a lean farewell tour for Dwayne Bravo, he still left us with one more lasting memory with his glorious six over extra cover against Mitchell Starc. Chris Gayle too – if this is his last tournament – added one more moment to his legacy with the dismissal of Mitchell Marsh and subsequent hug of his victim.
What went wrong
With just two fifties scored across the team and only three players passing one hundred runs for the tournament, many would point the finger at the batting for the West Indies struggles. However, with the exception of their first match aberration against England, decent totals were up regularly thanks to a deep line-up.
Making 157 against Australia, 169 in a chase to Sri Lanka, and posting scores in the 140s in slow conditions, the tribulations of top order players in their career twilight might be somewhat of a red herring, considering the bowling efforts.
With the ball there was little menace, with only 14 wickets taken by an attack which was expensive to boot. Of those who delivered more than 10 overs for Kieron Pollard’s team, none went for fewer than seven runs an over, with only Akeal Hosein (7.00 rpo) and Ravi Rampaul (7.53 rpo) boasting economies under eight.
A look to the 2022 T20 World Cup
One of the main talking points of next year’s tournament will be the West Indies beginning their campaign in the tournament’s first round. With a ranking outside the automatic spots for the Super 12s, a new-look West Indies will look at the two qualifiers next year with interest, learning of their opponents.
With Bravo leaving the international scene and Gayle seemingly still to follow, shuffles will be made. There is still more than enough individual talent in the group to deliver results.
BANGLADESH
Sixth in Super 12 Group 1 – zero points – NRR -2.383
Highlights
Coming into the T20 World Cup off the back of series wins over Australia and New Zealand, expectations were high for Bangladesh so it was a surprise they almost missed out on the Super 12 stage and then failed to win a game once they were there.
Still, there were some major positives for Bangladesh.
Shakib Al Hasan enjoyed another monstrous tournament but it was the emergence of two names – one familiar and one fresh.
Having dropped off the radar for three years, Taskin Ahmed returned with a vengeance, flourishing for the Tigers with six wickets at 23.66 apiece and an economy of 6.5.
In 22-year-old Mohammad Naim, Bangladesh seem to have found a player with a bright future. The southpaw was Bangladesh’s highest run-scorer with 174, notching two half-centuries.
What went wrong
Bangladesh’s fate throughout the tournament was seemingly tied to the performances of Shakib Al Hasan’s.
In both of their wins the all-rounder was Player of the Match and Bangladesh went winless after his campaign ending injury midway through the Super 12 stage.
It was a lean campaign on the whole for Bangladesh’s batters, with none averaging in excess of 30, leaving them consistently vulnerable to collapses.
A look to the 2022 T20 World Cup
Sneaking into an automatic Super 12 spot by virtue of their T20I team ranking, Bangladesh avoid another tricky First Round start, though improvements must be made if they are going to leave their mark on the 2022 tournament.
Conditions in Australia will be less favourable to them than the ones they had in Oman and the United Arab Emirates.
Still, it is Down Under that the Tigers enjoyed one of their most momentous moments, qualifying for the knockout stages of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.
Many of the players from that campaign are still around and will be intent on making more happy memories in Australia.
Group 2
INDIA
Third in Super 12 Group 2 – six points – NRR +1.747
Highlights
Having lost their opening two games in the Super 12, India fought back strongly and registered emphatic wins over Afghanistan, Scotland and Namibia, ending up with the highest net run rate in Group 2.
India finally came to the party against Afghanistan, picking the bowlers apart enroute to 210. Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul set the tone with a 140-run partnership before Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya added 63 runs in 3.3 overs.
They followed that up by beating Scotland with 13.3 overs to spare to bolster their net run rate.
Unfortunately, it was too little too late for India as even a victory with 27 balls to spare in their final game against Namibia took them to only six points, two points short of the required number to be in contention for a spot in the semi-finals.
What went wrong
India’s World Cup dreams came crashing down as New Zealand beat Afghanistan to go to eight points, making it impossible for the Men in Blue to qualify.
Despite winning their final three matches, India couldn’t recover from the two massive losses against Pakistan and New Zealand. In both games, the batters had a nightmarish start, losing three and two wickets in the Powerplay while the rest of the batting fell short. The bowlers never really had enough runs on board to make a game out of it but didn’t cause any trouble to the opposition batters.
Apart from the losses, India couldn’t quite find the right combination in the first two games. With Hardik Pandya not bowling, India were forced to go with five bowling options in their first two games, even though Hardik did roll his arm over once the game was out of India’s reach.
A look to the 2022 T20 World Cup
The 2021 World Cup was Virat Kohli’s last tournament as India’s T20 captain and Ravi Shastri’s last as the head coach. India will go into the T20 World Cup next year in Australia with a new captain and with Rahul Dravid at the helm.
Though there are no obvious chinks in India’s armour, the lack of the sixth bowling option is something they would want to rectify ahead of the tournament next year. However, if Pandya can keep his fitness in check, the pre-tournament favourites of this year will carry the tag into the next year as well.
Under the new leadership group, India will be hoping to end the ICC trophy drought that began after India’s win in the 2013 Champions Trophy.
AFGHANISTAN
Fourth in Super 12 Group 2 – four points – NRR +1.053
Highlights
Afghanistan made a statement of intent in the first game against Scotland, skittling them out for 60 in their chase of 190, registering the joint-second highest margin of victory in T20 World Cup history. Mujeeb Ur Rahman ran riot in the Powerplay before returning to pick a five-for, while Rashid Khan ripped through the lower order.
Against Namibia too, they secured a convincing win, registering another massive win by 62 runs.
Another massive positive for Afghanistan was the bowling outside of the Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi. The usual suspects were at the top of their game but it was fast bowlers – be it Naveen Ul Haq or Hamid Hassan – that added another dimension to Afghanistan’s bowling attack.
What went wrong
Afghanistan had a topsy-turvy World Cup campaign in UAE. Unfortunately for them, there were more downs than ups as they crashed out after losing their final game to New Zealand.
Though they performed well against Scotland and Namibia, they struggled against stronger opponents in the form of Pakistan, India and New Zealand.
Losing Mujeeb to injury, especially after fantastic Powerplay performances from him in the opening two games, was obviously going to be a huge blow to them, especially against India, who, at the time, were coming into the game low on confidence.
Afghanistan are a team that prefers to bat first and having done so in four out of the five games, the openers, who have been sensational for their team in the past, failed to stamp their authority. Mohammad Shahzad and Hazratullah Zazai scored just 171 runs between themselves in the five games together, putting pressure on the middle and lower order to do the bulk of the scoring.
A look to the 2022 T20 World Cup
Afghanistan have qualified for the Super 12 of the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia on the virtue of their position at seventh spot in the ICC Men’s T20I Rankings for teams.
Nabi, having taken over the captaincy from Khan just ahead of the World Cup, has done a splendid job at leading the side. Bowling has always been Afghanistan’s x-factor. Now, if the batters put their hands up, given the way they approach T20 cricket, Afghanistan can dream of going deep into the tournament.
NAMIBIA
Fourth in Super 12 Group 2 – two points – NRR -2.000 (After India Game)
Highlight
A number of Namibia’s players have cited their nation’s 2003 Cricket World Cup appearance as inspiration to take up the sport, and given their success in UAE, it’s easy to see the next generation picking up the bat and ball.
On the whole, it was a hugely successful campaign for Gerhard Erasmus and his chargers, who leave UAE with three victories, one of which came over Full Member Ireland to secure a Super 12 spot and automatic qualification for next year’s tournament in Australia.
Rolling over Scotland open their Super 12 account, Namibia proved their mettle at the next level, despite four losses on the bounce.
Sharing the spoils in a number of their Super 12 matches, there was a lot to like about the Eagles and the way they took the game to their more-fancied opponents.
What went wrong
Strong with both ball and bat throughout the middle overs, it felt like Namibia, often fielding first, let the game go from their grasp with expensive overs at the death, and a slow start in reply.
That was underlined by their encounter with New Zealand. Smothering the Black Caps at 96/4 from 16 overs, the Namibians let their opponents escape their clutches, leaking 67 runs in the final five overs.
In response, Namibia’s opening pair struggled to bring their side back into the game, mustering only 36 in the Powerplay, allowing the required run rate to rise out of reach.
A look to the 2022 T20 World Cup
With a spot for the First Round in Australia sewn up, the Eagles will be relieved to avoid the T20 World Cup Qualifier next year, with a number of teams threatening to squeeze into the tournament’s 16 spots.
Meticulous in their in-house preparation and with a tight-knit group, the side will go back to the drawing board for their Australian assault, debriefing on the lessons from their successful run in 2021.
Should everyone return for next year’s tournament, and improvements are made in certain match situations, one feels Namibia can build on their three wins in UAE.
SCOTLAND
Fifth in Super 12 Group 2 – zero points – NRR -3.543
Highlights
At 53/6 as the underdog against Bangladesh, many sides would have completely wilted in the heat of an Omani evening. Scotland the Brave lived up to the name.
Playing just his second ever international, Chris Greaves made a blistering 45 off 28 batting at No.7 to help pull Scotland to a total of 140/9. That proved six runs too many for Bangladesh, and the victory was the start of a golden First Round campaign in which they did not take defeat a single time.
They had a tougher time of it in the Super 12 stage, but having secured automatic qualification for next year’s event, they’ll be better for the experience.
Remaining Time -1:20
What went wrong
Having competed with New Zealand for most of their contest in Dubai, execution let the quicks down with Martin Guptill pouncing on late-over bowling in an assault of 93 off 56 balls.
That was the first match where they were missing the services of star fast bowler Josh Davey and his presence was felt. The seamer enjoyed a campaign to remember until a persistent groin injury put him out of commission, taking nine wickets at 13.66.
At times, Scotland’s batting was found wanting – an area where the injured Ollie Hairs could have come in handy.
A look to the 2022 T20 World Cup
With 37-year-old Kyle Coetzer hinting that he wants to play on until the 2023 Cricket World Cup campaign, every member of Scotland’s 2021 campaign should be available for Australia, carrying on from the successful campaign.
Through the final parts of this year’s campaign, Scotland’s players repeatedly spoke of the Super 12 stage showing them where they need to be to compete. Expect a wiser, battle-hardened Scottish outfit to turn up in Australia, building on the success and lessons of 2021. (Reprinted from the ICC T20 World Cup website)
