Twists, turns, parity and calamity: A T20 World Cup full of headlines

We were perhaps given a sneak peek of what was to come after Namibia’s 55-run stunning over Sri Lanka, though few would have predicted so many upsets and the tight finishes across First Round and Super 12 groups.

The last day of First Round Group B turned into quasi-playoffs for the Super 12, and in Group A, Super 12 spots were only decided on the third-to-last ball of the final match, where after the their dizzy, giant-killing heights, a crestfallen Namibia fell inches short from chasing UAE’s 148.

Pessimists predicted a bland Super 12 by comparison, though they were pleasantly surprised. Ireland pushed on to plunder England. Zimbabwe’s zen overcame Pakistan, though Craig Ervine’s men were nullified by the Netherlands. Rashid Khan unified Australian and Afghan support, and almost dampened the mood of fans of the former, raining sixes at his Adelaide Oval abode.

And just when we thought we knew the script, the Dutch returned to ruin South Africa’s chances. The Proteas slipped, and Pakistan prevailed, all on a super Sunday.

Of course, it’d be remiss not to acknowledge the blockbuster ending India v Pakistan at the MCG - a match that needs no further context - though for so many matches just to be in the same conversation as Virat Kohli’s masterclass speaks volumes of just how entertaining the event has been.

It’s fair many only dipped their toes in the water before diving into the pool of T20 cricket almost twenty years ago, though now you’d be silly not to dive in. Surprises at every turn, and close to a dozen of 43 matches boiling down to the final over. Are you not entertained?

Gap-bridging consistency of competition, laced with highlight reel moments. Classic catches of Roelof van der Merwe and Glenn Phillips, to the hat-tricks of Karthik Meiyappan and Josh Little. Virat Kohli’s surgical chases timed to perfection, Suryakumar Yadav reaching for the sky, among hundreds from Rilee Rossouw and Phillips in the thick of it again.

Pakistan, once sucker-punched and laying on the canvas, now stand as a T20 World Cup finalist, when probabilities at one stage put them at a two per cent chance. Fifteen of sixteen teams tasted victory in Australia, with the winless Afghanistan not only inches away from knocking off the hosts, but bereft of luck, and rained off twice.

Two teams stare at the T20 World Cup trophy on October 14, and even after breaking down every ball and matchup, the prevailing team often edge through intuition among other intangibles. Who can hold their nerve at the pressure moment? Who can find the extra split-second of time to assess? Kohli’s knock epitomised the focus and calm, though others have shown they’re just as collected.

We’ve seen several final-over chases, almost ten occasions of teams winning by ten runs or fewer, and matches going down to the final ball. Throw in the shocks and surprises, and you have close to every match delivering drama in strong doses.

When skipper Gerhard Erasmus took the catch to complete Namibia’s rout of Sri Lanka, the muted celebration implied the victory was just the next step of their rise. “Act like you’ve been here before” is often the mantra, the same mentality of others not overawed by bigger teams on paper.

Cricket grounds us. After one euphoric high, we’re often dealt a low. Players speak of keeping to an equilibrium to not be dumped by the waves of emotion, though the level of competition across the event gives this evenness another dimension. Namibia’s failure to progress was a heart-breaking end, though it wasn’t down to their failure per se, but more reflective of the talent across the board. After all, the Dutch delight of knocking South Africa out of the event, and Sri Lanka’s moments in the Super 12 phase reinforce the high standards that need to be kept.

Our game can be fickle. Had Australia cut their losses in their failed chase of New Zealand’s 200, a semi-final spot on net run rate may have been possible. Rueing late partnerships from Ireland and Afghanistan, it just goes to show how every run counts in the grand scheme of things.

For some, all of cricket’s calm and calamity has been felt in a matter of moments. Take Bas de Leede, who experienced all the ups and downs.

De Leede made just seven runs in two innings in last year’s forgettable campaign, failing to make any headway with the ball. Fast-forward 12 months and the 22-year-old looks a generational talent.

Two Player of the Match awards, 13 wickets, runs with the bat. Endorsed by Ricky Ponting, rocked by a Haris Rauf short ball and forced to eat cereal at breakfast, though the man to close out the Dutch win over South Africa. Belying his age, but not his talent, we still may not have seen his best.

And de Leede is no outlier. From Sikandar Raza reflecting on Ponting’s plaudits, to Roelof van der Merwe’s catch, Muhammad Waseem standing up for UAE, Mark Watt’s run sheet, or even Mohammed Haris coming in as a Pakistan injury replacement to provide runs at the top of Pakistan’s order, injecting much-needed impetus in Pakistan’s batting order. Shadab standing up in all three facets, with his captain Babar answering the questions of the critics. Arshdeep Singh stepping up when his team called, Suryakumar Yadav somehow reaching sky-high levels.

In a testament to the parity among the competition, it took until match 30 to eliminate the Netherlands, a First Round qualifier, from the semi-finals. Afghanistan were alive up until match 32 on November 1, where they fell to Sri Lanka in Brisbane.

With all of this, and two solid semis behind us, who writes the final chapter? How in the world can we predict what comes next? History is written by the winners, though the fairytales of Pakistan and England have parallels.

For Pakistan, the complications of the story were felt just days ago. A penny for Babar’s thoughts when Regis Chakabva whipped the bails off to run out Shaheen Shah Afridi, only for the likes of Shaheen, coming back from adversity in his own right, to play a part in the comeback. The Mohammad Rizwan/Babar opening partnership had often misfired, though now look dialled in for Melbourne.

For England it’s a hit-back from 2021, on a mission to vindicate a heavy white-ball focus that saw them lift the 2019 Cricket World Cup. Their campaign in UAE had so much promise, only for dreams of holding both limited-over trophies concurrently quashed by a Daryl Mitchell maelstrom.

The match-up to watch in Melbourne? Arguably England’s batting Powerplay.

The English are the most devastating team batting in the first six overs, scoring an average of 52/1 to set up their charge. Pakistan on the other side are the most ruthless during the same period with the ball, taking 2/37.

Powerplay pivotal in final clash

Something has to give in the final, but who will budge first? Can Jos Buttler and Alex Hales emulate their success at the Adelaide Oval, fighting India’s fire with flow and flamboyance? Or can Shaheen Afridi spearhead a Pakistan blitz?

The world turns its attention to the MCG, and 22 men wanting to etch their names in the record books.

Though to do it, it’s time for big time players to stand up at the Big Time’s business end.