T20 WORLD CUP PREVIEW
SUPER 12
Groups 1 and 2 will each include two teams who have qualified from the first round. The top two in each group will then progress to the semi-finals.
GROUP
1
AUSTRALIA
Captain: Aaron Finch
T20I ranking: 7 World Cup pedigree: Always the one that gets away. That thrashing by England in the 2010 final is still their best tournament result, and the only time they’ve made it to the RIGHT: 41 per cent of Liam Livingstone’s T20I runs have come in sixes last two in six attempts.
Box-office draw: Probably Glenn Maxwell, an indulged talent who thrills and exasperates in equal measure; three T20I hundreds point to his on-the-day brilliance, as does a career strike rate of 152 – in a slightly shot-shy middle order, he’s their best hope.
Bright young thing: There aren’t many – this is an oldish squad – but Mitch Swepson is an excellent short-form legspinner routinely doing great things in the Big Bash, while Josh Inglis, well known to Leicestershire fans, is a funky shot-creator who could light up the tournament just as he did the T20 Blast, during which he smoked a 61-ball 118* (eight sixes) against Worcestershire.
Commentary bingo: “Wake up and smell the coffee, Adam Zampa!” – Kevin Pietersen
In a number: 1 – the number of Aussie batsmen in the top 20 of the ICC rankings (Finch, at No.3)
CricViz prediction: Warner, Starc and Maxwell loom large, but lacklustre batting against spin and poor planning leaves semi-final qualification looking a stretch. Third in Group 1.
ENGLAND
Captain: Eoin Morgan
T20I ranking: 1 World Cup pedigree: Smash-and-grab winners in 2010, losers at the last in 2016 (“Remember the name” etc).
Box-office draw: Take your pick. Across a team so coveted that David Willey is the only player without IPL experience, Jos Buttler is still the one true global icon; while the return of Tymal Mills offers express pace and southpaw muscle.