Sri Lanka head World Twenty20 Group B
Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Zimbabwe are the teams drawn in Group A for the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean, and just two of them can progress to the Super Eight stage of the competition. Here we assess their chances.
Sri Lanka
Runners-up last year, Sri Lanka have no shortage of Twenty20 talent among their 15-man squad. Lasith Malinga may not have the most appealing bowling action to watch in international cricket, but the paceman delivers results with his slinging style. Kumar Sangakkara’s side is also well served with spin options, with both Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis among their ranks.
Add to that one of the most creative batsmen in the shortest format of the game, inventor of the scoop shot over the wicketkeeper’s head, Tillakaratne Dilshan (pictured), and it becomes increasingly difficult to imagine a situation that sees Sri Lanka eliminated in the group stages of the competition. In fact, they should at least reach the semi-finals this time around.
New Zealand
There were New Zealanders who, after Brendan McCullum’s use of the ‘Dil-scoop’ during the southern-hemisphere summer, thought the shot should be renamed the ‘McScoop’. McCullum will head a Blackcaps batting line-up that also includes the powerful Jesse Ryder, who will be returning from injury at the World Twenty20, Ross Taylor, and the injury-prone all-rounder Jacob Oram who returns from a knee injury for the competition.
There’s no shortage of batting firepower there for New Zealand, provided they can keep their squad fit for the duration of the competition. Captain Daniel Vettori provides a steady head and will lead a bowling attack on tracks suited to the spinners. This is a team noted for extracting the most from their collective talents, and the Kiwis might cause a few surprises in the Caribbean, but a Super Eight finish seems most likely.
Zimbabwe
Confidence will have been gained in the Zimbabwe camp with their defeat of the West Indies in the sole Twenty20 match of the team’s February/March tour of the Caribbean this year, and the one-run win over Australia in the warm-up matches for this competition.
The African team will also be raring to go for this year’s World Twenty20 after missing out on last year’s competition in England.
Enthusiasm and the re-ignited career of former Test captain and one of their most reliable batsmen Tatenda Taibu, who resigned from international cricket in 2005 as Zimbabwe cricket imploded only to return in 2007, will in reality not be enough to carry the developing team past the group stage.
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