ICC T20 World Cup

No Quarter

I know you guys are all back into your Super Rugby now but we have the...
<img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/be/2016_ICC_World_Twenty20_logo.png/200px-2016_ICC_World_Twenty20_logo.png" alt="200px-2016_ICC_World_Twenty20_logo.png">
...kicking off on 8th March before cricket fades away into the background again.
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The tournament starts with a whole bunch of minnow teams playing each other for a spot in the business end of the comp, so we have:
 
Group A
Bangladesh
Ireland
Netherlands
Oman
 
Group B
Afghanistan
Hong Kong
Scotland
Zimbabwe
 
One from each pool goes through to the Super 10:
 
Group 1
England
South Africa
Sri Lanka
West Indies
Afghanistan
 
Group 2
Australia
India
Black Caps
Pakistan
Bangladesh
 
Link to all fixtures here --> <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.icc-cricket.com/world-t20/fixtures/men'>http://www.icc-cricket.com/world-t20/fixtures/men</a>
 
The Black Caps have warm up games vs Sri Lanka (10th) and England (12th), then it's:
 
<div>BLACKCAPS v India</div>
<div>Wednesday, 16 March 2016 3:00am â€“ Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur</div>
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<div>BLACKCAPS v Australia</div>
<div>Friday, 18 March 2016 10:30pm â€“ Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala</div>
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<div>BLACKCAPS v Pakistan</div>
<div>Wednesday, 23 March 2016 3:00am - Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali</div>
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<div>BLACKCAPS v Bangladesh</div>
<div>Saturday, 26 March 2016 10:30pmâ€“Eden Gardens, Kolkata</div>
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<div> </div>
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<div>BLACKCAPS WT20 squad</div>
<div>Kane Williamson (capt), Martin Guptill, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Grant Elliott, Corey Anderson, Colin Munro, Luke Ronchi (wk), Mitchell Santner, Nathan McCullum, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Mitchell McClenaghan, Adam Milne, Ish Sodhi.</div>

Virgil

So Can we label our group as the Group of Death??

SammyC

C'mon Oman!

MN5

Come on fucken Scotland !!!!!!!!! ( who inevitably have several suspiciously South African, Indian and Pakistani names in their line ups )

MN5

You'd back the Bangies and the Zimbots to get in out of that bunch but the oirish are in with a shot.
 
If this was based on tests I think the Windies would be in the special needs group though.....are all their good T20 guys actually available ? Gayle, Russell, Sammy, Pollard etc are world class in this form of the game.

Crucial

You forgot the tag 'Snowballs chance in hades'

mariner4life

India by the length of the straight.

Hooroo

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MN5" data-cid="561875" data-time="1456878740">
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You'd back the Bangies and the Zimbots to get in out of that bunch but the oirish are in with a shot.
 
If this was based on tests I think the Windies would be in the special needs group though.....are all their good T20 guys actually available ? Gayle, Russell, Sammy, Pollard etc are world class in this form of the game.
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</blockquote>
And Afganistan have recently beaten Zim

No Quarter

Afganistan are surprisingly ranked 9th in the world of T20 cricket ahead of Bangladesh, so I guess they would be favourites to get out of the Minnow stages.

MN5

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="No Quarter" data-cid="561884" data-time="1456879671">
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Afganistan are surprisingly ranked 9th in the world of T20 cricket ahead of Bangladesh, so I guess they would be favourites to get out of the Minnow stages.
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</blockquote>
 
They beat the Scots by one wicket in the 50 over WC last year too. fluffybunnies.
 
Still, the Scots can take consolation that their country is merely rather cold, not crap like Afghanistan.

No Quarter

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MN5" data-cid="561875" data-time="1456878740">
<div>
You'd back the Bangies and the Zimbots to get in out of that bunch but the oirish are in with a shot.
 
If this was based on tests I think the Windies would be in the special needs group though.....are all their good T20 guys actually available ? Gayle, Russell, Sammy, Pollard etc are world class in this form of the game.
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</blockquote>
 
West Indies squad: Darren Sammy (capt), Samuel Badree, Sulieman Benn, Darren Bravo, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Jason Holder, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Jerome Taylor
 
Looks strong...

Virgil

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="No Quarter" data-cid="561889" data-time="1456881023">West Indies squad: Darren Sammy (capt), Samuel Badree, Sulieman Benn, Darren Bravo, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Jason Holder, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Jerome Taylor 
Looks strong...</blockquote>
 
Don't blush baby...

MN5

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="No Quarter" data-cid="561889" data-time="1456881023">
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West Indies squad: Darren Sammy (capt), Samuel Badree, Sulieman Benn, Darren Bravo, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Jason Holder, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Jerome Taylor
 
Looks strong...
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</blockquote>
 
Extremely. The gap between their teams for the short versions of the game and their test teams makes ours look tiny. You could picture that bunch taking the title easily yet if there was a "test" World Cup them managing to not lose every match by an innings would be remarkable.

hydro11

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Virgil" data-cid="561867" data-time="1456877982">
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So Can we label our group as the Group of Death??
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If we go by rankings we have teams 1, 5, 7 and 8 in our group. The other group is probably stronger. I suppose that the rankings do mean a lot less for T20 cricket given the sporadic nature of series and the amount of resting that takes place.

Unco

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="hydro11" data-cid="561918" data-time="1456897826">
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If we go by rankings we have teams 1, 5, 7 and 8 in our group. The other group is probably stronger. I suppose that the rankings do mean a lot less for T20 cricket given the sporadic nature of series and the amount of resting that takes place.
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</blockquote>
 
You're ignoring the part where India are the hosts.

hydro11

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Unco" data-cid="561922" data-time="1456898892">
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You're ignoring the part where India are the hosts.
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Unco" data-cid="561922" data-time="1456898892">
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You're ignoring the part where India are the hosts.
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India are ranked number one anyway. Probably helps Pakistan a lot as well though.

Unco

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="hydro11" data-cid="561929" data-time="1456900994">
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India are ranked number one anyway. Probably helps Pakistan a lot as well though.
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Sure but it makes that number one ranked team even harder to beat.

gollum

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Unco" data-cid="561934" data-time="1456902002">
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Sure but it makes that number one ranked team even harder to beat.
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Don't have to beat them, just have to get through the group & rely on someone else beating them. Group of death usually means its hard to get out of. The other group as Hydro notes is actually harder to get out of.
 
T20 is such a lottery, its really a case of looking at those sides & going "how many guys in that side can score 80 of 40 balls? And do it in India". So Gayle, Taylor, Bultler, Morgan, Warner, Maxwell, Kohlli, Dhoni, Chandimal etc
 
I'd still have England as my dark horses on this, if only their bowling wasn't pigshit.
 
Curent rankings -

			1
		
			India
		
			23
		
			2897
		
			126
	
			2
		
			South Africa
		
			27
		
			3210
		
			119
	
			3
		
			West Indies
		
			19
		
			2249
		
			118
	
			4
		
			New Zealand
		
			24
		
			2787
		
			116
	
			5
		
			England
		
			22
		
			2462
		
			112
	
			6
		
			Pakistan
		
			32
		
			3568
		
			112
	
			7
		
			Sri Lanka
		
			25
		
			2775
		
			111
	
			8
		
			<strong>Australia</strong>
		
			20
		
			2197
		
			110
	
			9
		
			Afghanistan
		
			22
		
			1692
		
			77
	
			10
		
			Bangladesh
		
			19
		
			1333
		
			70
	
			11
		
			Scotland
		
			14
		
			876
		
			63
	
			12
		
			Netherlands
		
			16
		
			939
		
			59
	
			13
		
			Zimbabwe
		
			22
		
			1190
		
			54
	
			14
		
			Hong Kong
		
			16
		
			793
		
			50
	
			15
		
			Ireland
		
			15
		
			680
		
			45
	
			16
		
			United Arab Emirates
		
			16
		
			696
		
			44
	
			17
		
			Oman
		
			10
		
			321
		
			32

NTA

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Unco" data-cid="561922" data-time="1456898892">
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You're ignoring the part where India are the hosts.
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</blockquote>
 
In related, and deliciously ironic news, Dhoni had a crack at the Asia Cup pitches
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.espncricinfo.com/asia-cup-2015-16/content/story/977077.html'>http://www.espncricinfo.com/asia-cup-2015-16/content/story/977077.html</a>
 
Ultimately he was pointing out that the pitches in India are going to be roads, but the "not good for batsmen" tone of the comments is chuckle worthy.

gollum

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="NTA" data-cid="561962" data-time="1456912914">
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In related, and deliciously ironic news, Dhoni had a crack at the Asia Cup pitches
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.espncricinfo.com/asia-cup-2015-16/content/story/977077.html'>http://www.espncricinfo.com/asia-cup-2015-16/content/story/977077.html</a>
 
Ultimately he was pointing out that the pitches in India are going to be roads, but the "not good for batsmen" tone of the comments is chuckle worthy.
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</blockquote>
 
I like this bit -
 
"What happened in Australia, we knew the wickets were good, which is not the case here."

NTA

Apparently after much public gnashing of teeth, Fox and Channel Nine here have sorted out a coverage deal:
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/cricket/twenty20-world-cup-fox-sports-and-channel-9-cut-deal-with-star-tv-to-show-all-games-live/news-story/b6264bcb5a1a88104dc573d6adedd060'>http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/cricket/twenty20-world-cup-fox-sports-and-channel-9-cut-deal-with-star-tv-to-show-all-games-live/news-story/b6264bcb5a1a88104dc573d6adedd060</a>
 
AUSTRALIAN cricket fans will get to watch the World Twenty20 championship after all with a rugged contract showdown ending with four days to spare.
 
After a tense standoff in negotiations, Australian fans can see the entire tournament on Fox Sports while Channel Nine will show the Australian games and the finals.
There had been fears the tournament, which starts in India on Wednesday, would be blacked out in Australia because Fox and Nine could not reach the giant asking price requested by Star TV.
They responded with an offer considered healthy by conventional standards but below the asking price.
Star have accepted a figure less than what they initially hoped for after a lengthy deliberation.
Indian TV giant Star spent US$1.98 billion on global rights to ICC events from 2015 to 2023 and is desperate to recoup as much of that figure as quickly as possible.
Fox and Nine were keen to snap up the tournament but the fact that some key matches start at 1am meant they were insistent they would not pay the earth for it.
Fox Sports chief executive Patrick Delany was delighted with the result which came on the weekend the network launched its new wall-to-wall rugby league coverages in which all games are televised
â€œItâ€™s a fantastic outcome for cricket fans, and for the sport,â€™â€™ Delany said.
â€œTodayâ€™s announcement will ensure Australians get to watch every game of this monthâ€™s anticipated ICC World Twenty20 live, ad break free and in high definition.
â€œIâ€™m sure the whole country will be right behind Steve Smith and his men as they aim to win their first ICC World Twenty20 title.â€™â€™
Star was under pressure to make the deal work because part of its charter as rights holder is that the ICC tournaments are broadcast in all major countries.
Negotiations were complicated by the fact that ICC tournaments are on Australiaâ€™s anti-siphoning list which ruled Fox Sports out of being a player for the rights on their own however the tournament dropped off the anti siphoning list because rights were not sold within 12 weeks of it starting.
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Australia, who have lost their last five T20 internationals and are ranked eighth in the world â€” Afghanistan are ninth â€” will enter the tournament as underdogs but bookmakers are loathe to write them off.
Australia have been posted $6 third favourites behind India and South Africa.
India have won nine of their past 10 T20 internationals and have a much more settled side that Australia who have snatched at success with no clear plan.

NTA

THE ROAD AHEAD
Australiaâ€™s draw at the World T20 championship
March 18: New Zealand Dharamsala (8.30pm aest)
March 22: TBA Bengaluru (1am).
March 25: Pakistan Chandigarh (8.30pm)
March 27: India Mohali (1am).
# Fox Sports to televise all game.
# Channel Nine to televise Australian games plus the final.

No Quarter

For anyone that cares Zimbabwe beat Hong Kong by 14 runs, and MN5 will be distraught to hear the mighty Scotland went down to Afghanistan by 14 runs.

Hooroo

<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/77731085/oman-stun-ireland-with-twowicket-win-on-world-t20-debut'>http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/77731085/oman-stun-ireland-with-twowicket-win-on-world-t20-debut</a>
 
This is gold!! What a way to lose!!

MN5

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="No Quarter" data-cid="563364" data-time="1457479026">
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For anyone that cares Zimbabwe beat Hong Kong by 14 runs, and MN5 will be distraught to hear the mighty Scotland went down to Afghanistan by 14 runs.
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</blockquote>
 
Fuck, talk about a bogey team. Or maybe the Scots weren't playing their full strength team, not that I or anyone else would actually know.......
 
I'm shocked Oz are ranked 8th in this form of the game though.

mariner4life

I watched the last 2 overs of that Ireland game. The 2nd last over was an absolute peach by the Irish bowler. The last was a dogs breakfast. 3 full tosses, all went for 4 behind the wicket, one was a no ball. Just a horror over. In between he bowled a bloke on a free-hit, and got a caught behind decision where the guy didn't get within 3 inches of it. The Omani's were understandably stoked.

SammyC

I lived in Oman for 4 years. Hope they qualify for the main draw

Unco

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MN5" data-cid="563611" data-time="1457571172">
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Fuck, talk about a bogey team. Or maybe the Scots weren't playing their full strength team, not that I or anyone else would actually know.......
 
I'm shocked Oz are ranked 8th in this form of the game though.
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</blockquote>
 
These excuses only work when your team is actually better than the other one.
 
Aus are ranked fifth now, thanks to their two wins over the Saffas. Right behind us.

Baron Silas Greenback

First game for us in a couple of days.
I would pick this team.
 
Guptill
Williamson
Munro
Taylor
Anderson
Santner
Ronchi
McCullum
Sodhi
Boult
Southee
 
3 Spinners plus Williamson, and 2 front line pace bowlers plus Anderson and maybe Munro

Hooroo

BSG, did you happen to see why Anderson didn't play the warm-up v England?
 
Do you think they may try the Guptill/Anderson 1/2?

Baron Silas Greenback

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Hooroo" data-cid="564423" data-time="1457904263">
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BSG, did you happen to see why Anderson didn't play the warm-up v England?
 
Do you think they may try the Guptill/Anderson 1/2?
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</blockquote>
 
 
Just a rotation I think. He had a good hit out in the previous game.
 
I think they would be crazy to not open with Williamson, he played really well there over the summer and then in the warm up against England. Plus you dont really want to front load most of your hitting power at the top. I really like the balance they have in the team.

No Quarter

Agree, the Kane/Guptill opening combination has been a real strength for us in T20s. Kane to bat the innings while everyone else hits out.

JK

So 3am tomorrow morning vs India... May go to the gym extra early

Baron Silas Greenback

Wild prediction time. A Ronchi innings will win us a big game.
 
I am just a crazy cat....

No Quarter

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="JK" data-cid="564436" data-time="1457905362">
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So 3am tomorrow morning vs India... May go to the gym extra early
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</blockquote>
 
Just so you know it is on Wednesday morning, 3:00AM.

No Quarter

Afghanistan, who are ranked 9 in the world, went through their pool unbeaten and join Group 1. Will be interesting to see how they go against the tier 1 teams.
 
The Bangles join our pool.

Hooroo

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="No Quarter" data-cid="564443" data-time="1457907748">
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Just so you know it is on Wednesday morning, 3:00AM.
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You're a good man, No Quarter! I would have let him go to the gym! :)

MN5

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Hooroo" data-cid="564445" data-time="1457907921">
<div>
You're a good man, No Quarter! I would have let him go to the gym! :)
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</blockquote>
 
Lifting my assss out of bed at that hour is enough of a workout let alone thinking of smashing tin. You're a more dedicated fellow than I am JK.
 
Woulda been amusing though, picturing an angry JK busting out some PBs with not a soul around to see him :mocking:

JK

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="No Quarter" data-cid="564443" data-time="1457907748">
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Just so you know it is on Wednesday morning, 3:00AM.
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</blockquote>
 
Lucky - almost set my alarm!
 
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MN5" data-cid="564446" data-time="1457908462">
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Woulda been amusing though, picturing an angry JK busting out some PBs with not a soul around to see him :mocking:
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</blockquote>
 
 
Would have been busting out something that is for sure!

Bovidae

I note that Aust, SA and NZ are the only teams from the "big 8" who haven't won a previous T20 WC. I guess that shows how open this format can be. My money is still on India though.

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