The Reverse Sweep

Why England won the World T20

In our latest column on CricDude, we analyse the reasons behind the transformation of England from Twenty 20 also-rans to World Champions in less than a year. Yes, it is less than 12 months since England suffered that ignominious defeat to the Netherlands.

Get over to CricDude and check it out.

Now where are those Alka Seltzers?

 

 

The Best XI of the World T20

Now that the dust has begun to settle following England's triumph, it seems an apt time to select our best XI of the World T20. Most of the picks are fairly obvious, but there are a few close calls and a fairly contentious selection for the all-rounder spot at number seven. We'd like to see this side take on the Worst XI of the tournament that we named yesterday. On current form, the result would be a formality, but you could certainly imagine Michael Clarke's dunces giving the Best XI a pretty close match if form and confidence could be rediscovered.

Anyway, without further ado, here is our side:

Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka): 302 runs, average 60.40, strike rate 159.78, 11 sixes - Started the competition like a train with scores of 81, 100 and 98 not out, but was derailed by the pace of Australia and know-how of England. Despite this the leading scorer in the tournament has more than earned his place in the side.

Craig Kieswetter (England): 222 runs, average 31.71, strike rate 116.84, 11 sixes - You wouldn't have known that this was Kieswetter's first international tournament. Fearless at the top of the order and along with Lumb, crucial in laying the foundations for England's batting. Is not yet the finished article especially with the gloves. Just pips Kamran Akmal thanks to his fifty in the final.

Kevin Pietersen (England): 248 runs, average 62.00, strike rate 137.77, 7 sixes - The Man of the Tournament was reborn and revitalised and had a domineering presence at the crease not seen since Viv Richards' halcyon days. The manner in which he smashed Shaun Tait for six in the final was as breathtaking as it was nonchalant. It all bodes very well for the Ashes.

Cameron White (Australia, Captain): 180 runs, average 45.00, strike rate 146.34, 12 sixes - The man who should be Australia's Twenty 20 captain was the leading six-hitter in the competition. Played a familiar role in resurrecting the Australian innings together with the Hussey brothers after the top order had failed. His innings against Pakistan in the semi-final was nearly as vital as Michael Hussey's.

Eoin Morgan (England): 183 runs, average 36.60, strike rate 128.87, 5 sixes - The excellence of England's top order meant that we didn't see much of Morgan's unorthodox hitting in the latter part of the tournament. But his contrasting knocks in the first two matches against West Indies and Ireland were spectacular and enough to get him in ahead of David Hussey. It looks like the 23 year old Irishman is going to be some player.

Michael Hussey (Australia): 188 runs, average 94.00, strike rate 175.70, 9 sixes - A finisher? Someone to resurrect an innings or put the gloss on an already good score? A big hitter? Take your pick because Hussey can play all these roles with aplomb. His 60 not out off only 24 balls was the innings of the tournament and his strike rate was the best of those that had more than two innings. What a luxury to have Hussey walking to the crease at six or seven.

Angelo Mathews (Sri Lanka): 119 runs, average 23.80, strike rate 121.42, 3 sixes, 4 wickets, average 20.75, economy rate 6.91 - A contentious pick maybe, but with Kieron Pollard and Shahid Afridi having poor tournaments, Mathews pips Steve Smith, Tim Bresnan, Scott Styris and Daniel Vettori to the all-rounder slot. Had a good economy rate with the ball and his innings against India helped Sri Lanka into the semi-finals.

Graeme Swann (England): 10 wickets, average 14.40, economy rate 6.54 - The rise and rise of Swann continued. Not only takes regular wickets with his attacking bowling but does so at a miserly economy rate. His spell in the final put another nail in the Australian coffin. The best spinner in the tournament even if Steve Smith too one more wicket.

Stuart Broad (England): 8 wickets, average 17.50, economy rate 6.72 - Mitchell Johnson may have just had better figures, but Broad didn't suffer the aberration that was Umar Akmal's assault on the Australian bowler in the semi-final. In any case, Broad's mostly short of a length bowling was highly effective in the middle and the end of the twenty overs. Mohammad Aamer and Ryan Sidebottom also came close to selection here.

Dirk Nannes (Australia): 14 wickets, average 13.07, economy rate 7.03 - The leading wicket-taker in the competition only made his first-class debut at the age of 29. His bursts with the new ball along with partner-in-crime Tait, blew away most teams except Pakistan in the semi-final and England. On this form, should be in the Aussie one day side too.

Shaun Tait (Australia): 9 wickets, average 14.55, economy rate 5.53 - Despite the ease with which Pietersen played him in the final, Tait was magnificent throughout the competition. His economy rate was one of the best and the Indian top order are still probably having nightmares about facing him on the Bridgetown wicket.

 

The World T20 rum cocktail

To prepare your potent World T20 cocktail, please ensure you have the following ingredients:

1. Take one Twenty 20 World Cup - the first world cup that any England cricket team has ever won
2. Mix in a heavily beaten and embarrassed Australia
3. Blend with the birth of a first baby for your star batsman
4. Then add a Keith Floyd sized amount of strong caribbean rum
5. Sprinkle in some delirious England Barmy Army fans
6. And, finally add an extended stay in Barbados thanks to a volcano in Iceland

Et voila, the mother of all drinking sessions.

Congratulations England from all at the Reverse Sweep. Enjoy the hangover.

The Worst XI of the World T20

Like everyone else, we'll be selecting our best XI of the tournament too, but watching Michael Clarke's scratchy innings in the final yesterday made us think what the worst XI of the competition should be. We deliberately haven't included any players from the four minnows of Afghanistan, Ireland, Zimbabwe or even Bangladesh as that would be a bit obvious and a tad unfair.

Instead we have come up with an XI of players who came to the Caribbean with high reputations and profiles, and who then flopped like Gordon Brown in the UK General Election. Here we go:

Murali Vijay (India) - Scored 48 against Afghanistan, but then only nine runs in total against South Africa, Australia and West Indies thereafter. Not keen on short bowling and a poor replacement for Sehwag. Just edges the equally disappointing Gambhir.

Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka) - The old codger scored 15 runs in six innings  and the longer he refuses to retire the more he besmirches our memories of a once great player. It's way past time for the knackers yard, Sanath.

Michael Clarke (Australia, Captain) - A passenger at T20, he scored 92 runs in seven innings at a paltry strike rate of 81. In this XI (unlike the Australian line-up) there would be no hiding place for the first T20 non-playing captain.

Tillakaratne Dilshan (Sri Lanka) - His wretched form from the IPL continued with only 71 runs from six innings. The champ of last year's World T20 turned into one of the chumps of this one.

Yuvraj Singh (India) - A shadow of his former self in all but his stomach, which seems to have blown to at least five bellies. Another player who hugely disappointed for India. A change in attitude and diet are required otherwise he will lose his place. 

Kieron Pollard (West Indies)- The best all-rounder in the IPl was an absolute disaster here. 47 runs at 9.40 with the bat and only one wicket with a horrendous economy rate of 11.00 with the ball. His jet lag from the flight back from India seems to have lasted for three weeks.

Mark Boucher (South Africa) - Like the rest of his side, the much vaunted keeper had a poor tournament here with only 29 runs in five innings.

Ravindra Jadeja (India) - If he was Pakistani there would be a parliamentary enquiry into his performances. His ineptitude with ball and bat was only surpassed by fielding that Stevie Wonder sans his guide dog would have been ashamed of. Didn't even have the excuse of being fatigued from the IPL.

Zaheer Khan (India) - The normally reliable Khan had a nightmare with only two wickets in his three matches. Even worse was his economy rate of 9.54. Was he still suffering from the disappointment of Mumbai's IPL final loss?

Mohammad Sami (Pakistan) - Six wickets in three games sounds okay until you see the economy rate of 9.81. Ouch!

Ravi Rampaul (West Indies) - Like the majority of the hosts, Rampaul had a torrid time with an economy rate of 11.50 from his two matches.

England waltz to World T20 glory as a nation awakes to an alcoholic haze

One team was utterly fearless and maintained a high intensity from first ball to last whilst sticking to its inherent attacking principles. They fielded like demons and were ruthless in executing their game plan. But this team was England and not Australia as it has been so often in the past. As such, we at the Reverse Sweep are now claiming sage like status for predicting England would win before the tournament. Well, you have to get one right eventually!

Maybe the amazing feats of Michael Hussey only 48 hours before had drained the Aussies? Whatever the reason for their lethargy, it was an inspired England who bossed the final from the three early Australian wickets to when captain Paul Collingwood smashed the winning runs off the dismal Shane Watson, who seemed to want his Mum such was the anguished and demoralised look on his face.

We may have moaned before the tournament that this World T20 came too soon after the last one in England less than a year ago, but we aren't complaining now despite the alcohol fuelled haze of this May Monday morning. England are utterly transformed from the team that famously lost to the Netherlands in last year's competition and skipper Collingwood and coach Andy Flower must take enormous credit for that as do the selectors for picking the right squad for once.

Until yesterday neither Michael Lumb or Craig Kieswetter had made a significant individual score but had continually given England the basis during the powerplay overs from which to set or chase. Michael Yardy was also an inspired pick. His 65mph darts aren't the most attractive but they were effective throughout the tournament despite Cameron White's best efforts yesterday. Finally, Ryan Sidebottom has proved the doubters wrong and his early wickets of Watson and Brad Haddin in the final gave England an early initiative they never lost. So that's four out of four for Geoff Miller and company.

Crucially, England's best batsman and most penetrating bowler were also at the top of their games throughout the tournament. Kevin Pietersen was back to his super-confident and arrogant best and deservedly won the Player of the Tournament award with 248 runs at 62 and a strike rate of 138. Meanwhile Graeme Swann took 10 wickets at 14 and had an excellent economy rate of 6.5. Both too played vital roles in the final.

Having restricted Australia to 147 for six, England appeared to be favourites but even so their supporters were nervous given Australia's tendency for rousing fightbacks and England's past propensity to wilt under pressure. But despite losing Lumb to Tait with the score on only 7, Pietersen and Kieswetter saw off the remainder of Tait's and Nannes' early blast with the new ball, and then started to tuck in to Mitchell Johnson, Steve Smith and especially the hapless Watson, who's three overs cost 42.

When 45 runs came from overs 11,12 and 13, the end was nigh for Australia with even Tait and Nannes taking punishment. By this time, England only required 30 for victory with eight overs to go and Kieswetter and Pietersen had added 111 for the second wicket. Pietersen then tried to hit Smith out of the ground, but only found David Warner. However, his job was done and Collingwood and Eoin Morgan guided England home after Kieswetter too lost his wicket attempting the extravagant. England won with three overs to spare, which represents a thrashing in T20 cricket.

So, finally, after thirty five years of trying, England have finally won an ICC limited overs world event and the country that gave cricket T20 has finally learnt how to play it. The hope for England fans is that they can maintain this new found penchant for limited overs cricket and capitalise on the psychological edge this could provide when the Ashes start in six months time.

But for now let's salute Paul Collingwood's world champions.

 

What England must do to win

As we wrote earlier, this final is almost too close to call. Despite this we have stuck with our pre-tournament prediction and tipped England to pip Australia in the World T20 final later today.

However, this tip comes with the hefty cavaet that England will need to execute the following game-plan in order to overcome the super-confident Australians who never know when they are beaten.

1. Don't lose early wickets

So far in this tournament, Michael Lumb and Craig Kieswetter have given England good and fast starts. This is imperative against the fearsome pace of Dirk Nannes and Shaun Tait. Australia's success in this tournament has been mainly built around their ability to have teams four or five wickets down by the tenth over. Pakistan nearly reaped the rewards for not following the same road until Michael Hussey performed his biblical miracle.

 

2. Then tuck in against the Australian second-string bowling

England know that if they execute point one, they will have the wickets in hand to really tuck in against Shane Watson, Steve Smith and David Hussey. If Kevin Pietersen and Eoin Morgan in particular have the base from which to launch against these lesser bowlers, then England are more than capable of surpassing the score set by Pakistan in the semi-final.

 

3. Turn the ones into twos

One of the main reasons why Hussey was able to keep the winning score in sight in the semi-final was the series of twos he took in the 19th over bowled by Mohammad Aamer. England must do the same right until the end of their 20 overs.

 

4. Get Warner and/or Watson early

The new ball pairing of Tim Bresnan and Ryan Sidebottom need to prevent providing easy pickings for Australia's big-hitting opening pair. The key could be getting one or both of them cheaply. That said, Pakistan did this and still lost.

 

5. Field like demons

The two best sides in the tournament are also the two best fielding teams in the competition and England must raise their level another notch. Catches must be held and the number of twos must be limited in the opposite to point three above. When the teams are so evenly matched it could come down to margins such as these.

 

6. Don't get Michael Clarke out

If the Australian captain comes out at number four then England should do their utmost to keep him at the crease. As we've written before Clarke is essentially a passenger with the bat in the shortest format of the game and unlike the rest of the Australian batting order down to Michael Hussey, is not going to win a game on his own.

 

7. Keep going until the end of the 40 overs when the fat lady has sung her final note

Michael Hussey managed to get the fat lady back into the building on Friday for an unlikely encore. But Pakistan contributed to their own downfall when the prize seemed theirs through a drop in intensity levels in the field and by bowling too many balls that Hussey and Cameron White could hit for six. England must not do the same and not relax until the last ball of the match has been bowled.

 

If England manage to do all this, then we really could see Paul Collingwood lifting the trophy at the end of the match.

England-Australia World T20 final preview and prediction

They have been the best two teams in the tournament, but both have had significant obstacles to overcome. For England it was the Duckworth Lewis method, which has been shown in this tournament to be wholly inappropriate for T20 cricket. And for Australia it has been their worrying propensity for batting collapses, which got them into trouble against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and most famously of all Pakistan in a pulsating semi-final. The common denominator in the Australian recovery in each of those games was Michael Hussey who either supported or led his side to a decent total or as on Friday simply exploded runs.

The final is in Barbados, which will delight an Australian team brimming with the fastest bowlers in the tournament and a batting line-up that prefers quick bouncy wickets to slow turners. So, England's quest to win their first ICC world limited overs tournament is going to be a tough one against a side that is arguably stronger and never knows when it is beaten. For Australia, it is an opportunity to complete their set of ICC trophies and finally prove that it has conquered the T20 format on the world stage.

So how do the teams match up? For what it's worth, here is our marks out of ten for each of the likely line-ups, with the marks being based on performances in this tournament and potential effectiveness at T20 cricket - so early apologies to Michael Clarke.

Australia

David Warner - An explosive keg at the top of the order who if he is in for five overs is likely to set-up a big total and/or a successful run chase for the Aussies. England must get him early - 8

Shane Watson - The cry-baby all-rounder is extremely dangerous with the bat and is another England must get early. His bowling will need to be exploited by England if they are to win - 9

Brad Haddin - Australia's persistence with Haddin at three nearly cost them in the semi-final. Has a lovely straight drive and can score quickly, but surely David Hussey or Cameron White would be a better bet at three? - 7

Michael Clarke - Despite being a supreme test batsman, the captain is effectively a passenger at T20 cricket. England's plan should be to get him to the crease and keep him there - 4

David Hussey  -  A really good T20 player. Scores quickly with the bat and is one of many Australians who can hit it out of the ground. His bowling is underrated and difficult to score off - 8

Cameron White - In our view, White is Australia's best T20 batsman. Can score sixes at will and has been instrumental in recoveries against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Should be captain - 9

Michael Hussey - The best limited overs batsman in the world, Hussey is a chameleon. He is a big-hitting Michael Bevan able to play a number of different roles as the situation demands. The supporting act to White against Sri Lanka, the main man against Bangladesh and then the freakish hitting against Pakistan. What a luxury to have him at number seven - 9

Steve Smith - Another one England must target with the ball, Smith has actually done reasonably well in the tournament especially as he is more of a batsman that can bowl than a frontline international leg-spinner. KP could tuck in here - 6

Mitchell Johnson -Johnson's unpredictability is a strength and a weakness, but England will need to be brave here. If you get after Johnson like Umar Akmal did on Friday, he can get flaky. To have someone this good with the bat at number nine is incredible - 7

Dirk Nannes - Nannes will be looking forward to bowling at England's opening pair on this Barbados wicket and is a potential match-winner for the Aussies. Can he be part of a winning side against England for the second successive T20 after being the key element of the Netherlands team last year? - 8

Shaun Tait - Tait has been fast, fearsome and quite brilliant in this tournament and England will need to see his opening spell off. Another of Australia's T20 specialists who will be salivating about the Bridgetown track - 9

 

England

Michael Lumb - Has come in from nowhere and done well. His partnership with Kieswetter has been key in setting the tempo for England's batting. Hasn't got any big scores but a strike rate of 145 will more than do. Faces a huge test against the new ball pair of Tait and Nannes - 7

Craig Kieswetter - The second part of England's Batman and Robin opening partnership. Kieswetter has also been impressive, but he will not have faced anything like Tait and Nannes before. If he and Lumb do well, England just could be in business - 7

Kevin Pietersen - Fatherhood obviously sits well with Pietersen. Along with Mahela Jayawardene, he has been the best batsman in the tournament and has played crucial innings in his last three matches. Is England's key man and the Aussies know it - 10

Paul Collingwood - The captain has had a disappointing tournament with the bat, but England have not needed a typical backs-to-the-wall performance from the skipper yet. The juices will be flowing about facing the Aussies and having the opportunity to be the first England captain to lift an ICC world trophy. We back him to do well if England need him to - 7

Eoin Morgan - The Irishman was brilliant against West Indies and saved England against Ireland, but has not really been required to the same degree since mainly because of KP's excellence. Australia will be wary of Morgan as when he is in full flow, he is very difficult to set a field to - 9

Luke Wright - A potential area of weakness for England. Wright is not really good enough to bat as high as six, although his big-hitting style can be useful in the final five overs. But what if Tait and Nannes run amok and Wright has to come in by the eighth over? That will be Australia's plan - 6

Tim Bresnan - Has been reasonably economical with the new ball, but faces a huge test against Warner and Watson. Australia will look to target the doughty Yorkshireman. Capable of adding useful late over runs too - 7

Mike Yardy - Sussex's opening batsman has proved a useful joker in the pack for England with the ball. But how will he fare against this powerful Australian line-up? It could get very messy. His unorthodox batting could prove useful at number eight - 8

Graeme Swann - Swann will be relishing this and is arguably England's key man with the ball. His battle with the big hitting Aussie middle order of the Hussey brothers and White could be the key - 9

Stuart Broad - Has really knuckled down in this tournament and has bowled well. Can he produce an inspirational spell to match the one he bowled in the afternoon session of the second day at the Oval? Let's hope so - 8

Ryan Sidebottom - A controversial pick ahead of Anderson, Sidebottom has showed the value of left-arm pace in T20. His suspect temperament faces a huge test against Warner and Watson - 8

So overall it's 84 points each, which just goes to show how closely matched these two sides are. Australia arguably has more match-winners and will be supremely confident following the miraculous win over Pakistan. But we take England to win. They were our pick at the start of the tournament and we have to stick with that, but we also believe they have what it takes to triumph - just!

Michael Hussey completes Mission Impossible

Pakistan must be sick of Michael Hussey and his superhero abilities. In the infamous Sydney test at the beginning of the year it was Hussey who swung a seemingly lost cause back for to Australia with a masterful hundred, admittedly aided and abetted by Kamran Akmal's butter fingers and an inevitable Pakistani batting collapse.

Yesterday when Hussey came in at 105 for 5 in the 13th over, with Australia still needing 87 for victory, his quest seemed hopeless. This was despite the best intentions of Cameron White who was trying to repair the damage left by his skipper Michael Clarke. Clarke had inexplicably come in at number four ahead of White and the Hussey brothers and had proceeded to score 17 off 19 balls - hardly what was required when the asking rate was over nine runs per over. In T20 cricket, Clarke is nothing more than a passenger.

When White went down with all guns blazing in the seventeenth over, 53 runs were required from the final 21 balls and at last Pakistan looked like they were going to beat a foe that has spent the last year royally thrashing it every time they met. Yesterday it looked like the slave was going to become the master.

But Hussey was not afraid of this cornered tiger, and took over from where White had left off. From the 19th over bowled by the excellent Mohammad Aamer, Hussey managed to contrive two boundaries and crucially four two's with a mixture of unorthodox strokes and Usain Bolt like running between the stumps together with Mitchell Johnson. This meant 18 were required from the final over to be bowled by Saeed Ajmal.

Johnson managed to scramble a run off the first ball. And then Hussey went Biff! Baff! Pow! Zap! as 22 runs came off the next four balls. The Australians were jubilant and Pakistan were devastated. Hussey had completed his mission impossible just before the message self-destructed. Incredible.

Hussey is like a chameleon in that his batting seems to have so many different styles. He can be a finisher par excellence like Michael Bevan, a blocker that can bore the pants off you and yesterday his hitting was quite remarkable with his unbeaten 60 coming off just 24 balls with six monstrous sixes. He was only recalled to Australia's T20 side just before the tournament and now has a strike rate of 150.

So, Australia's ten man side and passenger captain move on to a tantalising final with England in Barbados. Paul Collingwood will know that if his side get into a matchwinning situation they will never be able to discount the Aussies until the last ball has been bowled. The fat lady had sung and left the building yesterday, but somehow miraculously Hussey was able to get to come back in for an unlikely and awe-inspiring encore.

 

Biff! Baff! Pow! Lumb and Kieswetter are England's Batman and Robin

There are many reasons why England have done so well at this World T20. But surely one of the biggest has to be the performance of its fledgling opening partnership of Michael Lumb and Craig Kieswetter.

Prior to this tournament probably only Marcus Trescothick, of those that have opened the batting for England in T20, compares favourably with the best exponents around the world of this crucial art in 20 over cricket. It is absolutely critical to get the innings off to a fast start and take advantage of the initial six over powerplay. The likes of Ian Bell, Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott and even Andrew Strauss were unlikely ever to be able to do that and so it proved.

Previous Englandopening partnerships would probably have scratched around when chasing 129 for victory, and scoreboard pressure and squeaky bum time would have been the likely result. But Lumb and Kieswetter have a different approach that has really come off. By the time they both departed having scored a combined 72 runs between them off 55 balls with nine fours and three sixes, England were on easy street. So hats off to the selectors for a brave and inspired choice here especially as they knew they would cop some flak for picking two South African born batsmen.

 

Neither Lumb or Kieswetter has made a fifty yet in this tournament but that fact should not hide the important role they have played. Kieswetter has hit 159 runs at a strike rate of 113 and Lumb 133 at 145. As such, in most cases one or both has helped give England a fast start, which has crucially meant that Kevin Pietersen has not arrived at the wicket under immediate pressure to hit boundaries.

Let's hope that they can keep it up when if as expected they face the pace of Dirk Nannes and Shaun Tait on a bouncy Bridgetown wicket. A nation holds its breath in anticipation. 

Pietersen aims to wet the baby's head

It's been quite a few days for Kevin Pietersen.

On Saturday his 53 off only 33 balls helped England beat his native South Africa to score his second man of the match award on the trot. 

Then he caught a flight to London in time to be present at the birth of his first child, a son, on Monday morning. Presumably it was a 'too posh to push' birth given the convenient timescales.

Now KP has flown back to the Caribbean for the semi-final clash later today with Sri Lanka. His wife must be a lot more understanding than mine, because there is absolutely no way I'd be able to scarper just after the birth and miss out on all the dirty nappies.

Knowing Pietersen's sense of occasion, he will fight off any signs of fatigue and play a match-winning knock to help England through to the final. At least that's what we hope anyway.

If Pietersen succeeds and then helps England beat either Australia or Pakistan in the final, then the whole country will join him in the mother-of-all drinking sessions to wet the new baby's head.

As an England fan who likes Pietersen the cricketer as well as Pietersen the man, congratulations from all at the Reverse Sweep. The bottle of vintage Dom Perignon is chilling in the fridge.

Can Pakistan's Cornered Tigers produce a miracle?

As the drama unfolded in their side's miraculous passage to the semi-finals of the World T20, Pakistan fans on Twitter were flooding the social networking site with their thoughts, prayers and pleas for England to beat the Black Caps. Of the many amusing Tweets, the one we enjoyed most came from fellow cricket writer and Liverpool supporter Kamran Abbasi, author of the excellent Pak Spin on CricInfo who joked that "Every British Pakistani will pass the Tebbit test this evening".

Kamran also declared that the nail-biting situation had "Shades of 92 - if only", which of course alluded to the amazing turnaround of Imran Khan's 'Cornered Tigers' in the 1992 World Cup in Australia when Pakistan came from the brink of ignominious exit all the way to eventually lifting the crown against England in the final.

In truth, this is a very different Pakistan side from the one captained by the imperious Imran. Deprived of many of its best players through self-inflicted suspension (Mohammad Yousuf, Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik and Rana Naved) and injury (Umar Gul), this team pales into comparison against the giants of the triumphant 1992 team. But what it does share is an ability, albeit less often, to suddenly raise its game to inspirational levels - witness the fact that they are actually the holders of the World T20 trophy.

The task that faces them in the semi-final against Australia is massive. For a start, Australia has won ten straight international matches against Pakistan going back to the start of the ill-fated tour Down Under. Moreover, Australia has been the best team in the competition to date; despite what England supporters would say. They've won five on the bounce and have blasted away with both bat and ball, especially in the powerplays, with Shaun Tait and Dirk Nannes proving devastating on the pacy Bridgetown wicket.

But the semi-final is on the slower, spin-friendly surface in St Lucia and this represents a window of opportunity for Pakistan. Saeed Ajmal has been the best spinner in the tournament and his spell against South Africa was decisive in securing victory for his side. Mohammad Aamer too has been impressive and Shahid Afridi will be dangerous on this pitch.

We believe that Pakistan will need to win the toss and bat first to have the best chance of success. If they could reach a target of around 160 then their spinners could tie up the Australian batsmen in knots; and this Australian side does have a propensity for collapse. 

We're not sure whether Shahid Afridi is as articulate or as capable of motivating his troops as Imran, but if he can find the words to inspire his side, then you never know. Using the 'Cornered Tigers' analogy would probably be a good start.  

England must beware of dangers in paradise

It was a wonderful sight yesterday watching the joyful Sri Lankan side celebrating their brilliant come-from-behind victory over India, which pretty much guaranteed their place in the semi-finals of the World T20. This was confirmed when Australia thrashed the West Indies in the match that immediately followed.

At the start of this tournament, last year's finalists were a team searching for form with the notable exception of Mahela Jayawardene, who continued his imperious form from the IPL to initially play a lone role here. But all that has changed. Things may not yet be perfect as the capitulation to Australia demonstrated, but several key players have regained form and confidence ahead of the match with England.

When you factor in that the semi-final will be played in spin-friendly St Lucia, then Paul Collingwood and Andy Flower should be concerned. Moreover, Sri Lanka have a habit of doing well in ICC limited overs tournaments as evidenced by their reaching the final of the World Cup here in the Caribbean in 2007 and the World T20 in England last year.

That experience and the new ebullience gained from finishing second in the group makes Sri Lanka a dangerous proposition for England. Tillakaratne Dilshan had been in such poor form that we wondered whether he had been replaced by an impostor who didn't know one of the bat from the other. But there were signs in his innings against the Indians that the ball is finding the middle of the bat again. Captain Kumar Sangakkara too is starting to look as eloquent with the bat as he is with his words. And when you add in the all-round skills of Angelo Mathews, the big hitting ability of Chamara Kapugedera and the yorkers of Lasith Malinga, then England will face a tough test in their quest to reach their first ICC final since 2004 (the Champions Trophy at home where they were beaten by West Indies).

Furthermore, and as touched on earlier, the slowness of the pitch in St Lucia will assist Sri Lanka's battery of spinners. If Steve Smith can bamboozle batsmen as he did to the West Indians yesterday, what will Ajantha Mendis, Suraj Randiv and Murali (if fit) do to England's traditionally spin-shy batting line-up?

St Lucia is a paradise for tourists. All England fans will be praying that it is for their team too tomorrow.   

 

Ruthless England learn from the past

Actually, we've been there before. Against all expectations, England had won its first two matches of last year's Champions Trophy in South Africa against Sri Lanka and the hosts, and had already qualified for the semi-finals before they faced New Zealand in their final group match.

In that match, New Zealand won a good toss at an overcast Wanderers and blasted England out for only 146, before knocking off the runs with more than 22 overs to spare. England had relaxed too much safe in the knowledge they were already in the semi-finals and as a result of the heavy defeat, qualified second. This meant they had to face an Australian side that had just beaten them 6-1 in a one day series in England, and that coupled with the loss of momentum saw England crash to another heavy defeat against Ricky Ponting's men.

Yesterday, New Zealand again won the toss, but this time they faced a very different England. Paul Collingwood's side were determined, focused and ruthless in their demeanour even without their best player Kevin Pietersen. They restricted New Zealand to 149 for six, which was a challenging but highly gettable target and then batted like a side determined to avoid Australia in the semi-final. As a result, form, spirit and momentum has been maintained, and we at the Reverse Sweep are consequently confident that our pre-tournament prediction that England would win the tournament is still looking on.

As we wrote after the win against South Africa, the side looks settled and well balanced. Lumb and Kieswetter keep giving the team fast starts, which has helped England become the only chasing team to win in the Super Eight stage - twice against Pakistan as well as the Black Caps. New father Pietersen looks in fine fettle and Eoin Morgan keeps astounding even his team-mates with his audacity and repertoire of strokes.

Finally, a word for Tim Bresnan. We couldn't understand it when he first came into the side, and we made some harsh comments about him when he opened the bowling during the test series in Bangladesh. But he was England's best seam bowler on that trip and his level of performance continues to markedly improve. His bowling is economical and he looks a very good number seven. No one had him down as Andrew Flintoff's successor as England's all-rounder, but Bresnan is making an unanswerable case for his selection in all forms of the game with his sustained level of performance.

Chris Gayle for Prime Minister

There are many reasons for liking Chris Gayle.

He is probably the coolest dude on the planet and certainly the Mr Cool of cricket. Can you think of anyone else who could make these awful sunglasses (see picture) he wears look cool?

With regards to his batting, he is up there with Sehwag as the most destructive batsman in the world to watch when he is in full flow. It doesn't matter if it is a test match, ODI or T20; if the ball is there to hit then Gayle will launch it into orbit.

But there is an even greater reason to like Gayle and that is his honesty. As well as (foolishly as it turned out) predicting a 4-1 ODI series victory for the West Indies when they toured Australia earlier this year, he has increasingly made some very honest assessments on opposing teams and their players.

On Nathan Hauritz, he famously remarked “At the moment when Hauritz is bowling to me, it's like I'm bowling to myself. He really doesn't turn the ball too much that is for sure.” He then promptly went out and smashed Hauritz all over the WACA.

After Shane Watson's childish send-off, he dismissed suggestions that he was surprised by the Australian all-rounder's antics saying "Not really, he's that sort of person and I didn't expect anything better." 

And now, Gayle's honest appraisal has been turned on India's shortcomings against the short ball, which his team ruthlessly exploited in their World T20 victory against MS Dhoni's team yesterday: "They are always going to be vulnerable against the short ball, every team has done it against them and it's something they have to look at and try to prepare better."

With all the rubbish that comes out of our politicians mouths, which has been heightened by the Election and now the negotiations over a possible Conservative-LibDem or Labour-LibDem coalition, one wonders whether plain speaking Chris might be a better bet as Prime Minister? He's got our vote anyway.

Where did it all go wrong for India?

The city of Troy was supposedly impregnable until that bright spark Odysseus dreamt up the Wooden Horse. After ten long years of trying this ingenious invention helped rout the Trojans and finally claim the city for the Greeks. Prior to the World T20, we like many observers believed that India were the favourites to lift the crown. Led by the inspirational MS Dhoni, many of the Indian players were bang in form from the IPL and despite being without Virender Sehwag appeared to have enough firepower with bat and ball to make a serious impression.

This belief was reinforced when they trounced South Africa in the preliminary round thanks to Suresh Raina's magnificent century, and we even tipped them to win the admittedly difficult Group F in the Super Eight stage. But after heavy defeats to Australia and West Indies, the question now is where did it all go wrong?

Odysseus' cunning mind wasn't required to identify India's achilles heel, with the Wooden Horse that has breached India's barricades for the umpteenth time being a heady mixture of express pace and bouncy wickets. Without the genius of Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman and Sehwag, their batsmen have again failed to cope with top-class fast bowlers on lively surfaces. It was the same in South Africa in the Champions Trophy. And it was the same in the World T20 in England last year. The new generation of Indian batsmen may be talented, but they have continually failed to deliver consistently when they are the main attraction and not the sideshow to the four aforementioned geniuses.

When Gautam Gambhir was reeling off all those centuries in successive matches on the subcontinent, we were warned that he may not find it so easy when playing against better bowlers on faster tracks. This certainly appeared to be the case when Gambhir faced Dale Steyn earlier this year when South Africa toured India and is now undeniable following his obvious discomfort against the short ball on the bouncy Bridgetown wicket.

We've written before that we believe Yuvraj Singh is over-rated, but would freely admit that he has done well for India in the T20 and ODI formats. But his poor form in the IPL has spilt over here and it would appear that he needs to put as much effort into his cricket as he does in piling on the pounds.

Of the others, Murali Vijay has disappointed and been a poor substitute for Sehwag, Raina despite his heroics against South Africa (on the more docile St Lucia track) obviously struggles against the short ball, Rohit Sharma is a bit hit and miss and Yusuf Pathan never seems to do for India what he does for Rajasthan in the IPL. It won't be long before India is without the services of Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman permanently, so it is time that some of the new breed stood up and proved that they are worthy successors. Perhaps the most talented of the lot is Virat Kohli, but he was bizarrely left out of India's squad. Robin Uthappa too would have been a better bet as kamikaze batter than Pathan.

It was not just the batting that let India down. The fielding against Australia and West Indies was dreadful with Ravindra Jadeja the main culprit. Indeed Jadeja seems to be in competition with Saeed Ajmal as to who is the worst fielder in the tournament - dropping Chris Gayle proved the difference between winning and losing yesterday.

We also can't understand the Indian selection policy concerning its spin attack. As the IPL showed and as Harbhajan Singh has demonstrated ably in the World T20, quality spin bowlers are a crucial weapon in this version of the game. But firstly, India left Amit Mishra and Pragyan Ojha at home in favour of the inferior Piyush Chawla, and then preferred the part-timers Pathan and Jadeja to Chawla once they arrived in the Caribbean.

India still has a mathematical chance of qualifying for the semi-finals, but whatever happens they need to learn to cope with pace and bounce fast. Otherwise, they will continue to struggle on lively pitches without the genius of Sachin, VVS, Rahul and Viru.

England's dreaming - 1966, 2003 and 2010?

We're not claiming sage like status yet, but our prediction that England would win the World T20 is increasingly looking like it could be as accurate as the Exit Poll for the UK General Election that David Dimbleby took great delight in announcing on Thursday night.

England's performances against holders Pakistan and the dangerous South Africa have taken Paul Collingwood's men to the brink of the semi-finals where they will likely play India, Australia or Sri Lanka.

We spoke before the tournament that the experience gained by some of the key batsmen in the IPL coupled with a for once brave and adventurous choice by the selectors had put England in a reasonable position to challenge. Other than the disappointing batting performance against Ireland, we have seen nothing to change our minds, and indeed our belief that England will triumph is now even stronger.

Michael Lumb and Craig Kieswetter have generally giving the side good and fast starts and are the complete antithesis to previous English T20 openers such as Denly, Cook, Bell and Trott. Most importantly, England's key man Kevin Pietersen is clearly up for the fight. His contrasting knocks against Pakistan, which guided England home, and South Africa, which helped set a daunting target, demonstrate the benefit he gained from playing for Bangalore in the IPL.

Collingwood hasn't really fired with the bat yet, but you just know that when England really need him to, he will dig in and launch the odd six towards cow corner. The unorthodox Eoin Morgan was brilliant against West Indies and Ireland and is England's joker in the pack. The Irishman must be a nightmare for opposing captains to set a field to.

We're still not sure about Luke Wright at six. His bowling hasn't really been a factor either and despite a good knock against West Indies, we would still feel more comfortable if Ravi Bopara took his place. The way he got out yesterday trying to hit Charl Langeveldt out of the ground was a bit disappointing to say the least.

Tim Bresnan continues to surprise. He doesn't take many wickets but he has proved difficult for opposing batsmen to put away and adds some quick runs at number seven. England's other joker in the pack has been Mike Yardy. It was a brave decision of the selectors to pick Yardy, but those of us that follow Sussex would confirm that he was one of the main reasons the county won the domestic T20 last season. His bowling is very difficult to get away and like Morgan, his unorthodox batting style works well in this format of the game.

Then come Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann and Ryan Sidebottom. Swann has been his usual reliable self and has taken a regular supply of important wickets. Broad too is worth his place, but most people would still pick James Anderson over Sidebottom. The one thing going for the hairy Sidebottom is the fact he is a left armer and it must be said that the angle they generate seems to be an important factor in T20 cricket.

So it's so far so good for England. If they can overcome their bogey side New Zealand, then they are likely to avoid Australia in the semi-final (although playing them in St Lucia might be easier than facing their pace barrage on the bouncy Bridgetown surface) and England just may yet add 2010 to the roll of honour that started in 1966 and made another impression in 2003.

A country is increasingly holding its breath.

 

All hail King Mahela of Colombo

The undoubted star of the World T20 so far has been the elegant Mahela Jayawardene, who in three innings has scored 279 runs for twice out off only 171 balls. His 98 not out yesterday led Sri Lanka to the highest score of the competition so far (195) and finally helped play some of his countrymen like Kumar Sangakkara back into form.

Before yesterday, Sri Lanka were in danger of becoming a two man team in this competition (Mahela and Lasith Malinga) with nine others just there to make up the numbers; just like Liverpool with Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres. He has scored well over half of Sri Lanka's runs to date in the competition (279 out of 503) and failed by just two runs from becoming the first man to score two international T20 hundreds. Given that only four T20 hundreds have been scored on the international stage (McCullum, Gayle and Raina have the other three) that would have been an exceptional feat.

We described the two main T20 batting styles - the Lovers and the Shaggers, a week or so ago. Jayawardene is certainly a Lover, having batted through three of his last nine T20 innings. He is chivalrous with his foreplay as he eases himself in, maintains a steady and patient momentum throughout his time at the crease, but also has the ability to thrust harder when required - he has already hit ten sixes (not DLF maximums, Mr Modi) in the World T20 already.

Jayawardene is rapidly threatening to usurp Sachin Tendulkar as the world's premier T20 batsman. He started the IPL season for Kings XI Punjab in the middle order and had a disappointing time. Then he was thrust up the order to open in KXIP's last six games and he returned scores of 110 not out, 44, 31, 38, 93 not out and 21, which when combined with his run to date in the World T20 means he has scored 616 runs at 102.67 in his last nine matches.

As Jayawardene says himself "Batting in the middle (order) was a challenge, I adapted (for T20) and I did different things but I think opening the batting has given me much more freedom to go out and express myself - guys need to find that."

Every cricket supporter in the world would acknowledge that Jayawardene has been one of the best batsmen in test cricket for some while as well as a very effective ODI cricketer. But many may have doubted his credentials as a T20 batsman. The move up the order has certainly turned Mahela from a prince into a King. How long can his reign last in the competition? Or will the red-hot Nannes and Tait send him packing when Australia take on Sri Lanka tomorrow? We shall wait and see.

 

Michael Clarke finds his true place

Australia really found the Bridgetown pitch to their liking yesterday. Firstly, they bludgeoned their way to 184 for five with Shane Watson and David Warner hitting 13 sixes between them. Then Dirk Nannes and Shaun Tait ran amok to leave India in disarray at 23 for four. Although, Rohit Sharma inspired a late order recovery, the fat lady had already sung and left the building, and Australia eased to a comfortable victory, leaving question marks about some of the Indian batsmen's ability to cope with extreme pace on a bouncy wicket.

But there was also another major talking point that emerged concerning Australian captain Michael Clarke. Now like many other observers, we at the Reverse Sweep have often questioned Clarke's place in this formidable Australian T20 side. He may be a fantastic test and ODI batsman, but his strike rate of 106.45 in 27 T20 internationals does not compare favourably with those of his team mates and other leading T20 batsmen. And when you consider that Clarke usually bats in the pivotal number three position then his position in the side becomes all the more untenable.

So it was fascinating to see that Clarke seems to have woken up and smelt the coffee before his national selectors. As the Hussey brothers, White, Haddin and even Steve Smith entered the fray before their skipper, one couldn't help but feel that Clarke has finally found his true place in this side - that of non-playing captain.

This all presents an interesting quandary for the Australian selectors. As a player Clarke is clearly not worth a place in this line-up. But they have publicly anointed him as the successor to Ricky Ponting as captain in all forms of the game. Do the selectors do as their English counterparts have done with Trott, Cook and Bell and jettison a player from a format that he clearly does not suit? Or do they persist with Clarke in T20 until he can at least take over the captaincy of the ODI side? It could prove to be a fascinating ride. 

 

World T20 Super Eights: Group F Predictions

Yesterday we gave our Group E predictions and without claiming sage status, we were pleased that our two tips for the semi-finals, England and South Africa, both won their opening matches. Now we turn our attention to what looks on paper an even more difficult group to predict - Group F.

Australia

It is a brave pundit that discounts Australia with their never-say-die attitude, even if the aura has now well and truly gone. The move to Barbados will help them as it favoured South Africa yesterday and Nannes, Tait and Harris will enjoy the extra bounce, as will the batsmen.

Player to watch  Shane Watson, and it pains us to utter his name, but his bully boy batting and bowling is likely to keep his profile high.

Who else?  The pace triumvirate of Nannes, Tait and Harris.

Weaknesses No real spinner to speak of and the captain Michael Clarke must have one of the slowest strike rates in T20.

Prediction 2nd in the group thanks to the bouncy Bridgetown track

 

India

The most impressive of the teams to date, with MS Dhoni's men not looking like they are suffering a hangover from the IPL. So far, the absence of Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag has not proved a problem.

Player to watch MS Dhoni - the best captain currently in international cricket. Inspirational captaincy combined with electric batting is a fairly potent mix.

Who else?Murali Vijay, Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh with the bat, and Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan with the ball. India has strength throughout its line-up.

Weaknesses The absence of the world's best T20 batsman Sachin Tendulkar could come back to bite India, but other than that there are no apparent weaknesses.

Prediction Group winners

 

West Indies

The hosts like Pakistan and England are a bit unpredictable, but they have a number of players that are well suited to T20 and many that can clear the ropes at will. Certainly won't suffer from a lack of support in Barbados.

Player to watch Kieron Pollard was one of the stars of the IPL and he can be expected to shine here too. Can win a match with bat or ball within the space of five overs.

Who else? Chris Gayle is a fearsome hitter and Dwayne Bravo is an extremely talented all-rounder. Both will relish the challenge on offer here.

Weaknesses As England showed the other night, the West Indian bowling isn't the strongest and that could play into the hands of the other teams in Group F.

Prediction A disappointing 3rd in the group - India and Australia will be too strong.

 

Sri Lanka

Last year's runners up are a very good side when in form. But form seems to have been misplaced by Kumar Sangakkara's men. The news that Murali is not necessarily out of the tournament could give them the boost they need. His powers may have dimmed, but as he showed for Chennai in the IPL, he is still a very capable bowler.

Player to watch Mahela Jayawardene, who is in such a rich vein of form

Who else? Err no-one. The rest of the side is having a terrible trot especially Dilshan and the skipper. Lasith Malinga is always worth watching as his action and ability to bowl yorkers at will makes him one of the leading T20 bowlers in the world. Angelo Mathews could be a factor too.

Weaknesses Lack of form - you may be starting to get the theme here.

Prediction Last in the group, but if they can rediscover their form, who knows?

 

 

World T20 Super Eights: Group E Predictions

As we wrote earlier this week, the World T20 has left us a little bit cold so far. A combination of rain, ridiculous Duckworth Lewis results, an overkill of T20 after the IPL and the pointless preliminary group stage (why not just have two groups of six?) have all contributed to our state of disappointment. The only bright spot to date has been Afghanistan, and they deserved five not two matches in our opinion.

Anyway the business end of the tournament starts today with two Group E matches. First, England take on reigning champs Pakistan and then New Zealand face South Africa, with both matches taking place in Barbados. Indeed, the first two round of matches of each group takes place in Barbados, which if yesterday is anything to go on will see low scores and extreme pace to the fore.

So, who will make the semis? For what it's worth, here is our preview of Group E. Group F comprising of Australia, India, West Indies and Sri Lanka will be previewed later.

Pakistan

With Shahid Afridi captaining literally anything can happen. Will be pleased that they cannot face their bogey side Australia again until the semi-finals at least. Whether they implode or emulate their victory last year is anyone's guess.

Player to watch: Who else but Mr Afridi, sixes and controversy are never far away

Who else? Mohammed Aamer and Saeed Ajmal

Weaknesses  Where do you start? Inconsistency, infighting and not exactly the shrewdest skipper in the World.

Prediction 4th in the group

 

England

In T20 England are nearly as inconsistent and unpredictable as Pakistan. We haven't really seen the bowling yet because of the rain, but the batting fired against West Indies and then limped against Ireland. Our prediction to win the tournament before it started, we don't feel so confident now.

Player to watch Eoin Morgan was brilliant against West Indies and Ireland, and his strength and unorthodoxy is perfect for T20.

Who else? Ryan Sidebottom - more for the tantrums then the wickets, and Kevin Pietersen who could leave at any minute to fly home to be at the birth of his first child. Also if Frank Duckworth makes an appearance, look out for Paul Collingwood and his 5lb bat.

Weaknesses Ryan Sidebottom again. How he gets into the side ahead of James Anderson, we will never know. The fledgling opening partnership is unproven and Tim Bresnan opens the bowling.

Prediction Group winners - we have to stick with our original prediction even if it is likely to mean a visit from the men with white coats.

 

South Africa

The move to pace friendly Barbados is likely to favour South Africa's Plan A; though the absence of a Plan B could still get them into trouble in the latter part of the tournament. A strong batting line-up also makes the Proteas favourites to progress.

Player to watch Dale Steyn, the world's best bowler

Who else? Steyn's partner in crime Morne Morkel plus Jacques Kallis who won't excite but can be counted on for runs.

Weaknesses  No Plan B. Kallis may score runs but tends to get bogged down meaning hitters like Albie Morkel, AB De Villiers and JP Duminy are sometimes left in the hutch until too late.

Prediction 2nd in the group

 

New Zealand

The perennial dark horses have looked good so far. Super Dan is flying and his team of mostly journeymen generally rise to the occasion in these sort of events and normally punch above their weight.

Player to watch Scott Styris - runs, wickets but don't expect a smile from probably the ugliest man in cricket

Who else? Shane Bond should enjoy the Bridgetown pitches, Ross Taylor is one of the best T20 batsmen around and Super Dan seems to have an endless supply of krypton.

Weaknesses A heavy reliance on Super Dan and a lack of real quality means that if their opponents perform well then they usually lose. They also have a dreadful record against South Africa.

Prediction It's close, but 3rd in the group