It’s time to shift our focus onto Group B of the T20 World Cup, which features England, Australia, Namibia, Oman, and Scotland.
England
Embed from Getty ImagesThe 2022 Champions are among the most exciting teams to watch in the white-ball format, and Captain Jos Buttler is eager to defend his crown in the Caribbean.
However, as he will miss the start of the tournament due to paternity leave, Moeen Ali will lead the side through the majority of the tournament.
“I feel I’ve captained enough for England,” “Where he leaves, I just pick it up and then when he comes back he just takes over again.”
Ali: BBC Sport
Squad
Jos Buttler (captain), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, Mark Wood.
One To Watch: Phil Salt
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Lancashire Lightning Opener is one of the most destructive batsmen in T20 cricket.
He has 652 runs in 22 T20 internationals at a strike rate 165.5.
The 27-year-old was the Kolkata Knight Riders’ second-highest run-scorer behind Sunil Narine, with 435 runs at a strike rate 182.
He scored an unbeaten 89 against the Lucknow Super-Giants to earn his side an eight-wicket victory over KL Rahul’s side in the IPL.
Can he light up the Caribbean with his explosive stroke play?
Archer’s Return
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Barbados-born speedster will bring some spice to England’s attack.
In his 21 T20 Internationals, Archer has 20 wickets at an average of 23.60 and an economy rate of 7.61.
He can also be a useful lower-order batsman at the end of the innings, with 31 runs in four innings and a strike rate of 206.66.
Archer was out of the game for more than a year after suffering from a stress fracture on his back.
He returned to England’s set-up in July 2023 for the One Day Series against South Africa, where he scored his best career figures of 6-40 in the third ODI.
Embed from Getty ImagesWhat makes Archer a threat in this tournament is his blistering pace.
He can sometimes go for plenty of runs, but he is a genuine wicket-taker, particularly at the end of the innings.
Can he get amongst the wickets in his country of birth?
Schedule:
Tuesday 4th June: England vs Scotland: Barbados: 15:30
Saturday 8th June: Australia vs England: Barbados: 18:00
Thursday 13th June: England vs Oman: Antigua: 20:00
Saturday 15th June: Namibia vs England Antigua: 18:00
Australia
Embed from Getty ImagesThe winners of the 2021 tournament are not a side to be messed with in any tournament.
Four 50-over World Cups, two Champions Trophies, and a World Test Championship are enough to prove how tough they are to beat.
Mitchell Marsh will be Captaining the side after taking up the role in August 2023.
Interestingly, the Western Australia All-rounder is recovering from a hamstring injury he picked up in the early stages of the IPL and should be fit to lead the team on time.
Squad:
Mitchell Marsh (c), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa.
One To Watch: Travis Head
Embed from Getty ImagesAustralia has a powerhouse batting lineup, and the left-hander is a pillar.
Head was the fourth-highest run scorer of this year’s IPL with 567 runs for the Sunrisers Hyderabad, at a strike rate of 191.55.
His highest score was 102 against the Royal Challengers Bangalore off 41 balls in the League match at the M’ Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore.
His record in international T20 cricket also speaks for itself: 656 runs at a rate of 147.08.
He also scored a blistering 137 in the 50-over World Cup Final, helping Australia win in Ahmedabad.
Embed from Getty ImagesCan he keep up the good work in the West Indies and the USA?
Schedule:
Thursday 6th June: Australia vs Oman: Barbados: 01:30
Saturday 8th June: Australia vs England: Barbados: 18:00
Wednesday 12th June: Australia vs Namibia: Antigua: 01:30
Sunday 16th June: Australia vs Scotland: St Lucia: 01:30
Namibia
Embed from Getty ImagesThis will be the country’s third T20 World Cup after it reached the Super 10 in the 2021 and 2022 editions.
According to the ICC, the first recorded cricket history played in the then-South West Africa region was during the First World War in the Okonjande prisoner-of-war camp near Otjiwarongo.
However, photographs exist of cricket played in Windhoek as early as 1909, when Namibia was a German colony.
As soon as the country gained independence in 1990, it became a member of the ICC in 1992.
Other than the T20 World Cup, Namibia participated in the 2003 50-Over World Cup but failed to advance beyond the Group Stage.
Squad:
Gerhard Erasmus (captain), Zane Green, Michael Van Lingen, Dylan Leicher, Ruben Trumpelmann, Jack Brassell, Ben Shikongo, Tangeni Lungameni, Niko Davin, JJ Smit, Jan Frylinck, JP Kotze, David Wiese, Bernard Scholtz, Malan Kruger, PD Blignaut.
One To Watch: JJ Smit
Embed from Getty ImagesThe right-hander from Keetmanshoop is the player to watch for the Namibians. 826 runs from 47 T20Is, at a rate of 148.89.
He is also the Vice Captain of the T20 side and can bowl left-arm Medium fast. He has 46 wickets at a strike rate of 16.3 and an average of 23.34.
Smit is excited about this year’s tournament and looks forward to the challenges ahead.
“Our third World Cup in 4-5 years. It’s amazing for our country. We’ve inspired a lot of young boys and girls back home playing. Excited for the boys. Looking forward to playing Australia and England – two of the best teams in the world. And then, of course, Scotland and Oman as well,”
Smit: Cricket.com
Smit did not bowl in Nepal’s ODIs or the T20Is, as he was slowly recovering from a knee injury(picked up from the UAE’s ILT20).
Nevertheless, his bowling could be pivotal in the upcoming T20 World Cup.
The 28-year-old has 46 wickets at a strike rate of 18.3 and an economy of 6.65. Can he improve on this at this year’s competition?
Monday 3rd June: Namibia vs Oman: 01:30, Barbados
Thursday 6th June: Namibia vs Scotland: 20:00, Barbados
Wednesday 12th June: Australia vs Namibia: 01:30, Antigua
Saturday 15th June: Namibia vs England: 18:00, Antigua
Can the Namibian Eagles spring a few surprises in this tournament?
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Scottish have played in five of the last eight T20 World Cups but have never advanced past the Group or Super 12 stage, which they achieved in 2021.
Cricket in Scotland dates back to 1785 when English soldiers were garrisoned in the country following the Jacobite rising led by Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1745.
However, it wasn’t until 1999 that they first appeared at the ICC World Cup.
Squad:
Richie Berrington (captain), Matthew Cross, Brad Currie, Chris Greaves, Oli Hairs, Jack Jarvis, Michael Jones, Michael Leask, Brandon McMullen, George Munsey, Safyaan Sharif, Chris Sole, Charlie Tear, Mark Watt, Brad Wheal.
One To Watch: Richie Berrington
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Scottish Captain will be pivotal to his side’s chances in this tournament.
Berrington has 2,092 runs in 90 T20 matches at a strike rate of 131.98. He is eager to play some good quality cricket for his side.
“The guys are really excited to be out here and looking forward to getting started again,” We’ve had a good lead-in with a six-week training block back in Edinburgh and then being back outdoors again here has been great after a long lay-off.
Berrington: The National
He admits that the team is ready to face the tough challenges in this tournament.
“We see that as an opportunity [rather than a burden] knowing we’ve got that ahead of us over the next couple of years. And with the T20 World Cup just around the corner in June there’s a lot of motivation there. “The landscape is ever-changing and you never know what will come at the end of this campaign but for now it’s just about trying to win as many games as we can for Scotland.”
Berrington
Can Scotland’s Skipper inspire them to a memorable World Cup campaign?
Schedule:
Tuesday 4th June: England vs Scotland: Barbados: 15:30
Thursday 6th June: Namibia vs Scotland: Barbados: 20:00
Sunday 9th June: Oman vs Scotland: Antigua: 18:00
Sunday 16th June: Australia vs Scotland: St Lucia: 01:30
Oman
Embed from Getty ImagesCricket in Oman began in the early 2000s when it became an affirmative member of the ICC(International Cricket Council).
The country’s first tournament was the ACC(Asian Cricket Council) Trophy in 2002, where they failed to make it out of the Group Stages.
They made it to the Group stages of the 2021 and 2022 tournaments but failed to progress.
Squad:
Aqib Ilyas (c), Zeeshan Maqsood, Kashyap Prajapati, Pratik Athavale, Ayaan Khan, Shoaib Khan, Mohammad Nadeem, Naseem Khushi, Mehran Khan, Bilal Khan, Rafiullah, Kaleemullah, Fayyaz Butt, Shakeel Ahmad, Khalid Kail.
One To Watch: Zeeshan Maqsood
Embed from Getty ImagesThe aggressive left-hander is the player to be aware of for the Omanis in this tournament.
He has 1,295 runs from 65 T20Is at a strike rate of 121.93, with an average of 28.77.
Maqsood was born in Pakistan and moved to Oman in his early teens.
He was coached by two Pakistani Cricket Coaches, Manzoor and Saleem Elahi, who were considered quality limited-overs specialists.
Maqsood is going through a good patch in his career. He has scored 35 and 45 in his last four innings.
Can he make those starts into big scores for Oman at the World Cup?
Schedule:
Monday 3rd June: Namibia vs Oman: 01:30, Barbados
Thursday 6th June: Australia vs Oman: 01:30, Barbados
Sunday 9th June: Oman vs Scotland: 18:00, Antigua
Thursday 13th June: England vs Oman: 20:00, Antigua
Can the Omanis pull off a few upsets in this tournament?
So that’s it for Group B of the T20 World Cup; who will make it to the Super 8s?
Image Credit: Deposit Photos
