ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022: All you need to know;
The Fixtures for the next ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 have been announced, with 16 teams set to do battle across Australia in October and November 2022. We take a look at the 12 nations to have already sealed their spot at the tournament Down Under.
AFGHANISTAN
Last World Cup performance
Convincing wins over Scotland and Namibia underlined Afghanistan’s quality in the 20-over game in 2021, but they failed to push India, New Zealand or Pakistan particularly hard, with the former racking up a mammoth total against the Afghan attack. The heavy loss to New Zealand in their last game ensured they exited the competition at the Super 12 stage.
Key Players
Rashid Khan – One of the best spinners in world cricket and a big-hitting option with the bat too, Khan is Afghanistan’s main man.
Mohammad Nabi – A spin bowling all-rounder with power in his batting game, Nabi has experience as captain of the side.
T20 World Cup 2022 Fixtures
- 22 Oct – England, Perth
- 26 Oct – New Zealand, Melbourne
- 28 Oct – Group B Qualifier, Melbourne
- 01 Nov – Group A Qualifier, Brisbane
- 04 Nov – Australia, Adelaide
AUSTRALIA
Last World Cup performance
Australia took time to grow into the 2021 World Cup, with a hammering at the hands of England a low point in the Super 12 stage. But the Aussies made it into the top two and turned on the style in the knockout games, seeing off first Pakistan and then New Zealand with rapid acceleration in the respective run-chases to claim the crown.
Key Players
Adam Zampa – Australia’s pace bowlers are consistently reliable, but it’s Zampa’s spin that provides the x-factor in the attack.
Glenn Maxwell – If Australia are to go all the way again they will likely need their star batter to make his mark. At the peak of his powers right now, this could be Maxwell’s tournament.
T20 World Cup 2022 Fixtures
- 22 Oct – New Zealand, Sydney
- 25 Oct – Group A Qualifier, Perth
- 28 Oct – England, Melbourne
- 31 Oct – Group B Qualifier Brisbane
- 04 Nov – Afghanistan, Adelaide
BANGLADESH
Last World Cup performance
Bangladesh were one of the biggest disappointments of the 2021 tournament, losing to Scotland by six wickets in their opening game and barely recovering after that initial set-back. The Tigers did make it to the Super 12 stage, but they lost all five games, heavily too, to finish bottom of the six teams.
Key Players
Shakib Al Hasan – The veteran all-rounder is one of the ICC’s top-ranked players and still holds the key to Bangladesh’s fortunes.
Mustafizur Rahman – A deserved spot in the ICC Men’s T20I Team of the Year for 2021 highlights Rahman’s excellence with the ball, and Bangladesh will need him to be brilliant again.
T20 World Cup 2022 Fixtures
- 24 Oct – Group A Qualifier, Hobart
- 27 Oct – South Africa, Sydney
- 30 Oct – Group B Qualifier, Brisbane
- 02 Nov – India, Adelaide
- 06 Nov – Pakistan, Adelaide
ENGLAND
Last World Cup performance
England looked imperious throughout the 2021 World Cup, right up until the moment when they didn’t. The Group 1 winners were on the end of a batting blitz by New Zealand in the semi-finals, succumbing to a crushing five-wicket loss with an over still to go.
Key Players
Jos Buttler – One of the most dangerous opening batters in the game, Buttler sets the tone for England’s powerful top order.
Jofra Archer – The one world-class T20 pace bowler England have at their disposal, Archer’s form and fitness will be key to his team’s chances.
Fixtures
- 22 Oct – Afghanistan, Perth
- 26 Oct – Group B Qualifier, Melbourne
- 28 Oct – Australia, Melbourne
- 01 Nov – New Zealand, Brisbane
- 05 Nov – Group A Qualifier, Sydney
INDIA
Last World Cup performance
India’s 2021 World Cup was over before it even really began, with a ten-wicket loss to Pakistan in the opening group game and an eight-wicket defeat to New Zealand in the second effectively knocking Virat Kohli’s side out of the competition. Wins over Afghanistan, Namibia and Scotland restored some pride, but India’s fate was out of their hands after the first two matches and they failed to reach the semi-finals.
Key Players
KL Rahul – The India opener continues to set the standard and has a game that should excel on Australian pitches.
Jasprit Bumrah – Arguably the most consistent pace bowler in T20I cricket, Bumrah is almost always elite for India, and he’ll need to be again to provide four world-class overs to build the attack around.
Fixtures
- 23 Oct – Pakistan, Melbourne
- 27 Oct – Group A Qualifier, Sydney
- 30 Oct – South Africa, Perth
- 02 Nov – Bangladesh, Adelaide
- 06 Nov – Group B Qualifier, Melbourne
NAMIBIA
Last World Cup performance
Namibia’s two wins in the First Round stage made their 2021 World Cup a huge success, with the victories over Netherlands and Ireland taking the African nation through to the Super 12 for the first time. And to cap things off a win over Scotland in the Super 12 ensured that Namibia had another win under their belts before losses in the glamour fixtures against India, New Zealand, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Key Players
David Wiese – The veteran all-rounder provides control with the ball and the destructive hitting in the middle-order that his side desperately need. Wiese has the ability to be a matchwinner against the very best.
Gerhard Erasmus – Runs at the top of the order are vital to a side like Namibia and captain Erasmus has the game to provide that platform.
Fixtures
- 16 Oct – Sri Lanka, Geelong
- 18 Oct – Qualifier 3, Geelong
- 20 Oct – Qualifier 2 Geelong
NEW ZEALAND
Last World Cup performance
New Zealand produced two of the stand-out moments of the 2021 World Cup, demolishing India in Dubai in the Super 12 and then upsetting England with some late fireworks in the semi-final. Kane Williamson did his best to inspire his side in the final, but it wasn’t to be.
Key Players
Martin Guptill – Nobody sets the tone for New Zealand quite like Guptill. When he fires the confidence floods through the rest of the batting line-up.
Kane Williamson – The captain’s amazing 84 off 48 balls in the 2021 World Cup Final showed just how destructive he can be, as well as being a reliable rebuilder at number three.
Fixtures
- 22 Oct – Australia, Sydney
- 26 Oct – Afghanistan, Melbourne
- 29 Oct – Group A Qualifier, Sydney
- 01 Nov – England, Brisbane
- 04 Nov – Group B Qualifier, Adelaide
PAKISTAN
Last World Cup performance
Pakistan were the star turn of the 2021 World Cup right up until the final few overs of their semi-final against Australia, where a disastrous spell saw their tournament end in dramatic fashion. Prior to the loss in the final four it was Pakistan who had put in many of the stand-out performances of the competition, with Shaheen Afridi incredible with the ball in hand, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan scoring runs for fun, and the middle-order showing their firepower.
Key Players
Babar Azam – The volume of runs scored by Pakistan’s captain and his opening partner Mohammad Rizwan is setting a new standard in T20I cricket, and with Azam at the top of his game Pakistan are capable of anything.
Shaheen Afridi – There is no bowler in the world as dangerous in the Powerplay as Afridi. His strike-rate at the top of the innings is extraordinary, as many of the world’s best batters have discovered in recent years.
Fixtures
- 23 Oct – India, Melbourne
- 27 Oct – Group B Qualifier, Perth
- 30 Oct – Group A Qualifier, Perth
- 03 Nov – South Africa, Sydney
- 06 Nov – Bangladesh, Adelaide
SCOTLAND
Last World Cup performance
The First-Round victory over Bangladesh ensured that Scotland’s 2021 World Cup was always likely to be viewed as a relative success. But the Scots will be disappointed with what they served up in the Super 12 stage, particularly in the loss to Namibia. Five defeats from five and the worst net run rate in the competition wasn’t pretty.
Key Players
Richie Berrington – Consistent weight of runs is an issue for Scotland, but in Berrington they have a bit of a run machine. The right-hander is his side’s most reliable source of big runs.
Mark Watt – The 25-year-old left arm spinner has a range of skills that saw him not just stand out from his Scottish team-mates at the last World Cup, but also compare favourably against some of the highest-rated players in the game.
Fixtures
- 17 Oct – West Indies, Hobart
- 19 Oct – Qualifier 4, Hobart
- 21 Oct – Qualifier 1, Hobart
SOUTH AFRICA
Last World Cup performance
South Africa grew into a real force during the Super 12 stage in 2021, and were left to rue an opening loss to Australia that ultimately denied them a semi-final spot. The Proteas won their four other fixtures at the tournament, including a win over England in their final appearance that threatened temporarily to be large enough to send them through on net run rate.
Key Players
Rassie van der Dussen – South Africa’s late-blooming star has turned into one of the most influential middle-order batters in the game, and he’s the key to the Proteas’ fortunes.
Anrich Nortje – The pace and intent of Nortje gives South Africa’s already excellent bowling attack an extra edge, particularly on the bouncy pitches Down Under.
Fixtures
- 24 Oct – Group B Qualifier, Hobart
- 27 Oct – Bangladesh, Sydney
- 30 Oct – India, Perth
- 03 Nov – Pakistan, Sydney
- 06 Nov – Group A Qualifier, Adelaide
SRI LANKA
Last World Cup performance
Sri Lanka completely dominated their First Round group and picked up two further wins in the Super 12 stage, against Bangladesh and West Indies. The quality of the Sri Lankans’ cricket saw them also push South Africa and England close, and with Wanindu Hasaranga in the side anything is possible.
Key Players
Wanindu Hasaranga – Arguably no player in world cricket is as influential on their national team’s fortunes as Hasaranga is for Sri Lanka. He topped the T20I bowling rankings following the 2021 World Cup and is also an extremely dangerous batter in the middle-order.
Charith Asalanka – If Sri Lanka can build decent totals then they have the bowling attack to trouble any opposition, and rising star Asalanka could play a big role in getting those runs on the board.
Fixtures
- 16 Oct – Namibia, Geelong
- 18 Oct – Qualifier 2, Geelong
- 20 Oct – Qualifier 3, Geelong
WEST INDIES
Last World Cup performance
The 2016 champions delivered a calamitous showing in the UAE, winning just a single game and finding themselves on the end of a couple of enormous hammerings, first to England and then to South Africa. In many ways it felt like the end of an era of West Indian cricket, with the greats of the game perhaps staying on slightly too long.
Key Players
Evin Lewis – The destructive left-hander puts down world-class numbers at the top of the order, and can set the tone for his side in 2022.
Jason Holder – West Indies’ new era of T20I cricket could well be built on the all-round excellence of Holder, who is a reliable four-over bowler and a flexible batter in the middle order, capable of letting rip when required but possessing enough quality to rebuild after a collapse if required too.
Fixtures
- 17 Oct – Scotland, Hobart
- 19 Oct – Qualifier 1, Hobart
- 21 Oct – Qualifier 4, Hobart.