Australian pacer Mitchell Starc has expressed his displeasure at being dropped for the crucial T20 World Cup Super Eights match against Afghanistan in the Caribbean, saying he was not one bit amused by the team management’s decision.
| Photo Credit: Gareth Copley

Australian pacer Mitchell Starc has expressed his displeasure at being dropped for the crucial T20 World Cup Super Eights match against Afghanistan in the Caribbean, saying he was not one bit amused by the team management’s decision.

The 2021 T20 World Cup champions suffered a shocking 21-run loss to Afghanistan, which dealt a massive blow to Australia’s chances of entering the semifinals.

Australia had replaced Starc with Ashton Agar for the match but the left-arm spinner, despite tying down the Afghanistan batters, could not take any wickets.

“No — two World Cups in a row,” Starc was quoted as saying by Sydney Morning Herald on Willow Talk podcast when quizzed about his omission and whether he was amused by the decision.

“Just the match-up, they (team management) saw previous games on that ground in St Vincent with spin playing a part and obviously Ash (Ashton) and the left-armer enticing them to make a change,” he added.

This was the second occasion in a row where the Australian pacer was dropped for a T20 World Cup match against Afghanistan, with the previous one being in Adelaide in 2022 where also the hosts failed to reach the last four stage.

Agar and the two Australian pace spearheads, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, were unable to break the partnership between openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, who ended up making 118 runs.

“I think Ash bowled pretty well in the powerplay. They probably played the spin quite well and batting first probably assessed the conditions a little bit better than we did, and had a couple of stumbles that in the end cost us the game,” said Starc.

“It was probably the fielding that cost us again that game. That meant we had to win against India and we fell short there as well.” Australia then went on to lose to India in Super Eights and were later eliminated from the competition.

Starc also expressed his displeasure with the scheduling of the tournament and pre seeding that saw them advance to the pre determined group despite topping the group stage.

“We finished ahead of England (in the group stage) and end up where we were pre-seeded as the second side. All of a sudden, you’re in a different group.” “The argument was it was because it was so hard to get around the West Indies, so fans knew where your team was playing.

“So then why don’t you have the chock-a-block tournament at the front… and then spread it out at the back end? We had the two night games and the third was a day game, so it wasn’t the best preparation. We had a delayed flight out of St Vincent, it was a 90-minute drive from the airport to the hotel in St Lucia, and then we had a 10 o’clock toss.

He added that the travelling between venues in the West Indies is always difficult.

“I think that was probably maybe a misread [by organisers], the fact that the front half of the tournament was more spread out, and then you hit the super eights and … travel around the West Indies is probably not the easiest thing to do, certainly not to travel home from.”

Rahul Dravid with captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli pose for a picture after Team India wins the ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2024 defeating South Africa in the finals.
| Photo Credit: ANI

As Rahul Dravid bids farewell to Team India, the legend said that during his tenure as head coach, he abhorred chopping and changing the side too much and always tried to be a foil for skipper Rohit Sharma so that he could devise his own winning strategies.

Dravid’s coaching stint came to an end with India winning the T20 World Cup in Barbados last week, defeating South Africa and bringing home the trophy for the second time after 2007.

“I’m someone who actually likes continuity and don’t like to chop and change too many things because I believe that creates a lot of instability and doesn’t create very good environment,” said Dravid in a video posted by BCCI on July 6.

“I feel that I am a part of the team whose responsibility is to create the right professional, safe, secure environment that doesn’t really have a fear of failure as such but is challenging enough to push people. That has always been my endeavour.” Dravid said that the period when the players were coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic was a tough one for him as he had just taken over as coach and “never envisaged” that he would have to work with half a dozen captains.

“One of the things that we really had to manage, especially in the early part of my coaching tenure here with India. We were at the back-end of the COVID restrictions. “We really had to manage their workloads through all the three different formats. There were a few injuries and it led to me working with something like 5-6 captains in the first 8-10 months of me being here.

“It was definitely something that I hadn’t envisaged, or not something that I thought about, but it just sort of organically happened.” Under Dravid’s tutelage, India thrashed England in the five-match Test series at home and the team also reached the 2023 ODI World Cup final.

While COVID put a lot of restrictions on players and they virtually lived out of a ‘bubble case’ at all times, the pandemic also had its up side as a lot of youngsters got a chance to be a part of the India team environment.

“The other thing that happened, which was very nice to see is, because we played so much of cricket after Covid and we had to cram in a lot of series, it meant that we had to almost, at times, have two teams playing at the same time in different parts of the world.

“Over the last 2-1/2 years, especially in white-ball cricket and lately towards the back-end (of my career) even in red-ball cricket, we were able to give a lot of youngsters a lot of opportunities, bring a lot of people into the side.” “Some of them developed and stayed on in the side a little bit longer, but some of them, they were there because at that point of time maybe some of the seniors were resting.” Dravid’s relationship with Indian stalwarts like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli dates back to the time when he was at the fag end of his cricketing career while the two were finding their feet in international cricket.

“I’ve really enjoyed working with Rohit, someone I knew as a young boy. Just to see him grow as a person and grow as a leader in Indian cricket, what someone like him has been able to contribute to the team over the last 10-12 years, both as a player and now as a leader, has been a real tribute to him and the effort that he’s put in.

“I’ve really enjoyed getting to him know as a person as well and enjoyed seeing his commitment and his care for the team; to just try and get the environment right where everyone feels safe and secure and enjoys themselves. It’s something that I’ll miss.

“Even with someone like Virat. In the initial days, just a couple of series with him as a captain, just a couple of matches. Getting to know him as well and to see how he goes about his business, the professionalism that he continues to display…his desired to improve, to get better. It’s been fascinating for me to watch.” Dravid said he always believed in the process because of which, at times, he was misunderstood as not being result-oriented.

“For me that’s (results), of course it’s important. I keep saying and people think, ‘Oh, I think result are not important’. Of course, results are important.

“I’m in the business to produce results. But it’s always like, as a coach, to think about what is it that I can control to help the results and at the end of the day our responsibility should be to try and help the captain deliver his vision and his philosophy of how he wants the team to play.” “Of course, to win cricket games is a given. You try to win as much as you can. You start with that. But I always look back on what is it that leads to the winning? How do you win more games and what is the process required to win more games? “For me, the vision was to try and get that process right. Ticking all of those boxes. ‘Are we challenging the players enough? Are we practicing well enough? are we prepared tactically, technically? Are we supporting the players as best as we possibly can, Are we creating the right environment? “These are the things I think that are important to tick before you get to the winning. The winning, hopefully, if you do a lot of these things, most of the time the winning will take care of itself.”

Former Indian captain Kapil Dev
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

India’s first World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev on June 27 said collective performance, not individual brilliance will be the key factor in deciding whether Rohit Sharma’s team can end its over-a-decade-long trophy drought by winning the T20 World Cup in the West Indies.

India will take on England in the tournament’s semifinal later on June 27, hoping to make the finals where South Africa are in waiting after annihilating Afghanistan.

“Why talk about only Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, or Kuldeep Yadav? Everybody has a role to play. Their job is to win the tournament,” Kapil told PTI Videos in an exclusive interview.

“To win a match, an odd person can come out, but to win a tournament everybody has to work together. If we are going to depend on Bumrah or Arshdeep, then you are going to lose it,” he asserted.

“Let’s talk about the team. That gives you a better perspective rather than the odd player. Yes main player is there and we can go around him. But everybody has to chip in to win the World Cup,” he added.

Kapil pointed out that in his 1983 World Cup-winning team, he wasn’t the only one who performed.

“Roger Binny, Mohinder Amarnath, Kirti Azad, Yashpal Sharma all came out with match-winning performances. If you start depending on one player it means you are not going to win tournaments more often,” he observed.

He wished India good luck ahead of their semifinal match against England and hoped that the Men in Blue clinch the trophy.

“All the Best, good luck, I hope the Indian players, the way they are playing keep on playing like that, they should not have a bad day and be out of the tournament (like) what happened last time in the 50 overs World Cup,” said the iconic all-rounder.

“They are playing well, they are enjoying. Hats off to them. Good luck to them. I wish them all the luck and happiness,” he added.

The 65-year-old, who was elected president of Professional Golf Tour of India on Wednesday, said that he feels proud to see India perceived as title contenders every time they compete in a global event.

“We should be happy that we are able to think that we can win. 20 years back, you weren’t thinking. It’s important that in every tournament India is going as a favourite. That’s a big thing.

“We never thought about that. That’s enough encouragement for a youngster to take up the sport. I am very happy to see where Indian cricket has reached wonderfully well,” he emphasised.

Kapil lauded Bumrah, who has been the star performer for India with 11 wickets in the tournament so far.

“Bumrah is 1000 times better than me. These young boys are far better than us. We had more experience. They are better. They are very good. Outstanding. They are fitter. They are much more hardworking. They are fantastic,” he said.

He, however, played down the role of a captain.

“Everybody can do captaincy. Hardik, Virat, Rohit everyone can do captaincy. When you give ball to somebody, the bowler has to do the job. Yes captain is there to help you out but it’s not like if you don’t win he is not a good captain.”

Afghanistan’s captain Rashid Khan with teammates acknowledges fans after Afghanistan won the ICC Twenty20 World Cup cricket match against Bangladesh, at Arnos Vale Ground, Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, on June 24, 2024.

West Indian batting great Brian Lara had predicted Afghanistan would reach the T20 World Cup semifinals nearly a month before the tournament began and now that the giant-slayers have made it, skipper Rashid Khan said he is immensely proud to have proved the legend right.

Afghanistan continued their brilliant run at the T20 World Cup as they marched to their first-ever World Cup semifinal with an eight-run win over Bangladesh in the last Super 8 clash here.

“The only guy who put us in the semifinals was Brian Lara and we proved him right. When we met him at a welcome party, I told him we won’t let you down,” Rashid said at the post-match presentation.

“I think when you get the kind of great, great statements from a legend, as a team, I think it gives you lots of energy as well. We are capable,” he added.

Lara, in an interaction with PTI editors at its headquarters last month, had predicted that Afghanistan would be among the semifinalists in the mega-event.

“Afghanistan, they are capable of getting into the (last) four,” Lara had said, while picking his tournament favourites.

Rashid said the conviction that they could advance to the semifinals was ignited by their triumph over heavyweights New Zealand in the group stage.

“It’s a dream for us to be in the semifinals. The way we started the tournament, the belief came when we beat New Zealand. It’s unbelievable,” he recalled.

Afghanistan also picked up a historic win over Australia before beating Bangladesh in the final Super 8 fixture to set up semifinal date with South Africa on June 27.

Against Bangladesh, Afghanistan were restricted to 115/5 but the bowlers led by Naveen Ul Haq and Rashid propelled them to a thrilling eight-run win.

“We thought 130-135 was a good score but we fell 15 runs short. We knew they would come hard at us and we knew that is what we could take advantage of. We didn’t need to do anything extra, just be clear in our plans.

Pacers Naveen and Fazalhaq Farooqi have excelled with the new ball all through the campaign and Rashid couldn’t be happier.

“In T20s if you get a good start, it helps us in the middle overs. They have given great starts to us in the whole competition. It makes it easier for us to go harder at the batsmen.

“They have delivered, they were very clear in their minds,” Rashid said.

On the several rain interruptions that eventually led the match to be truncated, Rashid said they were mentally ready to pick all 10 wickets.

“Rain is something not in our hands but mentally we knew we have to play 20 overs and take 10 wickets.

“That’s the only way we could win. But Gulbadin, he had some cramps. But his wicket was invaluable to us,” he said.

The skipper reckoned there will be huge celebration back home.

“It’s a big achievement for us as well. We have done that at U-19 level but at this World Cup, I don’t have any words to describe the feeling back home. We have to go into the semis with a very clear mind and make sure we enjoy the occasion,” he said.

Shanto blames batters

Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto conceded the team was once again let down by its batters.

“We bowled really well. As a bowling unit we did a lot of good things. But as a batting unit we made some poor decisions especially in the middle overs,” he admitted.

“Whole tournament, we bowled really well, especially Rishad the new guy came and bowled really well, I am really happy for him. As a batting unit we really need to improve a lot.”

In The Hindu’s countdown to the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which commences in the West Indies and USA on June 2, we take a look at the teams in Group ‘B’.

ENGLAND: The defending champion would have hoped that the four-match T20I series against Pakistan gives them ideal preparation, but rain has played spoilsport. Nevertheless, key pieces of the puzzle have started to fall in place.

Pace spearhead Jofra Archer has made a smooth comeback from injury, while captain Jos Buttler got into the groove with a 51-ball 84 against Pakistan at Birmingham last week.

All-rounder Liam Livingstone, who played his part in the 2022 triumph, will strive to overcome a recent slump in form.

T20 World Cup 2024 Group C preview | Three-way race beckons West Indies, New Zealand, and Afghanistan 

Key player: Phil Salt: The aggressive opening batter went at a strike-rate of 182 for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2024. Salt’s PowerPlay hitting will be crucial to England’s success.

The squad: Jos Buttler (Capt.), 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 and Mark Wood.

AUSTRALIA: As seen in the 2023 50-over Cricket World Cup, the Baggy Greens are at their best in big tournaments.

This time should be no different, as the squad is packed with efficient personnel. Travis Head and David Warner will smash it at the top of the order, while left-arm speedster Mitchell Starc will swing it around corners with the new ball.

T20 World Cup 2024: Final chance for Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli to give India an ICC Trophy after 13 years 

The Aussies will be happy to see fast bowler Josh Hazlewood and skipper Mitchell Marsh recover well from injury. Leg-spinner Adam Zampa should come in fresh, having opted out of IPL 2024. Glenn Maxwell’s horror run in the IPL, however, is a cause for concern.

Key player: Travis Head: Head plundered runs at an outstanding strike-rate for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2024, rewriting the rules on a good PowerPlay score.

The squad: Mitchell Marsh (Capt.), 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 and Adam Zampa.

NAMIBIA: With a dominant show in the Africa Region Qualifier, Namibia claimed its third straight T20 World Cup spot.

The country cannot be written off, having had some success at the highest level (wins over Sri Lanka and Netherlands in previous T20 World Cups).

Twenty20 World Cup countdown: South Africa has the firepower to pass the Group D test 

The side will hope that the first warm-up game, where it received a hiding from Australia, was an aberration.

Key player: Gerhard Erasmus: The captain has long been a consistent performer as a middle-order batter and off-spinner.

The squad: Gerhard Erasmus (Capt.), Zane Green, Michael Van Lingen, Dylan Leicher, Ruben Trumpelmann, Jack Brassell, Ben Shikongo, Tangeni Lungameni, Niko Davin, J.J. Smit, Jan Frylinck, J.P. Kotze, David Wiese, Bernard Scholtz, Malan Kruger and P.D. Blignaut.

SCOTLAND: In 2018, Scotland made history when it upset neighbour England in an ODI.

Memories from that grand occasion will no doubt resurface when the teams meet on June 4 at Barbados.

Scotland is a regular participant on this grand stage, having competed in three ODI World Cups (1999, 2007 and 2015) and five T20 World Cups (2007, 2009, 2016, 2021 and 2022).

The side made it to the 2024 T20 World Cup with a six-match unbeaten run in the Europe Region Qualifier.

Key player: Brad Wheal: The 27-year-old fast bowler is the pick of the bowlers, backed by good shows for English county Hampshire.

The squad: Richie Berrington (Capt.), 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 and Brad Wheal.

OMAN: Making a third T20 World Cup appearance, the squad is primarily made up of players with roots in Pakistan and India. Oman has failed to make it past the group stage in a World Cup, though it has managed to get wins over Ireland and Papua New Guinea.

There is quality in the bowling ranks, as left-arm death over specialist Bilal Khan and the strapping Kaleemullah form a good pace duo.

Key player: Aqib Ilyas: The all-rounder, who took over from Zeeshan Maqsood as the new captain, is a reliable top-order batter and handy spinner.

The squad: Aqib Ilyas (Capt.), Zeeshan Maqsood, Kashyap Prajapati, Pratik Athavale, Ayaan Khan, Shoaib Khan, Mohammad Nadeem, Naseem Khushi (wk), Mehran Khan, Bilal Khan, Rafiullah, Kaleemullah, Fayyaz Butt, Shakeel Ahmad and Khalid Kail.

In The Hindu’s countdown to the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup which commences in the West Indies and USA on June 2, we take a look at the teams in Group D.

South Africa: A second-string South African side was swept 0-3 in the T20I series against West Indies a few days ago. The arrival of powerful reinforcements — Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Tabraiz Shamsi, and Tristan Stubbs, to name a few — gives the T20 World Cup squad far greater depth.

Quinton de Kock, who has retired from ODI and Test cricket, is a familiar face at the top of the order. The poor form of de Kock and lead pacer Anrich Nortje, however, is cause for concern.

Key player: Tristan Stubbs: With a strike rate of 190.90 and an average of 54 for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024, Stubbs excelled as a specialist finisher.

The squad:

Aiden Markram (Capt.), Ottniel Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, and Tristan Stubbs.

Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka has won all three of its T20I series held this year, albeit against weaker teams (Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Zimbabwe). The team is led by experienced all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga, who missed the IPL due to an injury. In Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana, the Lankans have two quality spinners primed to exploit slow pitches in the West Indies.

Sri Lanka will hope that death-over bowling specialist Matheesha Pathirana recovers quickly from a hamstring strain.

Key player: Kusal Mendis: The 29-year-old opener will be entrusted with giving SL a flying start. His role is especially crucial given that the batting line-up lacks big hitters.

The squad:

Wanindu Hasaranga (Capt.), Charith Asalanka, Kusal Mendis, Pathum Nissanka, Kamindu Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Angelo Mathews, Dasun Shanaka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Dushmantha Chameera, Matheesha Pathirana, Nuwan Thushara, and Dilshan Madushanka.

Bangladesh: The Tigers had a major slip in the build up to the T20 World Cup, losing 1-2 to World No. 19 United States of America in a T20I series last week. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and coach Chandika Hathurusinghe rely on the same set of players to come good in this mega event.

The unit’s lack of power-hitters is out of sync with modern T20 best practices. A warm-up match against India on June 1 serves as the last chance to get the house in order.

Key player: Mustafizur Rahman: A career-best six for 10 against USA proved that the left-arm seamer remains a valuable T20 asset. Mustafizur’s ability to deliver yorkers is particularly useful in the death overs.

The squad:

Najmul Hossain Shanto (Capt.), Taskin Ahmed, Litton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Shakib Al Hasan, Tawhid Hridoy, Mahmud Ullah Riyad, Jaker Ali Anik, Tanvir Islam, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, and Tanzim Hasan Sakib.

Netherlands: Known to consistently punch above its weight, Netherlands earned its spot in this tournament by virtue of finishing in the top-eight of the 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. That campaign included a 13-run win over South Africa in the Super 12 phase, which effectively knocked the Proteas out of the competition.

Netherlands will miss the services of former SA international Roelof van der Merwe and batter Colin Ackermann, both of whom have chosen English county commitments over National duty.

Key player: Max O’Dowd: The Auckland-born opener is the standout batter. In the recent Tri-Nation T20I series involving Ireland, Netherlands, and Scotland, O’Dowd finished as the highest run-scorer.

The squad:

Scott Edwards (Capt.), Aryan Dutt, Bas de Leede, Kyle Klein, Logan van Beek, Max O’Dowd, Michael Levitt, Paul van Meekeren, Saqib Zulfiqar, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Teja Nidamanuru, Tim Pringle, Vikramjit Singh, Viv Kingma, and Wesley Barresi.

Nepal: Nepal qualified for the 2024 T20 WC by entering the final of the ICC’s Asia region qualifiers in November last year. Nepal had previously appeared in the 2014 ICC World Twenty20. Apart from the recent five-match T20 leg against West Indies A, Nepal has not got the chance to test its mettle against quality oppositions.

Key player: Rohit Paudel: Facing a West Indies A attack which included Obed McCoy, Oshane Thomas, and Roston Chase, captain Paudel showed his class with scores of 112, 71 n.o. and 82.

The squad:

Rohit Paudel (Capt.), Aasif Sheikh, Anil Kumar Sah, Kushal Bhurtel, Kushal Malla, Dipendra Singh Airee, Lalit Rajbanshi, K.C. Karan, Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami, G.C. Pratis, Sundeep Jora, Abinash Bohara, Sagar Dhakal, and Kamal Singh Airee.

Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has nothing but empathy for Hardik Pandya as he navigates a challenging phase in his career and is hopeful that the all-rounder, who “hasn’t been a free man in the last two months”, will become one during next month’s T20 World Cup.

Pandya endured a forgettable IPL both as captain and player with his team Mumbai Indians ending bottom of the heap in the points table. What made things worse was the incessant jeering of fans whenever he took the field, including at MI’s home turf — the Wankhede Stadium.

Also read | ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2024: full schedule, dates and venues

But Harbhajan expects the tide to turn in the Americas during the T20 showpiece.

“When he wears that blue jersey, he will be a different Hardik Pandya because we know he can score those runs and take those wickets. I want Hardik to come good as he has gone through a lot and I wish him all the very best to have a very good tournament for India,” Harbhajan told PTI in an exclusive interview.

“If he has a good tournament, obviously India will have a great chance to go forward,” he said.

“Yes, his form is a bit of a concern…and lot of other stuff was going on around him, his shifting from Gujarat to Mumbai, was a big change and the team (MI) didn’t react too well to Hardik coming back and that too as captain,” the 43-year-old added.

The reason for the fan backlash against Pandya was MI’s decision to hand him the captaincy after taking it away from the long-serving Rohit Sharma.

There was speculation throughout the season that MI’s dressing room was a divided house due to the change of guard. Rohit will now captain the national side with Pandya as his deputy in the World Cup starting June 1.

Harbhajan, a multi format World Cup-winner, urged the team management to bring Pandya and Rohit on “same page”.

“…it looked like they (MI) were not playing together as a team. So there was a lot going on. Hardik wasn’t a free man in the last two months. I believe both of them and many others who have played in different teams will have to come together to do something special for the nation…,” he said.

“Winning a World Cup is a bigger achievement than winning an IPL trophy, so I would urge the management to bring everyone together, have them on one page and make sure they play like one.

“I believe it’s the responsibility of the management to come together, and win together. Even if they lose they should be losing together.”

Bumrah will need support

Jasprit Bumrah is the only speedster among the chosen three (the other two being Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj), who doesn’t need conditions to be successful, feels Harbhajan.

“Pace attack definitely could be a concern because because Bumrah is in a different league for the kind of bowler he is. He will win you games on any kind of pitch. He doesn’t need conditions whereas other bowlers like Arshdeep and Siraj would need help from conditions.

“If there’s bounce, Siraj might do well. He is tall, can also swing it both ways, hits the deck hard and has got pace. But if wickets are slow then the challenge begins for other bowlers.

“There will be lot of responsibility on Bumrah’s shoulders but I hope other guys also take responsibility to be someone special.”

IPL performances won’t matter

Harbhajan said IPL form would make no difference to the players’ fortunes in the ICC showpiece.

“No matter what you have done in your IPL career or previously, this is what counts the most…if I was in their shoes, I would be looking for this opportunity to showcase that I have been better than what I have been doing,” the ‘Turbanator’ stated.

Virat is a changed T20 batter

Harbhajan was mighty impressed with how Virat Kohli tweaked his T20 game during this year’s IPL by adding shots to his repertoire, which drastically improved his strike rate.

“Virat has shown a lot of improvement from last year to this year and people spoke about his strike rate. It was in 130s during last year and this time it is in 160s,” he said.

“Of course it’s a big big change. Virat and Rohit will have to score quickly in Powerplay but also need to respect the conditions in USA and West Indies.”

If Gambhir becomes coach

Harbhajan doesn’t know whether Gautam Gambhir, who is being spoken of as the favourite to take over India’s head coach position from the outgoing Rahul Dravid, will get the job but he does believe it would be a crown of thorns for whoever chooses to wear it.

“If I say it properly, it is a speculation, which is doing rounds…the biggest thing a coach can do is to bring everyone together, so that team plays together. So, whether Gautam becomes coach or Ashish Nehra, or whosoever gets the opportunity, hope they do better than what others before them did.” He also ruled himself out of the race.

“I don’t think I will be able to give that much time. At this stage of my life I have a young family and I need to be around them and look after them. Yes, when the right time comes, I will put my foot forward and say I am ready for it,” he concluded.

The ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2024 will be the ninth edition. This year edition will be co-hosted by West Indies and the United States starting from June 1 and the final will be on June 29. Incidentally, this will be the first ICC World Cup tournament to be held in the United States. The current champion is England.

England and West Indies have won the title two times while Australia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India have lifted the title once each.

Also Read | India’s T20 World Cup squad

ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2024 will be contested by a record 20 teams, an expansion from 16 teams in the 2022 tournament. Canada and Uganda qualified for the first time while the United States will be playing for the first time by virtue of being co-hosts.

The teams participating in the tournament are India, Pakistan, Australia, England, Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, United States (hosts), West Indies (hosts), Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Ireland, Scotland, Papua New Guinea, Canada, Nepal, Oman, Namibia and Uganda.

The ICC has shortlisted four venues in the United States and six in West Indies.

Following are the groups

Group A: India (A1), Pakistan (A2), Canada, Ireland, United States

Group B: England (B1), Australia (B2), Namibia, Scotland and Oman

Group C: New Zealand (C1), West Indies (C2), Afghanistan, Papua New Guinea, Uganda

Group D: South Africa (D1), Sri Lanka (D2), Bangladesh, Netherlands, Nepal

The top two teams from each group will be placed into two groups of four teams each in the Super 8 stage.

Super 8 Stage

Group 1: A1, B2, C1, D2

Group 2: A2, B1, C2, D1

Semifinal

Winner of Group 1 vs Runner–up of Group 2

Winner of Group 2 vs Runner-up of Group 1

The following is full schedule

From June 19, 2024 Super 8 matches will be played with the semifinal on June 27 and the final will be played on June 29, 2024.

The teams

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj. Reserves: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh Khan

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Ishaq, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan (c), Nangyal Kharoti, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad Malik. Reserves: Sediq Atal, Hazratullah Zazai, Saleem Safi

Australia: 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

Bangladesh: Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Taskin Ahmed, Litton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Shakib Al Hasan, Tawhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah Riyad, Jaker Ali Anik, Tanvir Islam, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib.

Canada: Saad Bin Zafar (c), Aaron Johnson, Dilon Heyliger, Dilpreet Bajwa, Harsh Thaker, Jeremy Gordon, Junaid Siddiqui, Kaleem Sana, Kanwarpal Tathgur, Navneet Dhaliwal, Nicholas Kirton, Pargat Singh, Ravinderpal Singh, Rayyankhan Pathan, Shreyas Movva. Reserves: Tajinder Singh, Aaditya Varadharajan, Ammar Khalid, Jatinder Matharu, Parveen Kumar.

England: Jos Buttler (c), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonathan Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, Mark Wood

Ireland: Paul Stirling (Capt), Mark Adair, Ross Adair, Andrew Balbirnie, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Graham Hume, Josh Little, Barry McCarthy, Neil Rock, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, Craig Young.

Namibia: Gerhard Erasmus (c), 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 and PD Blignaut.

Nepal: Rohit Paudel (c), Aasif Sheikh, Anil Kumar Sah, Kushal Bhurtel, Kushal Malla, Dipendra Singh Airee, Lalit Rajbanshi, Karan KC, Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami, Pratis GC, Sundeep Jora, Abinash Bohara, Sagar Dhakal, Kamal Singh Airee

Netherlands: Scott Edwards (captain), Aryan Dutt, Bas de Leede, Daniel Doram, Fred Klaassen, Kyle Klein, Logan van Beek, Max O’Dowd, Michael Levitt, Paul van Meekeren, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Teja Nidamanuru, Tim Pringle, Vikram Singh and Wesley Barresi. 

New Zealand: Kane Williamson (c), Finn Allen, Trent Boult, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee. Travelling Reserve: Ben Sears

Oman: Aqib Ilyas (c), Zeeshan Maqsood, Kashyap Prajapati, Pratik Athavale (wk), Ayaan Khan, Shoaib Khan, Mohammad Nadeem, Naseem Khushi (wk), Mehran Khan, Bilal Khan, Rafiullah, Kaleemullah, Fayyaz Butt, Shakeel Ahmad, Khalid Kail. Reserves: Jatinder Singh, Samay Shrivastava, Sufyan Mehmood, Jay Odedra

Papua New Guinea: Assadollah Vala (c), CJ Amini (vc), Alei Nao, Chad Soper, Hila Vare, Hiri Hiri, Jack Gardner, John Kariko, Kabua Vagi Morea, Kipling Doriga, Lega Siaka, Norman Vanua, Sema Kamea, Sese Bau, Tony Ura

Pakistan: Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan, Azam Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Amir, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abbas Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed.

Scotland: Richie Berrington (c), 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 and Brad Wheal.

South Africa: Aiden Markram (c), Ottniel Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs

Sri Lanka: Wanindu Hasaranga (c), Charith Asalanka (vc), Kusal Mendis, Pathum Nissanka, Kamindu Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Angelo Mathews, Dasun Shanaka, Dhananjaya De Silva, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Thushara, Matheesha Pathirana, and Dilshan Madushanka. Reserves: Asitha Fernando, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, and Janith Liyanage.

Uganda: Brian Masaba (c), Riazat Ali Shah (vc), Kenneth Waiswa, Dinesh Nakrani, Frank Nsubuga, Ronak Patel, Roger Mukasa, Cosmas Kyewuta, Bilal Hassun, Fred Achelam, Robinson Obuya, Simon Ssesazi, Henry Ssenyondo, Alpesh Ramjani and Juma Miyaji. Reserve players: Ronald Lutaaya and Innocent Mwebaze.

United States: Monank Patel (captain), Aaron Jones (vice-Captain), Andries Gous, Corey Anderson, Ali Khan, Harmeet Singh, Jessy Singh, Milind Kumar, Nisarg Patel, Nitish Kumar, Noshtush Kenjige, Saurabh Nethralvakar, Shadley Van Schalkwyk, Steven Taylor, Shayan Jahangir. Reserve Players: Gajanand Singh, Juanoy Drysdale, Yasir Mohammad.

West Indies: Rovman Powell (c), Alzarri Joseph, Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd