A peek at the recent form of most of the cricket-playing nations might just be enough to give you an idea as to how they could fare at a particular event.
England scripted history in 2022 when Jos Buttler-led team defeated Pakistan at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) to win the T20 World Cup more than once.
If history has imparted any wisdom, it’s to never count out the West Indies cricket team, even after a year as calamitous as 2023. Failing to advance to the main round of the ODI World Cup in India was a colossal debacle, even for a team that have long concentrated their efforts on Twenty20 cricket.
On the face of it, this should be a World Cup that suits South Asian teams. Pitches in the Caribbean have tended to be slow, in Guyana, Kingstown, and Antigua in particular.
Even though cricket is a global game which in terms of popularity is only behind football in the world, the people running the sport have always been sceptical about letting new teams join the ranks of the established names.
If someone were wandering the streets of the USA and heard the sweet sound of a bat meeting ball, the immediate assumption might be that it’s a baseball game. However, it’s increasingly likely that this sound comes from a cricket match.
Nepal were unfortunate not to go through to the Super 10s of the 2014 T20 World Cup, their debut campaign, as they were edged by Bangladesh on net run-rate.
Netherlands arrive in the tournament by virtue of having secured automatic qualification, finishing in top-eight of the previous edition, but without veterans Roelof van der Merwe and Colin Ackerman as selectors opted for promising talents.
The T20 World Cup is a familiar platform for Ireland --one of the two newest entrants in the ICC full members list alongside Afghanistan.
‘’We have enough’’ was the main theme in most of the answers Sri Lanka’s chief selector Upul Tharanga gave when asked about the shortcomings in power-hitting abilities in the squad.
Canada’s cricket scene is buzzing with excitement as they gear up for their historic debut at the T20 World Cup. This is a monumental achievement, marking a turning point for their developing cricket programme.
If for nothing else, there will be a lot of focus on USA for being the co-hosts of the global T20 tournament for the first time. And they would be undoubtedly willing to make a mark on their home soil, in front of the home crowd regardless.
Oman’s cricketing journey in the T20 World Cup began in 2016 and they co-hosted the 2021 edition with the UAE. However, their qualification bid fell short in 2022, as they finished fourth in the qualifiers.
In the truest sense, Australia have conquered the game of cricket.
After being the flag bearers of fearless cricket for the past few years, England now seem like a team that have lost their mojo and are stuck between gears.
Scotland will be heading into their sixth T20 World Cup with a blend of experience and youthful exuberance, hoping to continue their track record of a blockbuster opening fixture and, perhaps, take a step further this time.
While the exclusion of Jan Nicol Loftie Eaton from the T20 World Cup squad has grabbed the headlines, there are plenty of big names in the Namibia squad.
One could be fooled into predicting New Zealand’s fate in this World Cup based on their record since the last edition -- 16 wins in 34 matches -- as the Black Caps have, time and again, brought their prime version in mega events.
