COLOMBO:
The high-profile ICC World Twenty20 gets underway on Tuesday with no
clear favourites but inaugural champions India will fancy their chances
on the slow familiar tracks of the island nation where they have played a
lot of cricket in recent times.
Seeded
second in Group A, which clubs them along side defending champions
England and qualifiers Afghanistan, India were on a high after clinching
the 50-over World Cup last year. But their fortunes took a turn for the
worst soon after with Test whitewashes in England and Australia.
On
a roller-coaster ride since last year, Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men have a
decent shot at the title as Sri Lanka is a home away from home for
Indian cricketers.
The
turning tracks which might bamboozle the likes of Australia and England
would be hardly a concern for the Indians, who have the requisite spin
arsenal to exploit the conditions as well.
The
hosts themselves have a good chance of winning their first ICC world
title after the 1996 50-over World Cup triumph in India.
The
talent is there and so is the much-needed familiarity with conditions,
and the only thing that Mahela Jayawardene's flock has to guard against
is the pressure that would come with playing in front of adoring home
fans.
Not
to forget the ever-so-unpredictable Pakistan, a team which can be
outstanding one day and completely pedestrian the other. Mohammad Hafeez
appears to have a balanced Twenty20 side with all ends covered.
What
they have to battle are non-cricketing issues. To present themselves as
a cohesive unit would be the challenge for Pakistan even though they
are coming into the event on a high after beating Australia.
The
Asian giants aside, the tournament will be another arduous test for the
Australians, once the seemingly-invincible world champions and now a
struggling team in transition.
Gone are the days when the Aussies took the field as the outright favourites.
Led
by a rather low-profile batsman George Bailey, the side from Down Under
still has to get comfortable with the format and it would be a tough
task for them to master conditions which they have traditionally found
hard to cope with.
Clubbed
alongside West Indies and the sprightly Ireland, the Australians will
have it tough. In fact, they rank below perceived-minnows Ireland in the
ICC table which quite reflects their state right now.
Defending champions England, on the other hand, don't even look the part in the absence of a certain Kevin Pietersen.
The
big-hitting controversial batsman has been forced to retire from the
format as he has quit ODI cricket and England Board's rules bar players
leaving one-dayers from T20s as well.
His
ouster has created a vacuum which would be tough to fill for any other
batsman and in a format which is called slam-bang, it could prove to be
decisive.
Then
there are AB de Villiers' South Africa. A team which has not won a
single ICC world trophy even though, it has always been counted among
the favourites.
Labelled the 'chokers' for not coming good in multi-team events, the South Africans would be desperate to wipe off the tag.
They
seem to have the ammunition besides being the rare non-subcontinental
side which doesn't find it tough in the region's dust-bowls.
The
Proteas just have to keep it steady when things get rocky, which might
end up being the recipe for that elusive success in ICC events.
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