The month-long T20 carnival begins down-under
The tournament was originally scheduled in 2020 but was postponed because of strict Covid rules in Australia. The hosts are the defending champions of the tournament, having won the Trans-tasman final in the 2021 edition in the UAE.
Australia will be hosting a Men's World Cup - T20 or ODI - for the third time, having hosted two Cricket World Cups in 1992 and 2015. It's the first time a Men's T20 World Cup is going to be played down-under. The tournament was originally scheduled in 2020 but was postponed because of strict Covid rules in Australia. The hosts are the defending champions of the tournament, having won the Trans-tasman final in the 2021 edition in the UAE.
The matches of the World Cup will take place in seven grounds across the country. Kardinia Park in Geelong, the only non-Test ground in the tournament, and Bellerive Oval in Hobart will host the matches of the first round starting on 16 October. The tournament-proper, also known as the Super 12s, will begin on 22 October with the match between Australia and New Zealand, the finalists of the previous edition, at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Sri Lanka, Namibia, UAE and the Netherlands from Group A will feature on the first day of the tournament.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Sri Lanka, of course, have been in prime form, having won the Asia Cup recently, bettering the likes of India and Pakistan. They are likely to get through but it will be interesting to see which other team makes the Super 12s. Gerhard Erasmus' Namibia put on an inspiring performance last time and played the Super 12s and will be keen to repeat the feat.
UAE failed to qualify for the recently-concluded six-team Asia Cup but will be desperate to turn things around. Despite losing, they had their moments in the two-match T20I series against Bangladesh right after the Asia Cup.
The Netherlands came second in the T20 World Cup Qualifier where hosts Zimbabwe were crowned champions. Zimbabwe, who missed out on a spot in the previous World Cup, have been in good form leading up to the World Cup. They have won seven out of their last eight T20Is which includes a series win against Bangladesh.
Apart from Zimbabwe, Group B features Scotland and two more Test-playing nations - two-times champions the West Indies and Ireland. Scotland were one of the teams making the Super 12s of the last World Cup. Ireland recently won a five-match T20I series against Afghanistan, one of the teams directly playing the tournament, and will be confident ahead of the first round.
The West Indies are of course the strongest side on paper in this group and it promises to be the most closely-contested group in this round.
It will be the second time in two years that Australia is hosting a T20 World Cup. The 2020 edition of Women's T20 World Cup was a historic occasion for the country with the final being enjoyed by more than 86 thousand spectators at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. Acknowledging the impact of that tournament, Australia skipper Aaron Finch, in the captains' press conference on Saturday, said, "The cricket participation among women has doubled since the T20 World Cup in Australia. That's the legacy it has left."
Sri Lanka will take on Namibia in the tournament opener in Geelong and their skipper Dasun Shanaka stated that they are "ready" for the big challenge.
"After a very good Asia Cup, we have much confidence in the team and the environment. We are focused on batting, it's summer here so conditions are different. Bowlers are shaping up, [Dushmantha] Chameera and Lahiru Kumara are back with us. It depends on your day in T20. The better team on the day wins. We are ready for the challenge," he said.
Bangladesh, who had to play the first round last year, are playing this year's tournament directly although they are not in the best of forms and don't have experience of playing T20 cricket down-under.
"I think we've got a very exciting team. Most of the players are new, so it'll be a great experience for them. All of us are playing T20 for the first time in Australia, including me, so that's new. I think we've prepared very well for the World Cup," Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan said.
One of the most important matches of the tournament will be the one between India and Pakistan on 23 October in Melbourne, a rematch of the 2021 T20 World Cup group game where Pakistan absolutely outclassed India, beating them by 10 wickets. The teams have contrasting records in that part of the World. India have won seven out of 11 completed T20Is in Australia while their eternal rivals Pakistan are yet to win a T20I there as they lost all of their four completed matches.
Defending champions and hosts Australia, England and India will start the tournament as hot favourites. Jos Buttler, captain of one of the most favourite teams, picked Australia as top favourites to lift the title, saying that the host nations are always slight favourites in big tournaments. England, though, won a T20I series against Australia leading up to the tournament.
The press conference on Saturday ended on a sweet note as Aaron Finch brought a birthday cake for Pakistan captain Babar Azam but it's certain that things won't remain this sweet between teams over the next one month as every team will come hard at their opponents to earn a place in the final of the tournament at the MCG on 13 November.
